ii have 2 21 week old puppies and they are mostly outside puppies......they eat 32oz of dry food a day ...but i heard they need to eat more food to help keep them warm in the winter.....we do have a hog heater and they have dog houses on our closed in porch with doggy door.......i dont want them to freeze.....so how much more do i need to feed them and is there anything else i can do to keep them warm?.......i do live in missouri and we have extreamly cold winters here.....plz help.....any info will help......first time having dogs of my own....thankyou in advance....
2006-10-19 08:39:10 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
You might need to increase their food slightly so they have a little extra energy to keep their bodies warm, but be sure they're not packing on the pounds as a result.
You might consult your vet to make a suggestion for you as to what might be an appropriate increase.
If you have enclosed areas with the dog houses and some type of heater, they should fair well for the winter. You might consider adding some extra insulation to the dog houses if the porch isn't where the heater is located.
2006-10-19 08:49:45 · answer #1 · answered by Shadow's Melon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As others have said, puppy formula, to transition to food. Another thing to watch for carefully though - make sure the puppy isn't being pushed out of the "puppy pile" and getting cold. Until around 8 weeks they have a lot of trouble regulating body temp - so they can get hypothermic very easily, which will mean they can't digest the food you give them properly. If the mother rejects the pup physically, you may have to remove him and keep him warm with a heating pad or water bottle under toweling at 85 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent chilling and enable his metabolism to keep working properly. Also make sure she's cleaning him - he needs the stimulation of cleaning to pee and poop properly, so if she's not doing it, you'll need to stroke his nether region with a warm damp cloth after feedings until he eliminates. Odds are your "runt" is a pup that was from a different mating than the majority and is more or less a preemie. Get him vet checked - if he's otherwise healthy, there's no reason he can't grow up like the rest of his littermates. Also - if you can tell what breed the dam is - see about getting in touch with a breed rescue. While it's commendable you and your friend have taken her in - they have a lot more experience screening good homes for these puppies to go to when they're old enough to leave her.
2016-03-18 21:53:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Up hear in the great white north Canada It gets quite cold to But if you make sure there are no drafts in there dog house and it is insulated well and you through down some straw for bedding they should be fine as far as the food goes they are not as active in the winter but its hard to tell you how much without knowing the size of the dog.
2006-10-19 08:48:08 · answer #3 · answered by E string 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IN the Winter you need to fed them a cup
2006-10-19 08:56:11 · answer #4 · answered by lil' bit 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i would feed them a little more. you don't want to get them to where they want to eat all the time.
2006-10-19 09:09:37 · answer #5 · answered by teddybearleogirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