Nutrition, part 2 (Feeding Puppies) (Read part 1 of this article here)
By Susan Lauten - http://www.petnutritionconsulting.com

Part 1 of this series of articles addressed the care and feeding of breeding animals and the feeding of the dam during gestation, through lactation. We now focus on the puppies. How rapidly should newborns grow? When, what, how much, and how often should puppies be fed?

The first thing I’ll do is admit that when I raised a litter of Weims, I thought that plump, round pups were a sign of healthy babies. I am dating myself by saying this, but I certainly wasn’t alone. Thankfully we have learned a lot since that time. Now we understand that puppies should be “lean mean puppy machines,” and that lean puppies are much healthier than round, plump puppies.

The goals of feeding are to reduce mortality (which is 10-30%) in newborn puppies, provide proper nutrition for optimal growth, and to bring puppies to adulthood with a good chance of leading a long, healthy life. Large-breed puppies, which include the Weimaraner, are more susceptible to developmental orthopedic disorders than small breed puppies. This is likely due to the fact that large breed puppies are more immature at birth. Their skeletons are less mineralized than smaller breeds. This puts the responsibility for proper litter management squarely in the hands of the breeder.

Puppy feeding periods can be divided into three phases, all of which are critical if goals are to be met. Initially, puppies must switch from in utero nutrition to oral nutrition in the form of dam’s milk. As was discussed, the nutrition of the dam allows for optimal growth of puppies before birth, and allows successful transition from the stress of birth to oral feeding of the dam’s milk. Dam’s milk is complete in that it properly supports growth and development of the species for which it is produced. The second phase occurs when the puppies begin to wean from the dam and receive nutrition from the dam and what is offered by the breeder. The last period begins after weaning and continues through the puppy’s first birthday.

Many breeders keep a log of birth weight and daily weight gain for each puppy. But, keeping a close watch over the dam is as important. Puppies should be weighed daily or every other day, ideally on a gram scale. Puppies should not lose weight and should not fail to gain weight every day. Daily weight gain for the first 4 weeks of life should be approximately 5% per day. For example, a one pound puppy weighs 454 grams. The next day, this puppy should gain about 23 grams and weigh 477 grams (454g times 0.05 = 23g) (454g + 23g = 477g). The puppy should gain 5% of its current body weight the following day making him/her 501g ((477g times 0.05 = 24 grams) (477g + 24g = 501g). By keeping an accurate log, a puppy that is not gaining can be quickly identified and treated. If all puppies fail to gain, attention should be quickly directed to the dam to identify problems.

Between 4 and 8 weeks of age, daily gains are about 3g/kg adult body weight. Two to four grams/kg adult body weight can be expected until puppies complete the rapid growth phase that occurs between 2 and 5 months of age.

Each puppy should be encouraged to nurse 8 to 12 times per day during the first week of life. During the first 24 hours, puppies are able to absorb intact proteins through the intestines, so the breeder should ensure that all puppies have nursed enough to obtain colostrum (sometimes called first milk) from the dam. Competition among puppies in large litters can result in smaller puppies not receiving enough milk. Inadequate nutrition predisposes puppies to life threatening problems such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and dehydration (lack of fluid in tissues). To manage large litters, the puppies can be divided into two groups of similarly sized puppies (larger puppies in one group and smaller puppies in the second group). One group is allowed to nurse while the other is bottle-fed an appropriate milk replacer. The groups should be switched about 4 times per day. This method provides all puppies with dam’s milk and prevents any puppies from being complete orphans.

The puppies should be offered solid food, usually in the form of gruel, at about 4 weeks of age. Many breeders have their own feeding protocol and some may offer food as early as 3 weeks. There are no hard and fast rules about the age at which solid food is introduced. However, the transition from dam’s milk to an appropriate puppy food should be completed by 6 to 7 weeks of age. Some bitches will stop cleaning up after the puppies once solid food is introduced, so that may be a factor in deciding when to begin feeding. A weaning formula can be used if desired, or weaning directly to a large-breed puppy food is another option.

Once puppies are eating solid food, their growth and development is affected by food, environment, and genetics. Each of these components plays an important role in the successful growth of a young dog, and each component has an effect on the other components. An excess amount of food fed to a growing puppy can affect skeletal development, and can cause the expression of a genetic trait such as osteochondrosis or hip dysplasia.

