It's important to feed your puppy the right amount of food at proper intervals. Your puppy will need the right amount of nutrients in order to grow and become a healthy adult. It's critical to your puppy's health that his physical condition is monitored regularly and that the feeding amount is adjusted as your puppy grows.
To help keep your puppy healthy, Hill's recommends following the simple steps in this cycle:
- Weigh your puppy.
- Feed him based on feeding guide and veterinary recommendations.*
- Evaluate your puppy's physical condition using
our on line growth tracker chart. Simply enter the date, your pet's weight, and using the slider you can set your puppy's condition score. - Adjust the amount you feed accordingly as your puppy grows.
*Large breed puppies, who will weigh more than 25kgs when adult, have very specific nutritional needs to ensure healthy bone and joint development.
Switching food:
If switching your puppy to Hill's Science Plan Puppy, gradually introduce it over a 7-day period. Do this by mixing your puppy's former food with increasing proportions of the new food, until only Science Plan is being fed. He will then be able to fully enjoy the taste and benefits of the superior nutrition provided by Science Plan Canine Puppy Healthy Development.
You and your vet: Your vet is the best source of information about the health and
Ask your veterinarian which of these three feeding methods is best for your puppy:
Free Choice: Food is available to your puppy at all times.
Time-Limited Feeding: Food is available to your puppy for a limited time.
Meal Feeding: A measured amount of food is available to your puppy at specific meal times each day.
Water: Your puppy must have an adequate supply of fresh water at all times. Not having water to drink for a sustained length of time will harm your puppy's health. Treats & titbits Although it's tempting to give them table scraps, they do not provide your puppy with the correct balance of nutrients. Try to be sparing with treats, as giving too many can lead to weight gain or nutritional imbalance.
The next step: When your dog reaches maturity, his nutritional needs will be different. He'll need to move on to an adult food that will provide him with specific nutrients, vitamins and minerals in a balance that's correct for his age and breed size. Hill's Science Plan can provide exactly that. The life stage range is tailored to keep your dog in the best of health throughout his whole life, whatever his breed or lifestyle.
For more information on nutritional needs of your adult dog click here.