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Diet and Feeding
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Featuring Ch. Glenbrook The Great Gatsby Healthy Dogs Our pups will usually go to their new homes at about 8-9 weeks of age. Puppies must always have fresh water available (day and night). This must be contained in a non slip/ spillible and easily accessed drinking bowl and must be checked and changed/cleaned once/twice daily. When feeding your older puppy / dog I recommend a ‘snood’ to protect your cocker’s ears. We will provide each new family with a snood as part of their puppy pack.
All meals/drinks must be given either luke warm or at room temperature and all feeding times should remain consistent. Puppies must consume only good quality puppy food and low lactose puppy milk. Do not feed adult dog food or cow’s milk. Adult dog food is not suitable and does not contain the necessary calcium etc. With breakfast and dinner meals, our puppies also have a puppy milk drink prior to going to bed at night. Our puppies have always only ever consumed good quality and fresh meat, chicken, vegetables etc in addition to good quality commercial puppy dry food and only in moderate portions. I am not a fan of many of the commercial foods on the market for adult dogs as they contain a number of colour additives and preservatives. The good quality commercial puppy foods are well balanced and offer good levels of calcium and other essential ingredients for growing puppies. Take care that any fresh beef or chicken does not contain preservatives and is always fresh. The overall health and condition and critical growing and development needs of your puppy is fully dependant on what he/she is consuming and is very important. I recommend splitting the feeding up to four times a day when less than 16 weeks of age as it is difficult for them to eat enough in one feed to get all the energy they need for the day. By 6 months reduce the frequency to twice a day and then by 12 months into adulthood, once or twice a day. Puppies need more protein than adults to provide sufficient amino acids for growth and extra minerals for healthy bones and teeth.
It is OK to give treats at this stage, but make sure that your dog is rewarded only for doing something good, and ignore the bad behaviour. I like to use very small pieces of dried liver or puppy treats as a positive reward. A small amount, such as a baby fingernail size, is all that is required. Remember treats should form part of the daily food allowance. And last of all – love your puppy, because they deserve the very best. Diet and Maintenance list The saying "you are what you eat" applies as much to dogs as it does to humans. We personally recommend ECOPET for preservative free mince and for their meat and vegetable rolls. These rolls are steam cooked and are made with wholesome ingredients like chicken, fish and fresh vegetables that have been mixed together and sealed into rolls and then placed into a steamer and gently cooked. Being steamed ensures that all of the food value is retained. Our dogs love them. A puppy is a puppy until 12 months of age and its diet must reflect this to accommodate the rapid growth and strong development of organs, bones and muscle which it will have for life. Please remember you and the puppy only have one opportunity to get it right in terms of diet and his/her corresponding growth and development. The investment you put into a puppy in terms of a good healthy, nutritional and balanced diet together with a sensible exercise, socialising and training program is what you and the puppy/dog will benefit from for the remainder of the dog's life. Your dog will need a continued balanced intake of good quality red meat, bones, chicken, fish, vegetables (raw and cooked), fruit (good vitamins and potassium and good for chewing), yoghurt throughout their life.
Always make sure that fresh drinking water is available at all times.
8 to 16 weeks - 3 meals a day Advance Puppy Plus Chicken and Rice wet and dry. 1/3 cup with 1/3 cup mince meat (no preservatives) or alternatively use ECOPET chicken and vegetable roll or sardines in oil or cooked and shredded chicken breast. Lunch - Advance 1/3 cup, 1/3 cup mince Dinner - Advance 1/3 cup, 1 teaspoon of Natural Yoghurt mixed with 1/3 cup mince meat. 3 to 6 months - 2 meals a day Breakfast - Dry food 1/2 cup. Dinner - Dry food 1/2 cup, mince meat (no preservatives) with a serve of Natural Yoghurt.
Supplements: I also reccomend the following supplements for older puppies and dogs from 6 months. They are available from Pet Circle.
Optional extras: Chicken necks and wing tips – must be raw. Pulverised cooked vegetables and rice – replaces a complete meal. Brisket bones to chew on for cleaner teeth. A raw carrot cut in to chunks. NOTE: The dry food should form the bulk (75%) of the diet until they are 12 months old. The basic diet, is balanced and quite suitable for a puppy until 12 months old. After that you can feed what you feel is best for you. For variety consider: Chicken wing tips - They provide good chewing material for teeth, plus a natural form of calcium. Yoghurt for calcium and good digestion. Fish for essential omega oil - use tinned fish such as Sardines. Charcoal bones from a pet shop aides digestion and helps clean teeth. Coconut oil - 1 tsp with each meal for a glossy coat.
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