Feeding an 8-month German Spitz puppy: Diet tips & coconut oil safety?

Irati should eat about 1/3-1/2 cup of Science Diet puppy food per day mixed with some water, divided into smaller meals. Since she is still quite young and small, I generally recommend feeding 4-5 times per day. I'm working under the assumption that she is no longer with her mother, and as such is not nursing. If she is still nursing from her mom, she will not need quite as much food. As a future reference, following the chart on the bag of puppy food as Irati grows will be helpful, as you will frequently need to adjust the volume of kibble that she is eating. She should continue eating puppy food until she is 1 year old, after which time she can be transitioned to an adult dog food. Any time you make a chance in her diet, be sure to do so gradually over 5-7 days. I hope this helps!

As German Shepherd dogs are very prone to having food sensitivities and also are prone to exocrine pancreas insufficiency you should not feed him any food that is not dogfood, ie human food, treats, etc. The best is to feed specific puppy food for German Shepherd Dogs such as Royal Canin Maxi Puppy Dry Dog Food Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Dry Dog Food or similar specific complete puppy foods for large dogs. As for quantities and how often to feed your puppy, , stick to the instructions on the bag as quantities depend on ingredients, weight of puppy and age. I would feed my puppy 3-4 times daily.

I recommend a small breed diet and to stick with one of the higher quality brands. I like Royal Canin because the diets have high quality, easy to digest protein and contain an excellent fiber blend. Most pets on this diet will have great stool quality and minimal amounts of stool because there's not a lot of filler. They actually carry a line for Chihuahuas. I also like Purina Pro Plan. Coco should eat twice a day and should eat puppy food until he is 1 year old. I hope this helps.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would recommend not switching to once daily feedings until George and Louise are at least 1 year old. Smaller breed dogs are at a higher risk of hypoglycemia, as are puppies. Also, smaller breed dogs tend to get 'bilious vomiting', meaning that they are more likely to vomit when their stomach has been empty for a while. The diet you are feeding is good, so no supplements are required, but I would recommend doing 2x feedings until 1 year old, and then every few months transfer 10% of the evening feed to the morning, and always give a small snack before bedtime to try to prevent bilious vomiting. Best of luck with George and Louise!

Here are some good articles to get you started out: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-obedience-commands-every-dog-should-know/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-rules-for-effective-housetraining/ As for feeding, I recommend a good-quality, commercial puppy food. I have fed my dog Purina ProPlan from when she was 6 weeks old up to now - 13.5 years! There will be feeding guidelines on any bag of dog food. Those are a good starting point as to the amount.

Based on his current weight, I would expect this mix to be around 30 lbs when he reaches adulthood, but this is a rough estimate. They shouldn't be losing any weight as puppies, but this does happen sometimes when they are in a new environment, or have a medical condition (i.e. diarrhea). I wouldn't be too worried if he lost a little weight, but is otherwise acting normal and appears healthy. It's good that you are thinking about controlling his diet. I recommend feeding a small breed puppy food to Pepe until he is about eight months old, then he can be switched to an adult food. A good dog food will have the adequate amount of calories calculated into their recommended feeding guidelines (can find this on the bag). If you feed according to that and limit the amount of treats and/or table scraps he gets, then you should be able to keep him from getting overweight. For more information on feeding Pepe, I recommend you read the article at the link below. This explains what to look for when choosing your food. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I hope that helps and all is well with Pepe.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would continue to feed her the small breed puppy food at the recommended amount on the bag. Puppy food is calorie-dense, so as to meet the energy needs of high-energy puppies. You can try breaking the amount into smaller, more frequent meals (ie three or four times a day) so she feels like she is getting to eat more. I would not over-feed her for fear of early onset obesity, which can lead to significant health issues later in life. You can also supplement her diet with healthy treats during the day such as carrots or green beans. After she is spayed, her energy requirements will decrease and she will need to be fed less food so she doesn't become overweight. I hope this is helpful!