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What food?
Choose a food intended specifically
for puppies, avoiding generic foods and those that sell for unusually low
prices. We suggest brand name puppy food because it is impossible to distinguish
good dog food from poor dog food simply by looking at the ingredient list on the
label. Many things that owners look for, such as high protein levels and extra
vitamins, are more likely to be harmful than helpful. For example, overfeeding
and over supplementation are factors contributing to overweight and digestive
problems. If you have a large-breed puppy, purchase "large breed" puppy food.
The actual formula is different, not just the the kibble size, and is better for
very rapidly growing puppies.
How often?
Offer food to young puppies three
times a day. If your puppy isn't hungry that often, reduce the frequency. After
ten or twelve weeks of age, feed twice a day. Even adult dogs should have
their food split into morning and evening feedings. When fed once a day dogs
become overly hungry and are more likely to overeat at mealtime. Let your
puppy eat as much as she wants in fifteen minutes and then pick up the food
dish. Having food continually available encourages overeating, and chubby
puppies are more likely to have weight problems and joint problems later in
life. Also, because free-fed puppies never get very hungry, they don't enjoy
their food unless given special treats. The combination of special treats and
freely available food encourages them to become bored, overweight and picky.
People food?
Do not give people food. If you
start with a balanced diet and add goodies from the table, you won't have a
balanced diet anymore, and your puppy will have more digestive trouble. Treats
that are reasonably balanced, such as biscuits are OK, but since they are not
really all that great nutritionally, don't let them become an important part of
the diet. A good treat to give is liver cake.
Recipe for Liver Cake:
Ingredients:
• 1 lb wholemeal self raising flour
• 1 lb lambs or pigs liver
• 3 large eggs
• 6 – 8 cloves of garlic
• 4 – 6 oz milk
Method:
• Cut the liver up into small strips.
• Chop the garlic into small slices.
• The best and easiest method is to use a food processor but you can use a
liquidiser and / or mix by hand.
• Liquidise the chopped liver and garlic.
• Add the 3 eggs.
• Add half of the flour.
• Add some of the milk in to help the consistency.
• Add the rest of the flour.
• Add the rest of the milk.
Cooking Instructions:
• Line a baking tin with greased tin foil.
• Put the mixture in and cover with greased tin foil.
• Cook for approximately 1 hour (test as you would a cake, insert a knife or
skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean it is cooked. If it is
still tacky cook for longer but keep checking).
• 170 C or Gas Mark 3.
• I have found that it is better to make up two lots of mixture, one after the
other, and use a normal size roasting tin. This will obviously give twice the
quantity and save time later.
• Remove the foil from the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven otherwise it
will stick to the cake. When the cake is hand hot, cut the cake into strips both
ways. This will give you small squares approximately ½ - ¾ inch across and
approximately 2 ½ inches deep. Place approximately 8 of these small sections
into a small plastic sandwich bag and tie off. Freeze most of the bags keeping
one out for immediate use. When not using the unfrozen bag, keep it in the
fridge otherwise it will go off quite quickly. |
