Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about puppy/kitten feeding – Continued

FAQ #4: Can I feed adult “dog chow” to my puppy/kitten?
A: Unless you have no other resources (like no food in your house during a natural disaster), the answer is a resounding “NO”. Offering the young puppy/kitten adult commercial dog/cat food compromises the ability of your pup/kitten to thrive or prosper physically or psychologically, because you would be robbing your puppy/kitten of its nutrition requirements, which are different from those of an adult animal.
The growth of young animals is accelerative, and formulas must contain highly digestible and nutritive ingredients in the correct proportions. Adult dogs’ formulas would cater for maintenance, and not growth, and therefore contain relatively lower protein and energy-containing ingredients.
I always recommend that the family considers a diet protocol for the young pet which is consistent in the pre- and post-weaning period (3 to 4 weeks of age). Diet changes must be gradual and not sudden, to avoid digestive disturbances (particularly diarrhoea) and allow the gut microflora to adjust, especially if the young animals are infested with intestinal worms. You may remember my advice on having your vet deworm the young pup/kitten at 3 weeks of age.

FAQ #5: How
often should a pup/kitten be fed?

A: The American Kennel Club (AKC) endorses and advocates four feedings a day as being adequate. Large breeds should be fed unmoistened dry food by 9-10 weeks of age; small dogs could wait until 12 weeks for unmoistened dry food. Later, the puppy’s feeding schedule can decrease to three times daily (e.g., 7am; 2pm; 9pm; or whatever works for your personal lifestyle).
Puppies/kittens older than 6 weeks should be fed twice daily – at 12-hour intervals, if possible – with portion sizes that would be consumed over a half-hour period. You will be gauging intake and noting increasing consumption and the commensurate growth.
Do note that my advice and the recommendations on commercial dog foods are to be taken as general guidelines. Your role is to be observant and discerning of your animal’s development, vitality, and overall behaviour. Food refusal, lethargy, and no weight gain are reasons for concern, and should be brought to your vet’s attention.

FAQ #6: Why should we force pups to nurse from their mother from day one to day twenty-one and beyond,
especially when there are so many products (infant
formulas) on the market?
A: The answer is simple. In all mammals, the first days after the mother delivers her baby, the maternal milk (called colostrum) is quite specialised, especially during the first 3-5 days after the birth of the baby.
This “first milk” differs from the milk produced later in that it has a higher content of protein, antibodies against certain diseases (which the mother may have previously been vaccinated against, or survived after an infection), vitamins and minerals. In addition, the colostrum has less sugars and fats than the milk produced later by the mother. Colostrum is truly a “wonder milk”, supplying essential immunity to the newborn animal and aiding in the improvement of intestinal functions.
NB: Next week we will deal with the automatic questions which follow from the paragraph above: What can the caregiver do if the mother abandons her pups/kittens, or if she is ill and has to be removed from her pups; or – horror of horrors – if she dies immediately or soon after birth.