How Much Food to Feed 13 Week Old Puppy
✅ Fact-Checked
When a new puppy comes into the home, excitement abounds. Puppies ooze with a joyful energy that's contagious. But as a dog owner, you probably have questions. For example, "how much food should my 8-week old puppy eat?"
The answer is not a simple one, because your pup's breed, body condition (equates to BMI in humans), and activity level all play a role in measuring food for a healthy diet.
1 How Much Food Should my 8-Week Old Puppy Eat?
It is important to feed your puppy well so they have the best nutritional "leg up" as they grow bones, muscles, tissues, and brain cells. Too many calories and the dog becomes obese, too little and they become malnourished. One thing is for certain, do not use standard dog food. It's designed for adults and won't fulfill a puppy's daily needs.
Weight and Calorie Requirements for an 8-Week Old Puppy
Each dog is unique. There are guidelines regarding calorie requirements for your puppy, but remember that's not a perfect measure. Your newfound friend may need upward of 50% more (or fewer) calories. Ask your vet if your pooch requires a caloric adjustment.
The list below focuses on puppies less than 4 months of age.
| Ideal Weight | Approximate Daily Caloric Intake |
|---|---|
| 1 pound | 125 |
| 2 pounds | 180 |
| 5 pounds | 392 |
| 7 pounds | 456 |
| 10 pounds | 649 |
| 20 pounds | 1120 |
The packaging on your dog food bag includes suggested feeding amounts, too. These figures vary depending on the type of ingredients and nutrients in each brand. Use the guidelines on the bag, or call your vet for confirmation.
Tip: Pre-measure your dog's kibble into a food storage bag, and have several ready for the week. It saves time, and if you need to "take it on the road" you're ready!
2 How Often Should An 8 Week-Old Puppy Eat?
There's often the temptation to leave food available for your pup to eat anytime. Don't give in as the practice often leads to overeating. Stick to a meal plan. Know how much your puppy should eat, and how often daily.
For an 8-week old, medium breed puppy, three meals a day is a sweet spot. You don't have to switch to two meals daily until it's six months old.
Size Matters
There can be exceptions to the 3-meals-a-day guideline caused by size. For example, a very tiny pup may need to eat five times a day. Toy breeds need to eat more often to keep their blood sugar levels up. In large breeds, your vet may recommend several small meals throughout the day to prevent bloating.
Monitoring
Your puppy's body condition changes very rapidly at young ages. Remain aware of the visible changes and adjust your dog's food accordingly. If your dog looks a little skinny, add a little bit more kibble to each meal.
At a glance, you might not feel certain if you've been feeding your 8-week old puppy too often. There are other tell-tale signs.
- Breathing heavily after short bits of play. Puppies should not wheeze, for example.
- Jumping: Puppies love to leap on furniture. When they struggle, it could be due to the pressure weight puts on their joints.
- Snoring: Too much weight may result in respiratory issues manifesting with snoring.
- Waddling: Weight affects your puppy's gait.
If you see your dog exhibiting any (or all) of these four signs, it's time for a vet assessment. You want your pup to live a long healthy life, and obesity shortens it substantially.
3 8 Week Old Puppy Feeding Chart
Here is a chart showing how many cups a day your 8-week old dog should receive:
| Your Puppy's Weight | Cups Per Day |
|---|---|
| 2 pounds | ½ cup |
| 3-4 pounds | ¾ cup |
| 5 Pounds | 1 cup |
| 6-7 pounds | 1 ¼ cups |
| 8 pounds | 1 ½ cups |
| 10 pounds | 1 ¾ cups |
| 15 pounds | 2 ¼ cups |
| 20 pounds | 3 cups |
| 30 pounds | 4 cups |
| 40 pounds | 5 cups |
| 50 pounds | 5 ¾ cups |
| 60 pounds | 6 ⅔ cups |
| 70 pounds | 7 1/2 cups |
| 80 pounds | 8 ¼ cups |
| 90 pounds | 9 cups |
| 100 pounds | 9 ¾ cups |
Changing Food
| Day | New Food | Old Food |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1-2: | ¼ new food | ¾ old food |
| Day 3-4: | ½ new food | ½ old food |
| Day 5-6: | ¾ new food | ¼ old food |
| Day 7: | all new food | no old food |
4 How Do I Know If I'm Feeding My Puppy Enough?
You can make a fast, easy assessment of your dog's weight. You should not be able to see your puppy's ribs, but you can feel them. If you can't feel the ribs, the pup is overweight. Additionally, the dog should have a visible waist when you look down on them from above.
5 Can you Overfeed a Puppy?
It's easy to overfeed a puppy. You love your dog, and they're very good at looking sweet when they want something, namely part of your dinner. Try and monitor yourself as overfeeding creates a variety of health problems, the biggest of which is shortening the dog's life span.
Signs of Overfeeding
Besides the visual cues, how can you tell you are overfeeding your pup? For one, it may have digestive problems like loose stools and abdominal discomfort. If your 8-week old puppy has a normal stool first thing in the morning, but a loose one at night, you're probably overfeeding.
Other signs include:
- Gas: Yes, some breeds have flatulence more than others, but when gas becomes unusually smelly, it can indicate a problem with digestion.
- Lethargy: You expect your puppy to be bouncy! If it becomes sluggish, overfeeding may be the culprit.
- Scratching. When a dog itches all the time, it may be the result of an allergic reaction to too much food. Even the best quality food can cause this manifestation.
- Shedding: Each breed has certain expected levels of shedding. However, when your pup sheds non-stop, chews at its feet and has balding patches, there's a problem. The dog's body is trying to eliminate waste from an excess of food.
- Tear Staining: Some dogs experience this more than others. Tear stains come from a build-up of toxins often from overfeeding.
The proverbial boogie man in overfeeding is a toxic buildup in your puppy's system. While you can adjust the amount of food you provide, a vet visit would be wise.
6 When Should A Puppy Be Switched Off Of Puppy Food?
You can gradually transition your puppy to adult dog food when they reach their full adult height. As with any food changes, slowly decrease the current chow and increase the adult kibble. Use an entire week to the process.
Toy breeds like Maltese reach their adult height between 6-9 months of age. Small and medium breeds reach it around 8-12 months of age. Large and giant breeds, for example, American Bulldog grow up at 12-24 months of age.
7 What Puppy Food Do Vets Recommend?
Talk to ten different vets and you're likely to get ten different recommended lists. Some veterinarians have one brand they prefer and sell it in-house. Others have several different types of food based on your dog's size and health.
What to feed a puppy is a question vets and vet techs get every day. There are some guidelines that apply to all brands including:
- AAFCO Seal. The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) certifies that a food has been tested for nutritional quality.
- Ingredient list: Puppy food should have some type of grain in it. Grain-free diets can lead to heart problems. Make sure the label specifies the meat type (not just "meat" but rather "chicken" or "lamb" etc.). Avoid any type of kibble that has white flour or rendered fat.
There are some brand names that come up regularly when seeking feeding advice from vets:
- Purina Pro Plan Puppy Food
- Hills Science Diet Puppy
- Royal Canin Small Puppy Dog Food
- Farmina N&D
- IAMS
- Pedigree
You may have to try more than one brand. Puppies can be picky eaters, and they'll latch onto one they prefer. Think of the process as part of your relationship-building time with your new 8-week old puppy.
Source: https://www.pawsgeek.com/how-much-food-should-my-8-week-old-puppy-eat/
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