Setting Your Puppy Up for a Long and Healthy Life

Bringing a new puppy home is very exciting and a huge commitment to your family. Your new, constant, loyal and loving companion will bring a huge amount of joy to your life and home and they will be with you for many years. If you are a first-time dog parent, then there are lots of things you will need to know which will require many weeks of preparation. One of the main factors that needs serious consideration is proper nutrition as this is crucial for a growing puppy.

Choosing Simpsons Premium for your Puppy

They may start off small and adorable, but they grow up fast and need a well-balanced diet to help them do it. That’s why our latest range of products provides the best food for puppies of all breeds and sizes to help your little furry friends grow into bigger, even furrier friends over time. With only the best natural ingredients in all our puppy food tins, we can ensure that a diet using our products will keep your dog’s stomach and taste buds satisfied all day and night. We can promise you this result whether it’s the fish he prefers, the chicken she loves or the mixture of salmon and potato they both crave, as well as all the other combinations our store has to offer. The feeding guide of our puppy products is based on their weight when they are a fully-grown adult and the amount of food listed on the bag or tin is per day. Our puppy food is available in dry or wet format and are both complete diets – this means you do not need to add any supplements to them as they contain all the vitamins and minerals your puppy needs to grow and develop as he should and sustain a balanced diet. Dry food is sufficient for a puppy however if the kibble is too hard for them then you may wish to add warm water, not only will this soften the food but will make a slight gravy. It is your own personal preference whether you want to add wet food to your puppy’s diet but please be aware if you do this then you will need to adjust what you feed of the dry food as otherwise this will lead to overfeeding and can cause upset stomach or loose stools. Whilst your pup is maturing they don’t always have the receptors to tell their brain they that are full therefore it is important to stick to the feeding guide of the recommended food for your puppy’s weight.

Feeding your Puppy

When you bring your new canine companion home they will be around 8 weeks old and should be fed around 3 to 4 times a day. Continue to do this until around 6 months old were you can reduce frequency so that you are feeding twice daily. Dogs love routine, so it is important that you feed them at the same time every day and never leave food down as this will encourage a fussy eater. Lots of dogs tend to gulp food down which can cause them to swallow food whole and choke or intake excess air which can cause stomach ache. If you wish to slow down a gulper then you should consider adding water to their food as this makes them work harder to get it down. Another alternative is a slow feeder bowl which can be purchased at most pet shops, these have protrusions sticking up from the bottom, so your pup has to eat around them. These bowls don’t normally work as well with short nosed breeds. When you have a cute set of puppy eyes looking at you whilst you’re eating a slice of pizza it can be hard to say no. There are some human foods that are safe for your canine however, it is not advised that you give them any. Foods that you must NOT feed your dog are:

• Grapes
• Raisins
• Avocado
• Onions
• Garlic
• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Nuts
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

If your puppy consumes any of those foods then you must contact your vet immediately especially if you see symptoms such as, vomiting, seizures, poor breathing or lack of appetite. Always make sure that you have two bowls prior to your puppy’s arrival, one for food and one for water and always ensure that they have access to a clean, fresh bowl of drinking water. When considering what type of food to feed your puppy take into consideration the main factors for both dry and wet food. Dry food is small kibbles and is very convenient as you can buy in bigger bags which makes them more cost effective whereas wet food is in cans and pouches and can be less cost effective, particularly if you have a large breed. Dry food lasts longer than wet food as we suggest the wet can stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge once opened. You can mix both wet and dry food to give your pup more of a variety just make sure you adjust the feeding guide accordingly.