Feeding your Shiba Inu Puppy and Adult
Please take a moment to learn what is healthy and what is harmful for any dog to eat. Even if you think you know there is always one thing that we forget or get confused with-especially raw and cooked bones. Never ever give cooked bones!
Your Shibalia puppy will have been reared on a diet that is for growing puppies, please follow a recommended puppy diet. They are a puppy and need all the nutrients that a growing puppy needs.
How much your puppy or adult dog needs to eat depends on their size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people and they don't all need the same amount of food. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference — the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your dog.
Keep your Shiba Inu in good shape by measuring their food and feeding them twice a day rather than leaving food out all the time please avoid the fattening snacks and countless treats. I really enjoy cooking up my Shiba's food; I change the blend to keep it nutritious and exciting, they absolutely love their meal. Below are two examples of the many combinations that you can easily make.
NO cooked Bones EVER
The cooking process makes bones more brittle, which means they might splinter and cause severe internal injuries, adding to this cooking also makes bones less nutritious.
Meat used
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Chicken Breast
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Chicken thigh
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Chicken mince
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Lamb
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Lamb mince
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Veal mince
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Beef mince
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Giblets
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Hearts
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Livers
Vegetables used
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Asparagus
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Broccoli
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Carrots
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Green beans
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Pumpkin
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Sweet potatoes
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Zuchini
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Cauliflower
Fruits used
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Blueberries
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Raspberries
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Strawberries
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Pears
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Blackberries
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Apples- without the seed
Don't be afraid to try something new
How to switch your dog's food
Switching your dog's food gradually is not difficult. It's just a matter of adding the new dry food to the old dry food a little at a time. This is a sample ratio:
ALWAYS KEEP FRESH WATER AVAILABLE
Maintaining optimal hydration is important for health and energy. Make sure that you give your dog clean, fresh water EVERYDAY. Water should be replenished several times a day with fresh water.
“if you won’t drink water from your dog’s water bowl…then neither should your dog!”
FEEDING YOUR SHIBA INU PUPPY
Puppies should be fed 3 to 4 times a day and with Puppy food it will make a difference in your puppies development, appearance and temperament.
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¾ a cup of puppy food twice a day and you should consider spacing it out by feeding ½ cup three times a day.
Smaller meals are easier to digest for the puppy and energy levels don’t peak and fall so much with frequent meals.
Follow the dietary recommendations and nutritional needs of your Shiba, based on size, age and level of activity. Remember to provide healthy low in fat treats as rewards and avoid table scraps that may have onion or have unwanted fats.
Here are some of the nutritional foods that we like to give our puppies (alongside their high-quality Puppy wet and dry food) to try and they love!
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Sardines
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Tuna
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Plain Natural Yoghurt-dessert spoon
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Cheese-sprinkle
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RAW- chicken wing, bone (not cooked), chicken necks
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Part of a chicken carcass, cut the excess bum fat off please.
TEETHING
When your puppy starts teething, they may go off their food a little as their gums will be sore. Soft foods like tins of Sardines and grated cheese should perk up their appetite.
Sometimes a small and gradual variation or addition to their food is good, keeps it interesting. Puppies are usually the most susceptible to an upset stomach when a dog food switch is made or new environment. The reason is because puppies already have rather sensitive stomachs because they're still developing. When a puppy comes home to her new family, they go through many, many changes all at once.
Usually, one of the first things new puppy parents do is switch dog food. Along with all the other changes and stress (new people, missing Mummy and siblings, new environment), a new puppy food tends to really upset their tummy's.
So, regardless of whether you’re dealing with a puppy or an adult, a dog food switch should be done gradually over time.
