General Nutrition:
The majority of young and immature animals that we deal with are going to
be weaned, and usually between 7 and 9 weeks of age. Because of this fact,
they should no longer be dependant on their mothers to provide food (milk)
and should be eating a diet consisting of solid food. It is important to
remember that this animal is growing rapidly, and will grow to its mature
size within the first year of its life. In dogs, depending on breed, the
animal will reach its mature weight around one year of age, with larger
breeds taking the longest.
Puppies and kittens should be fed a diet, which has been formulated for growth, and should contain all of the nutrients needed to provide adequate energy while at the same time providing the necessary "building blocks", i.e. protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
The energy requirement of growing puppies is roughly twice that of adult dogs. Since the growth rate of the puppy will start to decline after 6 months of age, their energy requirement will follow suit. Kittens, on the other hand, require a greater level of energy for growth than an adult cat, but the levels required are less than double.
Protein is required to build the new tissues of the growing animal. The total amount of protein a young animal takes in will be higher than that of an adult animal simply due to the fact that the amount of food ingested is greater. A young animal can only take in so much food at any one time before it is full. This means that multiple feedings of a high-energy food, with a slightly higher level of protein than found in a typical maintenance diet fed to an adult animal, will need to be fed.
Vitamins and minerals are critical for proper development. If a commercially prepared diet is being fed, it should not be necessary to supplement vitamins or minerals. This is an important consideration especially in giant breeds of dogs where supplemental calcium and phosphorus might only exacerbate bone and joint abnormalities.
Considerations for feeding young dogs:
Overfeeding (for maximal growth) of a puppy can be detrimental to proper
growth and development of that puppy in two ways. First, it can lead to
obesity later in life. This happens due to an increase in both the size
and number of fat cells. Secondly, overfeeding can result in an increase
in the development of bone disorders. This is of particular concern to
owners of giant breeds of dogs, but includes disorders such as hip
dysplasia, which is common in many breeds.
It has been proven that feeding moderately restricted levels of a well-balanced diet have no impact on final body size or development. These dogs will simply have a slower growth rate and will attain their mature weight at a later age. In large or giant breeds this should be attained by portion control rather than by feeding an adult maintenance diet. Most other breeds of dog will exhibit normal growth and development when fed a balanced commercial feed, or a homemade diet with adequate protein (chicken or other lean meats work well) and a digestible source of energy, such as rice.
Exercise is a crucial factor for the proper growth, skeletal and muscular development, and socialization of your puppy. Daily bouts of running, swimming or retrieving, totaling 20-40 minutes are adequate for most dogs. Excessively vigorous running, or wrestling can damage developing joints, and should not be used as the sole source of exercise.
Considerations for feeding young cats:
Like dogs, cats should be fed to achieve normal growth and development.
Again, a high quality commercial diet formulated for growing cats is
recommended because it contains all of the nutrients required for a
developing cat. Unlike a dog, normal feline feeding behavior
results in the consumption of many small meals throughout the day. Most
growing cats can self-regulate their energy intake and if provided
adequate exercise they will not overeat. Cats will, however, overeat if
adequate exercise is not provided, or if they are fed a highly palatable
diet such as the homemade chicken and rice diet mentioned above.
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