If you like having pets, there is no way you would not want a puppy. Stealing hearts with their adorable and clumsy tactics, puppies often bewitch a non-animal lover to adopt one. If you have got a dog at home and feed it wet food, maybe it’s time to stop soaking puppy food. Please read this article to discover when it’s the right time to stop soaking your dog’s food.
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When to Stop Soaking Puppy Food?
When the puppy is about 3 or 4 weeks old, it is preferred to give them wet food only. Since your dog is still very tiny and its teeth are in the developing process, dry food might cause some problems. But giving them wet food for a very long period is not healthy. You only need to feed soaked food to your dog till it is is12 weeks old. After that, your canine can intake nutrients in dry form.
How to feed a puppy properly?
Everything is fun until it comes to the food. Just like babies, puppies have their very own relationship with what they eat. They like to play and pretend while eating, and getting them to finish their whole meal becomes a big hassle. It is essential to ensure that the food you give them is nutritious, safe, and will not harm or cause side effects to your dog.
Make sure to keep these tips in mind to feed your dog in the right way:
- If you have a pup at home, choose the food meant for pups and labeled as ‘puppy food for growth
- When you choose a dog food brand, look out for the one that contains all essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins for the healthy growth of your dog. Ensure that the food doesn’t have any chemicals in it.
- You can also consult a vet to find the right food brand for your dog and know the right amount of food you should feed your dog.
Is it Necessary for Dogs to Have Wet Food?
In the 2nd-3rd week, it is recommended to feed wet food to dogs because their teeth are not developed completely yet. Soaked food is good for your dog as it will be easy to chew. Also, the risk of choking on food is less. Moreover, soaked food has fewer calories. Thus, it ensures the correct measure of calories in their intake. Soaked food keeps your dog hydrated by offering plenty of bodily fluids, which reduces the risk of urinary infections.
What Can be Added to Soak the Food?
If you are unsure what to add to the food to make it soft, don’t worry; we will help you. Water is not the only option. You can consider adding the puppy milk replacer to soak the food. It will be nutritious and suitable for their health. To keep the puppy from getting bored with the same food daily, try to alternate the food soaked in milk and water to change their taste
Benefits of Soaking Food for Puppies
One might wonder about the benefits of soaking food for their puppy. There is not one but several good results, which are as follows:
- Improves appetite– You may not believe it, but feeding wet food to a pup in its initial few weeks will improve your canine’s appetite and help it lead a healthy life.
- Reduces the risk of severe infection– Since food is soaked in water, it helps in increasing their water and fluid intake and lessens the chances of getting any urinary infection and diseases.
- Aids digestion– While eating heavy chunks of food, it might be challenging for your tiny pet to digest correctly, resulting in vomiting. With wet food, they can easily digest the soft particles with fewer calories.
- Proper chewing of food– Sometimes, puppies won’t chew the big and hard chunks of food and directly gulp it. To avoid this situation, you can soak their food in water for a while, which will require them to chew and then swallow it.
- Easy to eat – If your dog is not well and suffering from diarrhea, adding water to the food may entice him to eat it as it will be easy to digest.
How to Soak Food for Puppies?
If you are new to this whole thing and have recently got yourself a puppy to spend time with, here are some tips on how to soak the food while preventing it from turning soggy:
- STEP 1: Take a bowl of food, neither too much nor too little, just enough to get your puppy’s tummy full.
- STEP 2: Add warm water to the bowl and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes to make the food soft.
- STEP 3: Mix it thoroughly to avoid leaving some dry pieces with the soaked ones.
- STEP 4: Check the temperature of the food. If it is good and acceptable for your puppy to eat, serve it in an open dish bowl. Also, ensure your dog is not having trouble eating in the dish or bowl. If it is, change the utensil to ease the eating process.
What are the Consequences of Feeding Soaked Food?
There is no doubt you should feed soaked food to your pup; however, you need to be very attentive while providing them food. Soaked food is good for your dog’s overall health, but it does involve some consequences:
- If you give your puppy soaked food all three times per day, it may become habituated to wet food and refuse to eat solid particles in the future.
- It might not like the wet and mushy food and hence eat less, making your canine feel weak.
- Eating is difficult if the water is not adequately soaked and mixed in the food.
Conclusion
Puppies are very similar to human babies and toddlers in behavior. These little bundles of fur grow fast with time. Apart from feeding, many other aspects must be focused on keeping the pup healthy.
- Give soaked food to your dogs if it is up to 3 weeks old.
- You can stop feeding wet food to your dog if it is over three weeks old.
- Please keep track of your puppy’s diet and ensure that it is healthy and fulfilling for a dog at its age.
- Take your canine for regular checkups with a vet and pay attention to things irritating its digestive system to determine allergies and reactions.
- When giving the wet food, ensure to mix food thoroughly and adequately to its perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can puppies eat dry food?
Puppies can begin eating solid food about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 weeks of age.
How long should your soak your dog’s food?
You should soak your dog’s food at least for 10 minutes to soften it enough without turning it into mushy. Also, the time kibble will take to get softened depends on the water temperature and the size of the kibble
Can you soak food overnight?
We advise soaking feed for a minimum of 15 minutes in warm water and no more than an hour at room temperature to prevent bacterial growth. You can soak overnight in the fridge for maximum water absorption.
How much water should I add to puppy food?
Just add about a ¼ cup of filtered water to the top of the bowl of kibble to moisten and enhance the flavor of the pet food.
