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So, you’re the pet parent of a five-week-old puppy! Congratulations! Puppies are adorable at this age! However, this is also a vulnerable time in a puppy’s life. They require the proper nutrition as they’re being weaned from their mother. The mother dog takes care of the weaning; however, you will have to start feeding the puppies solid food at this time.
Creating a Feeding Schedule for Five Week Old Puppies
The best way to start feeding five-week-old puppies is to create a feeding schedule. This is much the same as it is if you have a human baby.
The goal is to keep the puppies well-fed without overfeeding them and ensure they can comfortably endure the time in between feedings.
How Many Times a Day Should You Feed Five Week Old Puppies?
Vets recommend feeding puppies of this age about four times a day. This is because the puppies need enough nutrition to support their huge leap in growth and development. However, if the puppies don’t seem to want that many feedings, you can try going to three feedings a day. See if this works better.
Once you’ve determined how many feedings, it’s time to consider the feeding schedule. Puppies should be fed at regular intervals every day. The meals are small and spread throughout the day. Doing this ensures your fur baby doesn’t have too much food for his system at one time. Digestion is much easier and the meals spread through the day provide the energy the puppies need through the day.
After the puppies are a week older, you may need to adjust their feeding times a little bit.
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Ask a Vet Live NowWhy is Five Weeks a Crucial Age for Puppies?
Puppies at this age grow very fast, translating into the puppies needing more calories and nutrition. This age also usually sees a huge change in the puppies’ development. Puppies are also usually being weaned by their mothers. However, you can do a few things to control the amount of food the puppies are eating:
- Monitor the puppies’ food intake and don’t let them eat too much or too little.
- Let the puppies eat until they’re full. They will stop eating when they’re filled up!
- Pick up their food bowls after they stop eating.
- The best food bowl for a puppy is a shallow one. These are easier for the puppies to eat out, and you can control portion sizes.
- Always make sure the puppies have access to fresh water at all times.
How Long to Wait Between Feedings of Five Week Old Puppies?
Puppies this age can go for about 5 to 6 hours in between feedings. They should not go longer than 6 hours between feedings, as they will be hungry. This is the time when puppies grow the fastest.
When the intervals between feedings are too long, puppies can develop hypoglycemia (also called low blood sugar). This can be fatal in puppies.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:
- Shaking
- Lethargy
- Disorientation
- Sleepiness (which is worse than normal)
Creating a Feeding Schedule for Five Week Old Puppies
With the information we shared earlier in this article, you’re now ready to create a feeding plan for your puppies.
The first meal should be around 7 am. That gives you time to get ready, and head to work between 8 am, and 9 am. The last meal of the day should be around 5 pm. The puppies then have time to digest their food and go potty before bedtime.
You may want to have separate areas for the puppies to sleep, eat/play, and go potty. That’s because it’s too early to start potty training puppies of this age. They’re not ready. Plus, your puppies may get the idea not to potty in their sleeping or play areas!
With the first and last feedings determined, you can count that the other two meals will be between 7 am and 5 pm. And remember these meals need to be no longer than 6 hours apart.
We’ve created a table with a sample feeding schedule to help you get started. The table is for four feedings at intervals of 6 hours during the day:
| Time | Feeding |
| 7:00 am | First meal |
| 11:00 am | 2nd meal |
| 2:00 pm | 3rd meal |
| 5:00 pm | 4th meal |
If your puppies aren’t eating everything and are too filled, that’s a problem. So, here’s a schedule with three feedings throughout the day:
| Time | Feeding |
| 7:00 am | First meal |
| Noon | 2nd meal |
| 5:00 pm | 3rd meal |
Use these feeding schedules only as a guide; if you have any questions about these feedings, then be sure to contact your vet.
What to Feed a Five Week Old Puppy?
Now is the time to switch your puppies over to solid food. You can soak kibble in warm water or milk replacer. These help to soften their food.
It’s also possible to start the puppies on canned food, but do ask the vet if this is recommended for your puppies. When the puppies are a week older, it may also be p possible to thicken the consistency of their food. This helps the puppies transition from kibble to other types of food.
What Dog Food to Feed puppies?
Experts recommend giving puppies the highest-quality dog food you can afford. You can choose between kibble or canned food. In addition, you may find foods that are formulated especially for puppies. The food should be suitable for the puppies’ age and size.
Next, puppy food for five-week-old puppies also needs to be labeled as “complete and balanced” nutrition. The food should also be certified by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (the AAFCO).
Food that meets these certifications ensures the puppies receive the nutrients and calories they require at this stage of their lives.
Summing it Up
So, there you have it! In this article, you’ve learned how to feed five-month-old puppies and how to create a feeding schedule for them!
We’d like to wish your puppies all the best and hope they have long, happy, healthy lives!
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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