How Much Should A 6-Week Old Puppy Eat? : Everything You Need

Having a puppy, especially at such a young age, can be pretty tricky. Very young puppies behave similarly to babies in that they constantly wants food and a nursery. That is why you need 6 week old puppy feeding schedule appropriate for your puppy’s needs. Why is a feeding schedule more essential than any other type of care? This is because puppies of that age desired to shift to eating regular food and stop weaning. Although they still spend most of their time with their mother or owner, they must learn to adapt independently. A good feeding schedule for 6 week old puppies can help them achieve this. Aside from knowing their schedules, you need also to know what foods they eat.

This is important in preventing the puppy from overfeeding or underfeeding. Aside from that, you should consider how much they consume and how much proportion each meal plan contains. You don’t want them to be too big or too small, do you? This is why it is critical to keep track of how much your puppy is consuming. It is best to integrate their preferred sort of food with their recommended eating schedule. But first, how about we create your puppy’s food schedule, shall we?

You may also read: American bully feeding secrets

6 week old puppy feeding schedule

Before you make a feeding schedule for 6 week old puppies, you should know how to feed a 6 week old puppy per day. A 6 week old puppy should eat four times a day, according to expert breeders. Speaking of breeds, take a look at our guide on feeding a German Shepherd puppy here.

With this amount of food, your puppy will be active throughout the day and not need to be fed at night. Always keep an eye on how your puppy eats and its feeding habits. A young puppy has an unorganized eating pattern, and it is your responsibility to take care of it. You can try to restore their eating schedule by feeding them in the morning when you eat breakfast, midday when you eat lunch, and night when you go to bed. Yet, if you are a worker or a student who doesn’t have full time at home, you can ask for family or friend assistance in feeding your puppy at a time. Changing your puppy’s feeding plan is not recommended because the space between each feeding time for a 6 week old puppy is only 5 to 6 hours. Take a look at this example of a good feeding schedule for 6 week old puppies to get a clear idea of creating your own.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
6:00 AM	7:00 AM	5:00 AM	6:00 AM	6:30 AM	8:00 AM	8:30 AM
12:00 PM	11:00 AM	10:00 AM	11:00 AM	12:00 PM	13:00 PM	13:30 PM
18:00 PM	16:00 AM	15:00 PM	16:00 PM	17:00 PM	19:00 PM	18:00 PM

As shown in the timetable above, the time difference between each feeding time corresponds to the requirements. It’s totally fine if you want to adjust the first feeding period to accommodate your personal schedule. But you must never forget to put the required time interval, no less no more. If you’re feeding them to make them gain weight fast, read our guide here.

It is important to remember that a 6 week old puppy has a short digestive tract, which causes them to go potty after every meal. After feeding, make sure to let your puppy at least 15 minutes outside to go poop. After you’ve figured out the feeding plan, it’s time to learn how to feed a 6 week old puppy properly.

How to feed a 6 week old puppy

6 week old puppies require extra care with their meals. A puppy at this age is still weaning from its mother and is unlikely to accept regular dog food too early. This is dependent not only on the puppy but also on the food he has been given. To get a 6 week old puppy to eat, you must first know what to feed them before moving on to other types of dog food. It’s worth noting that their teeth aren’t fully formed yet, so giving them solid food isn’t the ideal option. Instead, experts advise using a puppy canned dog food and a milk replacer to feed a 6-week-old puppy. You may get these two foods from a pet store and ask what brand is best for them to consume. If you follow their advice, you will have the right brand for your puppy’s food. If everything is ready, here’s how to prepare your puppy’s food:

How to feed a 6 week old puppy using canned dog food and milk replacer:

1. Prepare a bowl for your puppy to eat – to keep your puppy’s food fresh, store them in one of these best dog food containers.
2. Put one tablespoon of milk replacer powder into the bowl.
3. Add one tablespoon of water and give the milk a mixture so it will turn into liquid.
4. Add two tablespoons of canned dog food to the milk, and give them a mash.
5. Mix both ingredients evenly.
6. Feed your puppy with the prepared puppy food.

With this meal, your puppy will recognize the milk flavour and scent, increasing the likelihood of the puppy eating the canned food. It is recommended that they take canned food to maintain their ability to chew and eat properly. If you believe your puppy is ready to start eating hard kibbles, make the exact change to the kibble as you did to the canned dog food. If you want to buy a new product to feed your puppy, make sure to look at the ingredients. Some dog meals are unsuitable for a 6 week old puppy and can harm them. Corn, bones, and rendered fat are prohibited ingredients for your puppy to consume.

If you have any worries about the ingredients in your dog food, you can always ask the pet store. You must monitor each time your puppy is fed to match your 6 week old puppy feeding schedule with the amount of food to give each feeding interval. Continue to feed them; when they stop eating, it indicates that they’ve had enough food.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Feeding 6 Week Old Puppies

Before you go on and arrange a schedule to feed your puppy, let’s take a look at some of the most asked questions regarding feeding a 6 week old puppy:

How often should a 6 week old puppy eat?

A 6 week old puppy feeding schedule in a day should include 3 – 4 feeding intervals, according to experienced breeders. That means they can’t eat more than three or four times per day. Because their digestive system is still new, they may have a digestive problem if they eat more than that. Make sure your puppy has a balanced eating diet. Before you buy them food, be it dry or canned food, make sure you read the nutrients it contains. It is best to consult with a vet or other experts when it comes to buying puppy food, especially if this is your first dog.

What human food can a 6 week old puppy eat?

How to feed a 6 week old puppy with human food? Although it’s somewhat controversial, sometimes we don’t have any options. If dog foods aren’t available, you’ll have to figure out another way to feed your puppy, right? Puppies are notorious for being picky about what they should and should not eat. Puppies, on the other hand, can consume lean meats such as chicken and turkey. They can also consume raw veggies such as broccoli and carrots but never give them corn. In fact, if you know what to and not to feed your dog, it is best to prep their meals instead of buying them off the stores. Like humans, dogs will appreciate fresher and healthier meals, which are beneficial in the long run. Read more about this on “Can I feed my dog human food instead of dog food?“

How much should a 6 week old puppy eat?

If you set your feeding schedule for a 6 week old puppy to be 3 feeding periods per day, you will have to give them ¾ cup of food each feeding (around 3 tablespoons). But if your puppy is from bigger and more muscular breeds such as a Pitbull, you can feed them more depending on how much your puppy is comfortable with.

How long can a 6 week old puppy go without eating?

A 6 week old puppy can only delay feeding for 5 to 6 hours before becoming weak. If your puppy goes another one or two hours after that, it can be deadly in the long term. They can’t survive without food within a day. Though they can survive another day, they may develop an illness that leads to death or disabilities. This is why it’s crucial to manage your feeding schedule for 6 week old puppies well.

Conclusion

You must know how to feed a 6 week old puppy properly as a responsible owner. Puppies at this age must be picky about their diet, portion size, and schedule. Owners need to remember is the feeding schedule for 6 week old puppies because they need habits that keep them healthy and active. Puppies can survive without eating at night as long as they eat enough during the day. The goal is to accommodate a suitable 6 week old puppy feeding schedule into your schedule so that it benefits both of you.

Aside from that, owners must check what type of food their 6 week old puppy can eat because not all dog meals are appropriate for puppies of that age. Take note of how much your puppy eats and their littering habits since unusual behaviour in both areas can indicate a health concern. Keeping a 6 week old dog should be pretty simple if you can manage all of it correctly.