Feeding Rottweiler Puppies Correctly

The Right Way of Feeding Your Rottweiler Puppy

What you feed your puppy and the way that you feed him will have a big impact on his health and well being. It is important to choose dog food that has the right nutrients and quality that will support his growth. It is also imperative that a correct feeding schedule should be followed. Read on to find out what kinds of dog food are great for puppies and large dog breeds like Rottweilers, the right feeding schedule and other tips.

Nutrition for Your Rottweiler Puppy

Even though your Rottie is still a puppy, he still has his own nutritional needs that will vary from that of adult dogs. The nutritional needs of puppies are different from mature dogs because of the fast growth that occurs in the first couple of years. This is one of the times that you need to take advantage of and give him what he needs to ensure that he grows up healthy and to his maximum physical and mental capacity. By not giving your puppy the right nutrition he needs for the first couple of years of his life, you might be elevating the risk of diseases and disorders that will plague him in the future. There are some large breeds of dogs that are prone to bone and muscular disorders or diseases which can be prevented by giving the right nutrition while they are young. 

Protein is one of the most important elements of a healthy diet. It helps in the puppy’s growth and development. Dogs are mainly carnivores and supplying good, quality protein is essential to their health. Check the list of ingredients of the dog food to see what it contains. One aspect that I find true is that, the more expensive the dog food, the more protein it usually has. The source of this protein should be meat and not some form of grain, meat meal or a by product of meat. These are usually low quality meat and could actually be made of skin, fats and parts that are rejected for human consumption. Feeding Rottweiler puppies correctly ensure the best of health.

Experts recommend feeding your Rottweiler puppy about 22% to 26% protein to ensure that he grows up well and his muscles develop correctly. Large adult dogs like Rotties just need about 20% to 24% protein in their diet while puppies need more because they are still growing. You might also want to consider looking into the calcium content of the dog food; it should be around 1.2% to 1.5% for puppies.

Cow’s milk is also not such a good idea to supplement a mother dog’s milk. Cow’s milk is formulated by nature for calves and puppies have different needs from bovines. Giving your puppy cow’s milk can trigger allergies or an upset stomach. Some people swear that their puppies thrive in cow’s milk but it is always better not to take a chance.

Feeding Schedule

Feeding Rottweiler puppies correctly should also be based on the right feeding schedule. This table should guide you accordingly:

3 – 8 weeks old puppy – 4 meals a day

8 – 16 weeks old puppy – 3 meals a day

16 weeks up to 2 years – 2 meals a day

2 years onwards – 1 meal per day

Since puppies are still growing, their eating habits may vary. You may have to adjust your schedule according to how he eats. It is not a good idea to leave the dog food in the bowl and let your puppy return every now and then for a quick bite. Insects, rodents and other pests might partake in the food and contaminate it with germs and bacteria; infecting your puppy.

You could base the first few meals on the dog food recommendation that is usually found on the packaging. Adjust according to how fast he can eat the serving and if he goes back to finish an unfinished serving within ten minutes. If he does not go back to his bowl within ten minutes for the remainder of the meal, he is likely full.

If you want to change dog foods, transition slowly by mixing the initial food with the new one that you wish to introduce. Changing without any transition period can lead to an upset stomach or outright rejection of the new dog food. The transition period should be about 6 to 7 days. 

A Healthy Dog vs A Fat Dog

Some dog owners equate a fat, rounded dog into a healthy dog. Nothing can be so far from the truth. Dogs succumb to a variety of disorders and ailments if they are overweight and unhealthy. Large dogs like Rottweilers are prone to several diseases which can be triggered by being overweight and having too much fat in their system.

Now that you have a good idea of feeding Rottweiler puppies correctly, you can start looking into dog foods and the different brands available. It is also wise to invest in an elevated dog bowl when the time comes to reduce the possibility of bloat in your large dog.

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