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Feeding Tips for Your Teething Puppy
Feeding Tips for Your Teething Puppy-mobile

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Feeding Tips for Your Teething Puppy

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Puppies grow quickly and have special nutritional needs to keep their bodies strong. The most noticeable time is known as the rapid growth stage, which occurs between 2 and 6 months of age. From about 3 to 6 months, most pups will lose their puppy teeth (you might find a tooth near his dish or on the floor; this is normal).

 

During this phase, his mouth and gums may be very sensitive, which could cause him to be a bit picky when it comes to eating. There's nothing you can do except to wait it out, even if his appetite is low for a couple of days.
 

Helpful Hints
 

Don't switch to a new formula to stimulate your puppy's appetite. Changing food at this time can cause additional stress and intestinal upset. The tips below could help your puppy make the change:

  • Mix his regular, premium dry food with a premium canned puppy food to soften the dry food and make mealtime even more appealing. Or, try some moist food to help him through this sensitive period.
  • Soak dry food in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Feeding a dry food and biscuits loosens the teeth, so pups can get through the teething process quicker. If his appetite loss persists, see your veterinarian before you switch food.

  • Puppy Basics: Spaying and Neutering
    Puppy Basics: Spaying and Neutering
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    Puppy Basics: Spaying and Neutering

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    For most pet parents, the expense, time, and expertise involved in breeding dogs responsibly is beyond their reach. Here are some advantages to having your puppy spayed or neutered:
     

    • For females, there will no longer be a mess to deal with during their 21-day heat cycles, which occur every six months. The heat cycle begins in females sometime after 6 months of age.
    • Spaying a female before her first heat cycle will reduce the chance of mammary tumors or uterine diseases.
    • Neutered males tend to be less aggressive than unneutered males.
    • With a neutered male, the urge to mark territory may lessen.
    • A neutered male is less likely to want to roam in search of potential mates.
       

    When to Spay or Neuter

    Dogs should be spayed or neutered by the time they are 6 months old to avoid many dog health issues. Both operations are performed under anesthesia and may require an overnight stay at the veterinarian's office. Recovery time is quick, with most dogs resuming normal activity in a few days. Spaying (for females) consists of an ovario-hysterectomy.
     

    Neutering involves the removal of the testicles. When you bring your puppy to the veterinarian's office for his first thorough examination, have the doctor explain the operation in detail and set up a time to have the procedure done.

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