What to Feed a 4-Week-Old-Puppy
The Weaning Process: When Should Puppies Transition to Solid Food?
The Weaning Process for puppies begins when they are 4-weeks-old. The Weaning Process is necessary because the mother’s milk no longer satisfies the nutritional requirements of the puppy. At this stage, the puppy’s teeth start to develop and solid food should be introduced to the puppy.
This can be a very tedious and hectic task for inexperienced users and can lead to diseases in extreme cases, therefore, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian. The Weaning Process can take up to 3-weeks to transition from mother’s milk to Solid food and Water.
Introducing Solid Food
The puppy should be fed with high-quality solid food recommended by your vet. The dry solid food should be moistened using water or milk replacement formula. Seattle Animal recommends using Vet Alac or Esbilac as your milk replacement formula.1 ounce of formula should be used for every 8 ounces of body weight per day.
The gruel should be fed 4 times a day in small amounts. The amounts of water or milk replacement formula should be reduced with time and proper transition towards Solid Food should be made at about 7–8 weeks.
Puppy Food for Dogs of Different Breeds
The type of food you purchase will depend on the breed of your dog. There are special types of foods for large and small breed dogs. However, there are also some diets that work for both types of breeds.
Large Breed Dogs
This type of puppy food contains an optimal level of calcium for the proper development of bones and teeth. It also contains a high level of proteins for the appropriate growth of the puppy. The Purina Pro Plan Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula with Probiotics
as well as the Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed Chicken Meal & Oat Recipe is a recommended puppy food for large breed puppies.
Puppy Food for Medium and Small Breed Dogs
The recommended type of puppy food for Medium and Small breed Dogs includes Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Mini & Medium Breed Puppy Formula and the Iams ProActive Health Smart Puppy Food. These are protein-rich foods and satisfy all nutritional requirements of young puppies.
Introducing Water
Drinking water should be introduced to the puppy by the age of 4-weeks as their hydration requirements will no longer be fulfilled by mother’s milk. Tap water should be boiled and served to the puppy in a shallow bowl. The use of boiled water can be stopped after a while.
Feeding Schedule for 4-year-old puppies
4-week-old-puppies are early-risers so be prepared to wake up early. Gruel should be served to the puppy in small amounts, if the puppy shows resistance then assist by feeding through a bottle.
The second meal should be given to the puppy around noon. It is better to take out the puppy for occasional walks for better digestion and physical health.
The third meal of the day should be given in the afternoon(3 pm). This meal should be a comparatively lighter meal.
The last meal of the day is served in the Evening (6 pm). A normal meal is given to the puppy so that hunger is avoided at night and the puppy is not awakened.