Four Meals Down To Three

[Vilya]

Paddy is 16 weeks old today and I am starting to think about changing his feeding routine to 3 meals a day instead of 4.  My question is:  which meal do you cut out?

He has scrambled egg or Weetabix first thing in the morning; a meat/fish meal at lunchtime and again at about 5pm; and then rice pudding at about 9pm.  This is following on from what the breeder recommended.  

My thinking is that lunchtime is the meal he would miss least, but should I replace the breakfast with a meat/fish meal? (but oh, he does love his scrambled egg).  It is so many years since I have had a puppy that I have forgotten the routine for feeding.  

I would be glad to hear of others' feeding routines for puppies this age.  Thanks.

[Pammy]

He should be on proper dog food by now, something like a premium dry food for puppies -Nutro for example. You should wean him onto that over a period of about 10 days. He needs to be getting hard things to bite on not all soft wet food.

I would look to feed him at about 8.00am, 1.00pm - 2.00pm, then about 6.00pm - 7.00pm. I'd halve what I was giving him as supper for a few days then halve it again then just stop it.

What ongoing diet has your breeder recommended as we'd normally advise you follow that - but only if it's any good of course.

[Vilya]

He should be on proper dog food by now, something like a premium dry food for puppies -Nutro for example. You should wean him onto that over a period of about 10 days. He needs to be getting hard things to bite on not all soft wet food.

I would look to feed him at about 8.00am, 1.00pm - 2.00pm, then about 6.00pm - 7.00pm. I'd halve what I was giving him as supper for a few days then halve it again then just stop it.

What ongoing diet has your breeder recommended as we'd normally advise you follow that - but only if it's any good of course.

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The breeder has recommended Pedigree Puppy food mixed with small bite mixer, which is what he is having at present.  He also has Pedigree Puppy Complete.

[Pammy]

In that case - ditch the rice pudding. You might also want to think about other foods going for a totally dry complete diet. It can be soaked with a little warm water for puppies but by 16 weeks - they're usually fine with it dry, unless they're teething when they may like some soft food again.

[nelly]

Hello

Not sure what everyone else feels but we were told not to feed them with Pedigree Puppy food or any of the well advertised brands (Bakers etc). If you have a look at the ingredients it will give you an idea of the quality of it i.e. the meat content and the lack of additives. I have been told that certain brands can cause hyperactivity in dogs.

Have a search around in the history on the forum, we got loads of advice off it when we got Bob.

[PennyB]

Mine were on dry complete food only (nutro I think) by the time I picked them up at 8 weeks (4 meals). I eventually changed them over to Autarky puppy then later Burns minibites which they're both on (Wilf has a little canine extra mixed in with his though)