Complete Information Regarding the Pug Dog
One of our most loyal PetPugDog Member writes in with a question about his Pug's eating habits.
Q: Since the day I made Pugsy a part of my life, I have fed her "Bento Kronen-Mini Growth" which I believe is a very good pet food Also, it is slightly moist and not as dry as other pet foods in the market. However, in the begining Pugsy was very eager to eat this, but over time she is not very keen on eating Bento. I tried to give her some variety, by trying other brands like; Pedigree, Purina and Eukanuba (as I said all are very dry and she doesn't like it!). Then I tried giving her the canned meat variety (By Waitrose and Pedigree) which she really likes, but I give that to her only as a treat, when she finishes her actual food (Bento), as I am afraid she will not want to eat Bento at all! More over, lately I have to mix a very little quantity of the canned meat variety in Bento (just for smell or a little more sometimes!), so she atleast has her meal. I really want your advice on this issue as I am a bit apprehensive and feel I will soon run out of choices! Also, earlier, Pugsy used to happily eat 3 times a day but these days she barely manages to eat twice a day! Is that any cause for concern? She is 7 months old now!
Thanks for your wonderful suggestions/tips and techniques, as always! Cheers, Neil
This is Neil, one of our PetPugDog Members, with his amazingly beautiful Pug, Pugsy! Neil is one of the most loving and caring Pug owners we know!
1: The Bento that you are feeding her is indeed a very good dog food. However, Pedigree is also a very good dog food. Although you are in the habit of feeding her the Bento, do not be afraid to switch to a regular diet of the Pedigree dog food, if this is what Pugsy likes to eat. However, we must stress that we only suggest home cooking for Pugs so that they not not eat any fillers at all.
What we must remember, is that it is better for your Pug to eat a quality food that she enjoys than to have her not eat enough because she does not like the Bento any longer. We find your idea of mixing the Bento with the Pedigree to be a perfect idea for now ; we often suggest doing exactly that in cases of finicky dogs. However, soon the Bento should be out of the picture and we will explain this below.
2: The dog food that you are feeding her is for growing puppies. With your Pug now 7 months old, it is time to begin a slow progressive switch to adult dog food. While she is still growing a bit, it will not be long before she has reached her adult weight and you will not want to be feeding her food that is meant to induce the rapid weight gain of a growing pup.
3: Do not be concerned about the fact that she is eating less. There are 2 reasons for this. The first reason that your Pug is eating less is that she is quickly changing from a puppy to a dog; at 7 months it is normal and expected for a Pug to eat twice per day. Some time between 1 year and 1 1/2 years old, she should be eating once per day. (Usually this 1 meal is given in the evening). Dog owners sometimes get into schedules of feeding their pets and because they see their dog each day, they don't often realize just how big and fast their dog is growing up. When your Pug refuses to eat, she is letting you know that 2 meals per day is just what her body needs right now.
Far too many dogs are overweight, so it is a very good sign that your Pug is down to 2 meals a day. If she continued eating puppy growth dog food 3 times per day, you could soon find yourself with an overweight dog!
The other reason that your Pug is eating less may be because of the hot summer weather. We realize that you are in an area that has very hot weather. Dogs often eat up to 20% less when the weather is hot. It is best to not force her to eat more than she wishes for.
We realize that you are worried that your Pug will stop eating and suffer health issues. However, as long as your dog, at 7 months old, is eating 2 times a day, you need not worry. If she ever suddenly refuses to eat at all, that would be a big sign that there was a health problem that needed the attention of a veterinarian right away. And a switch over to a high quality dog food or home cooking (recommended) that she likes to eat will not have adverse affects at all. The only time we recommend that a dog have a balance of dry and wet dog food is if the dog's bowel movements are very runny. If Pugsy's eliminations seem normal, serving her wet adult Pedigree or home cooked good specifically for the Pug will keep her fit and healthy.
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