Well i am getting a shih tzu puppy and ive done my research but one thing im unsure of is feeding.
Ive decided to not have "free will" feeding.. I would rather have schelduled feeding times.
So since that is the case, how much should i feed him? should i find him twice or 3 times a day? maybe even four? should i feed him dry or wet? both?
is it true that its good for your dog to eat a little meat or fresh veggies?
best answer will be chosen.
I think your decision not to free feed is a really good one. While your puppy is still really young, I'd go with either 3 or 4 times a day, and don't limit quantities just yet. After he's about 3 months old, 2 or 3 times a day should be sufficient. I only feed my adult dogs once or twice a day, depending on my schedule and their activity level.
I suggest finding a well-priced, dry kibble. There are many excellent brands out there, but they can be hard to find. The only brand that Petsmart carries that I would recommend is Blue Buffalo. However, Pet Supplies Plus and smaller, independant stores carry the really good foods like Merrick, Wellness, Canidae, Innova, Chicken Soup, Natural Balance, and Solid Gold. No matter what food you decide to buy, check out the ingredient list. It can get overwhelming, so just concentrate on all the ingredients listed before the first "fat." You don't want to see any corn or corn derivatives. You don't want to see any meat by-products or unnamed meats. Corn isn't digestible, nutrious, and is even an allergen for many dogs. Since dogs must have meat in their diet, its imporant that they have high-quality meat sources and that the kibble as a whole offers enough protein for growth. Most of the really good foods are somewhere between 22% and 27%; grain-free foods like Wellness Core and Innova Evo are even more protein-heavy. The amount that you feed should depend on the condition of the dog (i.e. looking skinny vs. looking too chunky) and the food itself (i.e. you feed less of foods like Evo than you would of Chicken Soup). The quantities on the bags are only a starting point, and you should adjust them based on your dog's condition and activity level.
Adding extras into your dog's diet can be a good thing, but its easy to go overboard, especially with small dogs. High-quality foods like the ones discussed above will contain lots of meat and plenty of veggies and fruits. I supplement my dogs' diets with raw carrots and other veggies on occasion.
I would ask your breeder what routine he or she has been following with the pup first. You can decide to follow that or not, but you should know what's been going on so that if you do decide to switch up foods and feeding times you can ease the new pup into the new routine gradually. Good luck.
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We just adopted a 4 yo shih tzu (she's about 15 pounds) and she gets fed about 3/4 cup twice a day. Her main meal is in the morning and then a little bit in the evenings. We give her dry food because the vet said it would help clean her teeth. Plus a lot of the food that was recalled was canned food.
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u should feed him the reccomended amount on the bag by the weight of the dog. that amount is usually per day. divide it by three to find out how much to feed him each feeding. u should feed him about 3 times a day until he is about a year old then cut it back to 2. honestly i dont reccomend wet food for dogs. it is bad for their teeth and it can cause diarrhea and weight gain. stick with dry. as for the meat and vegetables, i would stick to the kibble rather than feeding him that stuff. u could try raw feeding, which means u make the food. but other than that stick to the kibble.
References :
I think your decision not to free feed is a really good one. While your puppy is still really young, I'd go with either 3 or 4 times a day, and don't limit quantities just yet. After he's about 3 months old, 2 or 3 times a day should be sufficient. I only feed my adult dogs once or twice a day, depending on my schedule and their activity level.
I suggest finding a well-priced, dry kibble. There are many excellent brands out there, but they can be hard to find. The only brand that Petsmart carries that I would recommend is Blue Buffalo. However, Pet Supplies Plus and smaller, independant stores carry the really good foods like Merrick, Wellness, Canidae, Innova, Chicken Soup, Natural Balance, and Solid Gold. No matter what food you decide to buy, check out the ingredient list. It can get overwhelming, so just concentrate on all the ingredients listed before the first "fat." You don't want to see any corn or corn derivatives. You don't want to see any meat by-products or unnamed meats. Corn isn't digestible, nutrious, and is even an allergen for many dogs. Since dogs must have meat in their diet, its imporant that they have high-quality meat sources and that the kibble as a whole offers enough protein for growth. Most of the really good foods are somewhere between 22% and 27%; grain-free foods like Wellness Core and Innova Evo are even more protein-heavy. The amount that you feed should depend on the condition of the dog (i.e. looking skinny vs. looking too chunky) and the food itself (i.e. you feed less of foods like Evo than you would of Chicken Soup). The quantities on the bags are only a starting point, and you should adjust them based on your dog's condition and activity level.
Adding extras into your dog's diet can be a good thing, but its easy to go overboard, especially with small dogs. High-quality foods like the ones discussed above will contain lots of meat and plenty of veggies and fruits. I supplement my dogs' diets with raw carrots and other veggies on occasion.
References :
depends on how young or old it is.
i have a shih tzu, and we just free feed.
we only do that because we let her out to potty every hour.
feed your dog 1 cup in the morning, half a cup in the afternoon with 2 treats, and in the evening give another cup.
=]
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The amount will depend on what quality of food you decide to feed. If you are going to feed a high quality food without corn and fillers you will not need to feed as much per feeding time.
I recommend feeding 2 x a day. One early morning 8:00am and the second feeding at 8:00pm. This way it gives plenty of time for the first feeding to completely digest. If you feed a high quality food then you will only need to feed 1/2 cup in the am and 1/2 cup in the pm. This will be different if you go with commercial brands that are sold at the grocery store and pet store. Check the back of the bag for directions. Never over feed.
I feed my dogs carrot sticks, broccoli, and melon as treats. They also like some raw chicken legs and raw chicken hearts as treats too.
Best foods to go with are Canidae, Innova, Wellness, Solid Gold Wee small bites (in the pink bag).
Good Luck.
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