How to feed your Boxer
A new-born puppy organism is
characterized with rapid growth and development, as well as
intensive forming of organs. Full value puppy feeding is the
only source for him to get all necessary nutrients. During first
days of his life the main puppy feeding product is his mother's
milk, that includes all necessary vitamins and minerals
providing normal vital functions of his organism. That is
why you should remember, that useful condition of mother-dog's
milk depends on what and how you feed her. Her feeding must be
full and nutrient as well. During feeding period you should
carefully watch that stronger puppies didn't push off those who
are weak. Weak puppies are to be put under the most
"milky" nipples.
Full puppies usually sleep after feeding. If they whine and
act restlessly they are hungry. When the puppies will be 14 days
and they open the eyes, you are to begin complementary feeding
(if the mother-dog doesn't have enough milk, then even earlier).
You can start complementary or even bottle feeding at any age of
your puppies. First the puppies must be fed two times a day
after they suck mother's milk, gradually increasing a number of
feedings. When the puppies reach 2 weeks age, they can be fed
5-6 times a day.
Blind new-born puppies are to be bottle-fed with special
nipple put on the bottle. The hole in the nipple must be of such
size that milk drip easily through it. The necessary for puppies
temperature of milk is 36-38 C. When the puppies open their eyes
(13-15th day), you should habituate them to eat of the plate. It
is recommended to feed each puppy separately (the weak puppies
first) until the puppy himself refuses to eat. Then you can put
the puppy under his mother-dog.
The puppies are to be fed with whole warm milk or baby
nutrition. When the puppies grow up a little you can give them
milk porridge made of semolina, oat flour and on the 14th day of
their life - white bread with boiled milk, home fatless
force-meat and cottage cheese. While the puppies grow up,
mother-dog loses her milk and starts avoiding her children. Do
not force her to stay always close to the puppies. As far as the
milk accumulates in her breast she will feed them herself.
In feeding with dry foods you should take into account that
all dogs have individual digestive system. If some foods cause
allergy, diarrhea or your puppy just doesn't like it, it would
be better to change it into another one. When buying dry foods,
always check its expiration date.
The best foods for Boxer puppies are those with high
concentration of protein (not less than 27%) as it is the main
muscle building element. You should also remember that food
amount for each dog is highly individual, so the dosage written
on the bag is correct only relatively.
But again, if you feed your puppy with natural food, remember
than half of its food must include protein products such as
meat, fish, cottage cheese and eggs.
As for the meat, it should be fatless, beef is better. It is
not really comfortable for Boxers and Boxer puppies to tear big
piece of meat into small ones, because of its specific bite,
that is why it is better to cut meat into smaller pieces. If you
are going to feed your puppy with animal internal organs, for
example liver, make sure that it doesn't contain any helminths.
Besides, there are a lot of A and D vitamins, the excess amount
of which is as harmful as their lack.
It is better to give your Boxer puppy sea fish to avoid
helminths. Poultry and fish bones are contra-indicated for
Boxer.
As for eggs, they are a perfect source of vitamins, that is
why they are so useful, but in moderate amounts. Their excess
can cause hypervitaminosis and skin rashes. Egg albumens are
also capable to bind and to remove H-vitamin (also called
biotin) from the organism, that is necessary for good state of
the skin and fur.
What vegetables to choose for your Boxer puppy? The best
among them are carrot, pumpkin and squash. Cabbage, especially
stewed, is very useful for your little Boxer. However, it causes
flatulence in many dogs.
If you are going to feed your Boxer puppy with cereals,
remember that it is better to give him boiled rice, buckwheat,
wheat and corn as well as corn and oat flakes.
Most of the protein food your puppy should get in the raw
state. You can give carrot partly stewed and partly grated.
Other products are better to give boiled for them to be
assimilated well. Only corn and oat flakes are enough to be
filled with broth or kefir.
These recommendations you can also use for feeding adult
Boxer dog as well. However, there exist some differences. When
your puppy is 1.5-3.5 months you should feed him not less than 4
times a day, 3,5 months up to 1 year - 3 times a day and adult
dog is usually fed 2 times a day.
