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What to Feed a Teething Puppy?

Puppies grow quickly and have special nutritional needs to keep their bodies strong. The most noticeable period of a pup’s growth phase 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. In fact, you might find a tooth near the feeding dish or on the floor, and this is quite normal. However, you may also be left wondering what to feed a teething puppy. This is a perfectly normal query that tends to concern a lot of pet parents.

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

Teething puppy tips

While teething is painful for puppies, there are a few things you can do to make them feel better. Here is a quick guide for you on what to give a teething puppy in terms of food and toys:

Feeding a teething puppy

Your puppy may seem uninterested in dry food during teething. But 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 their regular, premium dry food with 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 dry food and biscuits loosens the teeth, so pups can get through the teething process quicker. If their appetite loss persists, see your veterinarian before you switch food.
Choosing chewing toys

Encourage your young dog to chew on toys by choosing chew toys that are appropriate for their size. Also, pick a variety of textures to keep them interested in the toys. You can also try giving them frozen toys that are shaped like a bone. Always keep an eye on the puppies while they are busy chewing the toys, to ensure they don’t bite off chunks. If that happens, do make sure to replace the toy immediately.

Other ways to alleviate teething pain

You can also give your puppy a clean and damp washcloth, chilled for a few hours. Chewing on this will also provide some much-needed relief. Do ensure that you supervise the puppy while they are chewing on this cloth so that they don’t ingest any sections of it.

A few other things to remember

Teething is a painful process for the puppies and can cause just as much inconvenience to the owners. Your puppy may lose their appetite and may experience a lot of pain and discomfort. But it is essential to get them through it all while also maintaining their diet. You can consult your vet for any major decisions or choices you make for your puppy during this time - the choice of toys, food, and other soothing methods. You will also have to keep constant vigilance to prevent your little companion from chewing on anything that may harm them, like shoes or the couch. These six months of the teething period may be hard, but you will certainly enjoy seeing them grow through this phase.

FAQs on teething puppies

How long does teething in puppies last?

The teething process for puppies may last for about six months.

How can I help my puppy with teething?

There are several ways through which you can help your puppies with the process of teething. Firstly, you can get safe chew toys for them. Secondly, you can help them get through the appetite loss. For this, you can prepare suitable teething puppy food by mixing regular dry food with parts of canned food. You can also soak their dry food in warm water for a few minutes. Apart from these steps, you can give your little furry friend a chilled clean and damp washcloth to chew on.

What are the symptoms of a teething puppy?

When your puppy is teething, you may see the following symptoms: drooling, bad breath, gum inflammation, gums bleeding, increased chewing tendency, missing teeth, and a loss of appetite.

What to feed a teething puppy?

Teething is painful for puppies and can cause them a lot of discomfort. Due to this, they may not feel like eating and can get even more reluctant to eat dry food. You can try giving them a mixture of their regular dry food with canned food or soaking their dry food for a few minutes before serving.

What can I give my puppy for teething pain?

Two things that can soothe your puppy’s teething pain and discomfort are chew toys and a chilled clean and damp washcloth.

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Puppy Basics: Selecting the Right Food
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Dogs are as unique as people, but despite their differences, they all need a well-balanced diet for good health. However, dogs of different ages and sizes have different nutritional needs, and this is especially true for puppies. When you factor in developmental needs, ingredients and your puppy’s size and breed, choosing the right food can be difficult.

How to Select a Puppy Food
The energy requirements of a puppy can be nearly twice those of an adult dog. This means that a puppy might not have the stomach capacity to eat enough food to meet his needs unless the food is specially formulated.

When choosing a puppy food, select one that provides a highly digestible, nutrient-dense, 100% complete premium formula for growth. Such high-quality formulas contain the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates your dog needs for sound and healthy development. With a premium formula, your puppy may have:

Exceptional muscle tone
A shiny, luxurious coat
Healthy skin, bones, and teeth
Clear, bright eyes
Small, firm stools
Playfulness
A happy, healthy attitude

Puppies grow fastest during the first six months of life, and because growth rates differ among breed sizes, you need a formula designed to address the needs of your puppy’s breed or size. Feed your puppy this formula based on the recommended amounts for his weight and age until he is an adult.

Large-breed Puppy Nutrition
Although large-breed dogs have bigger bones than medium or small breeds, large-breed puppies do not need more calcium. University studies have shown that:

Rapidly growing large-breed pups are more inclined to exhibit developmental bone problems.
Controlling the rate of growth is more beneficial than promoting rapid growth.
Moderating calcium, phosphorus and calorie levels in the diet of large-breed puppies promotes normal skeletal development.

Overfeeding and weight gain can contribute to developmental bone problems. This makes managing food intake even more critical. Puppies are at greater risk for developmental bone problems if they are overfed.

A formula with reduced fat and calories promotes optimum growth. Controlling the rate of growth to promote normal development is another reason to feed a large-breed diet, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Large Breed.

Medium-breed Puppy Nutrition
Medium-breed puppies have needs between those of large- and small-breed dogs. A medium-breed puppy’s nutritional demands can be satisfied by feeding a 100% complete and balanced formula that features moderate amounts of all the essential vitamins and nutrients, such as IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original.

Small-breed Puppy Nutrition
Small-breed puppies have unique needs due to their small mouths and small stomachs, as well as the rapid growth spurt they experience when growing to adult size. That’s why it’s important to pack a lot of nutrition and energy into a small amount of food. A poor-quality diet might fill a puppy’s stomach before he can eat enough food to satisfy his nutritional needs. The result can be improper muscle and skeletal development and growth impairment.

IAMS™ puppy foods are formulated to be energy- and nutrient-dense to meet the needs of growing puppies. The IAMS™ formula for small and toy puppy breeds, IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Small & Toy Breed, has concentrated nutrition for the lifelong health of your small- or toy-breed dog.
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