Before discussing large breed puppy foods, it might be helpful to share something about the world of research. The results of medical research (human or animal) take years to filter through to the public. The first research paper introduced in a lipid graduate class addressing the dangers and health risks associated with Trans fats was dated in the early 1980s. It has taken nearly 20 years for that to become an important issue for everyone. A similar situation exists with regard to puppy foods. Smaller breeds of dogs were used to develop the formulations of original puppy foods, and these foods were appropriate for the smaller dog. The major pet food companies introduced large breed puppy foods to the market in the early 1990s, but today, there are still some that don’t understand and accept the benefits of these products.

A second problem arises from the fact that the vast majority of smaller pet food companies, whose products mimic those of the big commercial companies, did not change their large breed puppy food formulations until a few years ago. I advised many of you against the use of off brand puppy foods over the years because the food market was full of puppy foods that were inappropriate for feeding Weimaraner puppies. Today, many of the large breed puppy foods are now properly formulated and safe to use.

Another myth that has persisted, in spite of research results, pertains to protein in the diet of large and giant breed puppies. High dietary protein levels do not have a negative effect on growth. It is still common to read that high protein is not good for large breed puppies. We need to get past that myth because protein is crucial for proper growth and immune system development. We admittedly have immune system issues in the Weimaraner and restricting protein intake would be contraindicated.

Why is calcium intake so important to large breed puppies?
Research elucidated the mechanisms by which dietary calcium is absorbed in puppies. The hormonal regulation of calcium absorption in large breeds is not mature until after the puppy reaches 6 months of age. Until regulation is mature, whatever is ingested orally, is very efficiently absorbed and stored in bone, the mineral reservoir. It is this excess calcium deposition that leads to developmental orthopedic disorders. After 6 months of age, absorption is regulated, and excess calcium ingested orally is not absorbed and simply passed out in the feces, but damage from early overfeeding is already done and the puppy my suffer its effects for the rest of its life.

Breeders were the first to associate developmental disorders with the puppy foods of the late 1970s and 1980s. These original foods were developed to maximize growth. Breeders began to feed adult diets to growing puppies to slow growth rate and prevent overfeeding. Unfortunately, there are negative aspects to this practice. The regulators of pet food manufacturers allow a wide range of calcium content in pet foods. For adult foods, that range tops out at 2.5% of the dry matter of the food. This very high level has been shown to trigger the expression of developmental disorders such as hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis in large breed puppies. Secondly, because of the very low caloric content of some adult foods, it is possible to feed more calcium than would be fed using a puppy food. For example, say that Adult food X contains 250 Calories per cup, and each cup contains 200 mg of calcium. Puppy food Y contains 375 Calories per cup, and each cup contains 250 mg of calcium. A Weim puppy might need 1500 Calories per day. Using the adult food, he would need to eat 6 cups of adult food, containing 1200 mg of calcium. Using the puppy food, he would need to eat 4 cups of food, containing 1000 mg of calcium. High quality, large breed puppy foods contain moderate calories and lower calcium levels. The calcium levels in these products are strictly regulated in manufacturing to provide proper intake for growing puppies.

Puppies should be kept very lean and trim. Pendulous bellies are out, and sleek bodies are in! Body condition should be reassessed weekly and food quantities adjusted to maintain a slim puppy. Supplementation and/or top dressing of foods needs to be avoided from weaning to 6 months of age. Vitamin and/or mineral supplementation should also be avoided during this period. Commercial foods are completely balanced, and supplementation has the potential to unbalance important minerals such as calcium. Charts and calculations of how much to feed a growing puppy can be used as a guideline, but weekly visual assessment of body condition is more effective and is tailored to the individual dog, Remember that genetics dictate the adult size of a puppy, while proper nutrition dictates how quickly that size is achieved.

Large breed puppy foods should be fed for at least the first 6 months of life, and possibly until 12 months of age. Research supports the need for controlling growth rate and calcium intake until 6 months of age, and personal preference can dictate when puppy foods are discontinued. Supplementation can be safely undertaken (in moderation) after your puppy reaches 6 months of age.