feeding the puppy the right food

Question
HELLO,
I JUST BOUGHT A PUPPY AND I WOULD APPRECIATE ADVICE ON WHAT IS THE BEST OR NEAR BEST FOOD TO FEED IT.
aLSO, HOW OFTEN IS BEST AND HOW MUCH.
WHAT IS A GOOD SUPPLEMENT TO OFFER IT TO STAY HEALTHY.
ALSO, HOW OFTEN DO  I WORM HIM AND WITH WHAT?
THANKS ALOT.

Answer
Hi Serse-

Excellent questions to be asking with your new pup!

I highly recommend staying on the same food the breeder had you pup on and gradually change it over to the food of your choice.  The pups stomach's are still very sensitive at this age and changing over completely without mixing in the old can upset it and cause diarrehea.  I suggest a mixture of 75% the old food/25% the new for a few days, then going to 50/50 for a few days, 25/75 for a few and finally 100% the new food.  When getting a new kind, look for a food without fillers (corn, soy, wheat), those are like candy bars to use...they're good but have little nutritional value for the dogs and are cheap for the companies to produce.  Look for a food that has meat or meat meal (which is the meat ground up with very little water added to it...actually better than meat itself, which has a lot of water in it yet) in at least the 1st 2 ingredients.  Also look for a food without and preservatives in it, especially BHT or ethoxyquin residual in them.  Look for Omega 3 (flaxseed oils, fish meal)& 6 (chicken fat, sunflower oil, linoleic acid) in the food...it's needed for skin and coat health.  Probiotics and natural enzymes are needed for digestibility.  Chelated minerals are much better than ground because they are digested better.  White rice is also a filler, look for brown rice.  Staying away from grains also reduces the chances for allergies to develop and dull coats.  I use Canidae brand food.  The website is www.canidae.com .  They have all the info you'd ever need on the site as well as store locators for you.  With Canidae, it's an all life stage food, meaning you don't need to change over when the pup becomes an adult or senior or is hard worked.  It's one food that is formulated for all dogs.  On a well made food such as this, your need for any supplements isn't needed.  I personally let my dogs self-feed.  Meaning I put the food out and when they eat all of it, I refill the bowl.  It prevents the "gulping" that occurs from timed feeding and helps to prevent gas build up and upset tummies.  If you choose to do a timed feeding (every morning before work/school and come home at lunch until the pup is about 6-7 months old and then again in the evening) you'll need to check the package.  You will feed according to the pups weight.

As for a worming schedule...it's best to let your vet do that.  The dewormers that you can get from your stores aren't made good enough to take care of that.  If you're going to have your dog out and about (especially in dog parks) you'll want to get it on a heartworm schedule.  That way, every month you'll be giving it the hearworm preventitive tablet which also prevents worms: tapeworms, hookworms etc.  Very easy to maintain on this program.

Hopefully, this has given you an insight to your questions.  If you have any other questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me.

Congratulations on your new pup and good luck!
Patty Lemke
www.country-sidebreeders.com