How many grams of food does a puppy need per day?
The amount of food and thus the daily gram count for your puppy is dependent on the weight of your four-legged friend and the chosen puppy food, whether it is [→wet food](/magazin/hunde/hund-welpe-ernaehrung/das-richtige-nassfutter-fuer-deinen-welpen), dry food, or BARF. Since the nutrient amounts in puppy food can also vary by manufacturer, you should refer to the feeding chart depicted on your food packaging.
Make sure that manufacturers usually indicate the expected final weight of your dog in the feeding chart. When selecting the appropriate gram amount of →food for your puppy, consider how much your dog will weigh when fully grown and then check how old he currently is. This way, you will find the appropriate daily food amount for him.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Manche Welpen sind richtige Futtermaschinen! Dennoch solltest du dich immer an die auf eurem Welpenfutter abgebildete Fütterungsempfehlung halten.
Example: Feeding chart for puppy food from Pets Deli
We will explain this using our [→Junior wet food](/collections/fur-hunde-nassfutter/fur-welpen) of the chicken and beef variety with amaranth, fennel, and marigold. This food is suitable for dogs aged 2-12 months.
In the left column, you see the expected final weight of your puppy. The row at the top indicates the current age of your puppy in months. For example, if you have a 2-month-old Australian Shepherd puppy, he will weigh about 25 kilos when fully grown. This means his current food amount would be 1050-1240g/day in this example. However, if you have a 2-month-old Chihuahua puppy at home, he will weigh about 3 kilos when fully grown and therefore only needs 250-270g of food/day.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Fütterungsempfehlung Pets Deli Junior-Nassfutter der Sorte Huhn und Rind mit Amaranth, Fenchel und Ringelblume
Am I feeding my puppy too little?
Puppies are true four-legged vacuum cleaners. Until the 6th month of life, they receive →four meals a day. It is not uncommon for these meals to be inhaled, leading one to wonder if the puppy might be getting too little food? Don’t worry! As long as you adhere to the feeding recommendations on the packaging of your puppy food, your little four-legged friend will not go hungry.
Especially during the growth phase, it is quite normal for some dog breeds, usually the larger ones, to look a bit thin. They will grow into their fur over time and gain weight as they age. If you are unsure, you can ask your veterinarian during one of your →routine check-ups about the weight and feeding amount of your puppy. Be sure to bring the puppy food along so that the vets can review the feeding recommendations and ingredients.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Vor allem große Hunderassen sehen im Welpenalter manchmal ein bisschen dünn aus, wachsen aber mit der Zeit in ihre Haut bzw. ihr Fell rein.
Am I feeding my puppy too much?
If you follow the feeding amount indicated on your puppy food, your dog should be adequately supplied with nutrients. As you can see in our example above, a range of grams is always provided. This means you can estimate a bit whether your little puppy is very active and therefore needs the upper gram amount of food, or if he is a little couch potato and the lower amount of food is sufficient.
However, you should definitely avoid increasing or decreasing the amount on your own. Also, added minerals have no place in puppy food. Doing so may affect your puppy's growth curve. In such cases, always consult with your veterinarians in advance.
A few →irresistible snacks should of course not be missing. However, always keep in mind that treats have relatively high calories and therefore do not feed more than is also indicated in the feeding recommendation**.
