How Many Calories Should My Puppy Get a Day?
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Puppies Need Calories to Grow
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A puppy's growth and development is very important as it sets the stage for its overall health. As a puppy grows, its muscles and bones grow in order to support its eventual adult size. The puppy needs to have appropriate nutrition in order to be healthy and happy, which means the right number of calories with the proper balance of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
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Too Many Calories Can Be Bad
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As with humans, too many calories can lead a puppy to become overweight, which can cause many health problems for it as an adult. Feeding your puppy the correct amount of the correct kind of food helps it stay fit while still getting the nutritional foods it needs to grow.
Bottom Line
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The exact number of calories your puppy needs to support its healthy growth and development will depend on its size and age. For an 8-week old puppy of average size (5 pounds) 375 daily calories is sufficient. Smaller dogs could need as little as 75 calories and larger as many as 1,500 calories. As your dogs gets older and larger, its calorie needs will increase. Following your vet's suggestions or those listed on your puppy food will help guide you until your dog is full grown.
References
- Photo Credit puppy image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
