7 weeks of age is a significant milestone for your puppy. Your pup is likely in the middle of experiencing numerous changes at that age.
For example, your puppy is already to get vaccinated when they hit 7 weeks of age. Talk to the veterinarian about those vaccinations so you can better prepare your pet.
At that point, your puppy has likely already grown all their milk teeth in. You can bet that they are eager to use their chompers to chow down on their favorite treats.
Puppies also reach an important point of development when they reach that age. As the owner of a 7-week old puppy, your job is to help them grow properly.
Feeding your 7-week old pup the right type and the right amount of food will be crucial. Use the pointers in this article to make sure your puppy receives the type of nutrition that is appropriate for their age.
How Much Food for a 7-Week Old Puppy?
One of the most important things for you to figure out is the correct amount of food to offer a 7-week old puppy. If you don’t know much food to give your pet, they may suffer from some health issues.
Consequences of Not Giving Your Puppy Enough Food
Fail to feed your pup enough food and they may become malnourished. They may not grow to their full height and weight because their feeding bowl is perpetually under-filled. At the very least, your pup may take more time to reach their full size if you don’t feed them enough.
Your pet will not mature properly if they lack food. Avoid that issue by understanding your pup’s nutritional needs.
Consequences of Overfeeding Your Puppy
Giving your pup an insufficient amount of food can lead to serious issues. Then again, overfeeding your puppy can also be a big problem.
Puppies may start to vomit if they are overfed consistently. Not long after your pet starts throwing up, they may also experience a bout of diarrhea. In other words, overfeeding your pup can lead to them feeling sick and your home becoming messy.
If that keeps up, your puppy may also start to suffer from dehydration.
The Right Amount of Food to Feed Your 7-Week Old Puppy
Your puppy’s weight is the most important factor when it comes to determining how much food they should get.
The packaging of the dog food will give specific instructions.
However, as a general rule, here are some general amounts:
Puppies who weigh around 3 to 5 pounds don’t need a lot of food. A cup of food per day should suffice for a puppy that small. You can add a third of a cup of food to their bowl if they’re still hungry.
Next up, puppies who weigh 5 to 10 pounds should get about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of food in a single day. Puppies who are within the 10 to 20-pound range should be fed 2 1/2 to 4 cups of food.
Lastly, big breeds that weigh somewhere between 20 to 30 pounds need a lot of food in their bowl. At a minimum, they will need 4 cups of food per day. Just don’t go over 6 cups of food when feeding your big puppy and they should be fine.
How Often Should a 7-Week Old Puppy Eat?
The guidelines detailed above indicate how much food your 7-week old puppy will require. With that out of the way, we can discuss feeding routines.
Frequency of Feeding
Let’s start by discussing the frequency of feeding.
Serving your pup’s entire allocation of food for the day in one go is not recommended. Puppies aren’t exactly known for exercising restraint. If you give them all their food right away, they will do their best to consume it all.
We’ve already talked about the dangers of overfeeding so you should avoid putting so much food into your pup’s bowl.
Instead of pouring all your puppy’s food in one go, you should try dividing it into small portions. Set aside 5 to 6 small portions of their food and serve them throughout the day.
Why do you need to feed your puppy so often? You need to do that so your puppy doesn’t get hungry.
Feeding them only twice or three times per day can leave them hungry for several hours. Avoiding that is possible if you feed them frequently.
Feeding Schedule
Creating a feeding schedule for your puppy is also a good idea.
When putting together your puppy’s feeding schedule, you should identify the times throughout the day when either you or someone else in your household is free to feed your pet.
For example, you can set the first feeding time for your pup at either 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. You can even go earlier or later depending on your schedule. The only important thing is that you stick to the feeding time you selected.
Remember that you’re crafting this feeding schedule for your pet. You want to feed them at set times throughout the day so they get used to it. As long as you feed your pup on time, they won’t get restless and start digging around for food.
What Food Should a 7-Week Old Puppy Eat?
What kind of food should you buy for your puppy? If you already have a dog at home, you may be tempted to just take some kibble from them to give to your pup. Avoid doing that because your pup will suffer as a result.
There’s a reason why you’ll find bags of food that are clearly marked for adults and puppies when you go shopping. Manufacturers have carefully formulated the recipes for those food options. Adult dog food is specially formulated to meet their nutritional needs and the same goes for puppy food.
You should never swap them for one another. That principle extends beyond kibble. If you’re buying canned wet food, it should also be made for puppies.
As for human food, you need to be very careful when giving that to your pup. Adult dogs have a higher tolerance for human food compared to puppies. Your pet may get sick from eating something that an adult dog can enjoy just fine.
Err on the side of caution if you’re thinking of giving your pup some of your leftovers. Only share that treat if you’re absolutely sure that your pet can eat it safely.
