CP - Feeding – Small Breeds

Diamond Valley Kennels Feeding Small Breeds

(Cavoodles / Spoodles /Moodles / Shoodles)

Key Nutrition for Puppies Development and Growth

Like a complex puzzle, a complete and balanced diet offers the precise combination of the nutrients that a puppy needs to develop healthily. Thats why Diamond Valley Kennels recommend and feed Royal Canin to all of our puppies.

The ingredients are a means for ensuring puppies get the necessary nutrients for healthy development and growth in the early months and can carry on with other products in the Royal Canin range as they get older.

Does Portion Size Matter to Puppies?

Puppies don’t know how to regulate their food intake, so it’s important you control their portions to avoid them becoming overweight. This is particularly crucial for large breed dogs, as overfeeding can cause them to grow too quickly and develop skeletal problems.

Always refer to the portion recommendations on the pack and weigh each meal carefully. Remember that the quantity stated is usually a daily recommended amount, so you’ll need to split this across your puppy’s meals. Any treats you give your puppy should be included in this daily amount too – it’s easy to overfeed with rewards.

Feeding

Your puppy has been eating Royal Canin Mini Puppy biscuits (light blue label). We find with smaller breeds of puppies, when they leave to go to their new home, they can become a little stressed which in turn can cause them to get diarrhoea. If this occurs with your puppy and is bad enough that you are worried about it, we suggest that you either take them off the biscuits completely and feed them only a small amount of tuna or boiled chicken with plain boiled rice or add some rice with their biscuits – you can then reintroduce the biscuits, which should be within a couple of days. Seek advice from your Vet if diarrhoea continues or if you are concerned in any way. You need to ensure that puppy is drinking enough water and they are kept hydrated.

Ensure you always have fresh water available, NOT MILK, as dogs are lactose intolerant.

You are more than welcome to change their diet but do it gradually to avoid tummy upsets.

If you are worried about your puppy not eating when you first take it home (this is quite normal), consider giving it some lactose free or puppy milk with a Weetbix crushed in it or some BBQ chicken as they always tend to love the chicken. Sardines in tomato sauce is another favourite that puppies like. You can mix these with the biscuits and a little water/or lactose-free milk to soften the biscuits and stir in the sardines to add to the flavour. If you are having any further issues with feeding, please call us for further assistance.

How much should I be feeding my puppy?

With most puppies, it's fine to just leave these biscuits out so they can graze as they wish OR you can feed between 2 or 3 times per day. Puppy has been used to grazing at DVK, but we find that the 3 meals a day best suits home life as it helps with their toilet training and regulating their feeding and monitoring of how much they are eating.

For example, if your puppy will weigh 6kgs when it’s an adult then you should be looking at giving your puppy around 120gms (1+ 2/8 of a cup) when they are 3 months old. See the feeding guide below for more information and measurements.

For further information on how to read your puppy feeding guidelines, click here.

Disclaimer: The directors, officers, breeders and staff of DVK are not liable for anything deriving from this document arising from any dietary issues with your puppy in regard to the recommendations outlined above. These recommendations are merely derived from our experience with the puppies we breed and sell to assist you in caring for your puppy once you take possession of your puppy. Diamond Valley Kennels has used its best endeavours to assist you, the buyer of a puppy from DVK, with the recommendations herein. We recommend you conduct your own research in this matter and consult a registered veterinarian for dietary advice for your puppy if you so desire. DVK will take no responsibility for any vet bills incurred once the puppy has left our care unless previously approved by the director, Diamond Valley Kennels Pty Ltd.