Ever wondered if you were overfeeding your 7-week-old bundle of puppy-joy? Puppies always seem to be starving. They eat everything you put in front of them, and they will literally eat until they burst.
So how do you know just how much to feed your puppy so they can grow healthily without becoming obese or being underweight? Your vet would advise you that your puppy’s age, weight, level of activity, and gender will have a huge impact on how much your puppy needs to eat.
How Much Food for a 7-Week-Old Puppy?
Each type of puppy food will have its own feeding guide, and the quantity you feed your puppy should depend on the puppy’s breed, weight, and health.
On average, a small breed puppy can eat ½ cup of dry food per day. Medium breed puppies can eat ¾ cup of dry food, while a large breed puppy can eat 1-1½ cups a day. Giant breed puppies (100 pounds or more as adults) may require as much as 2-2⅔ cups per day.
The important thing is that the food is not given in one single meal for the puppy since their stomachs are still small and can’t hold a large volume.
Keep in mind that a 7-week-old puppy will still be nursing from the mom, which means the dry food is supplemental.
Different types of dry food will each have their own guide to the quantities to feed a puppy based on their breed and weight. Some foods are more nutrient dense, and you may need to feed less of this food than an inferior food that is made up of filler content like maize and fat.
How Much Wet Canned Food Should You Feed a 7-Week-Old Puppy?
You may wonder if you can feed your puppy canned food or pouches that contain wet food, and if so, how much do you feed instead of dry food. One can of wet food is equivalent to a cup of dry food. The mass and volume may be slightly more for wet food as it contains more moisture than dry food.
When feeding a mix of both dry and wet food, be sure to adjust the quantities accordingly. So if the total feed per day is a cup, you can add half a cup of pellets to half a can of wet puppy food.
How Often Should a 7-Week-Old Puppy Eat?
Puppies require frequent meals and should be fed at least three to four times per day.
So while the total amount you feed your puppy per day is important, the frequency of when you feed them is also vital. When feeding your pup 3-4 meals a day, divide the day’s puppy food into 3 or 4, giving only one of the portions at the same time per day.
A good rule is to feed your puppy at 7 a.m., then feed them at 12 a.m., and finally at 4 p.m. to let them have enough time to fully digest their food before bedtime. If the puppy is very small or only starting on food, you may want to divide their daily food ration by 4, feeding them four small meals per day.
When feeding four meals per day, you can feed your puppy at 7am, again at 11am, again at 3pm, and finally at 4:30pm. This will allow your puppy sufficient time between meals for digestion and to eliminate food when you take them for a potty break.
Take care to avoid feeding your 7-week-old puppy only two meals a day. While an adult dog can eat their full food ration in one sitting, a small puppy should not eat only two meals. Dividing their food ration into smaller meals is essential to help a young puppy grow without having digestive complications.
What Food Should a 7-Week-Old Puppy Eat?
A puppy needs to eat protein-rich food that has essential amino acids and healthy oils to boost their skin. A balanced puppy diet boosts bone development and a healthy coat.
Puppy food is often made out of soft organ meat such as cattle or chicken hearts and other organs. These types of meats are protein dense and rich in iron and other minerals. With added vegetables, healthy grains, and essential oils like cod liver oil, a puppy gets all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong.
There is much debate in the dog world whether a dog should eat dry food, wet food, fresh food, or frozen foods. When it comes to a 7-week-old puppy, the food they eat should be safe from dangerous organisms like Salmonella bacteria, which is often found in wet food.
Dry Food Versus Wet Food Versus Fresh Food
Dry food offers a convenient way to safely feed your puppy a balanced meal of meat, vegetables, and healthy fats. This type of puppy food is safe to store for a lengthy time, while wet foods may easily spoil.
Wet food is the term used to describe canned dog food and cooked dog food in sachets. These types of foods may not be the best for your puppy as there are a lot of preservatives in most wet food with a long shelf life.
The last option is to place your puppy onto a fresh food diet. While experts are lauding this diet as being the best for your dog, it should be pointed out that puppies may contract salmonella poisoning if they are exposed to the bacteria in the raw food.
Fresh food is made from high quality fruit, vegetables, and oils. The benefit of fresh food is that your puppy may recover better from issues with allergies, problem skins, and obesity. Fresh food is more natural, though it is slightly more expensive than dried food.