If you’ve recently bought or rescued a puppy and haven’t had a dog before, you may be wondering what their dietary regime is like and how often they should be fed.
After the puppy has transitioned from feeding from their mum to solid foods, it’s important to regulate their eating habits and ensure that they are being fed regularly to prevent them from going hungry.
Puppies can eventually go all night without eating, but only once they reach a certain age, as newborn puppies need regular feeding every couple of hours.
During the night time, there is a bit of leeway as the puppy will be asleep, but newborns are likely to wake up and cry for food during the middle of the night, so be prepared.
But what age is appropriate for a puppy to go all night without eating?
We’ve gathered everything you need to know as well as how often puppies should be fed, so you don’t have to worry.
Owning a puppy is a great experience, and the last thing you want is to be worrying about whether they are hungry all the time.
At what age can a puppy go all night without eating?
The older a puppy gets, the longer it can go without eating. Newborn puppies can only go 2 hours without eating which then increases to 5 hours after 3 weeks.
Waiting for any longer is not recommended and can have negative side effects.
However, it’s important to distinguish the difference between leaving a newborn puppy without food for an extremely long period of time and a few hours.
Whereas the former is likely to be fatal, the former may see them feeling pain or discomfort as well as building distrust. When a puppy has reached four to six weeks, they can last between five to six hours without food.
When it comes to nighttime, there is a bit of a difference as the puppy will be asleep then and will not need regular feeding like the day.
However, it is advised that newborn puppies have access to food during the night time in order to prevent hunger. However, by the time they reach six weeks old, they should be able to last the night without food.
Should I leave my dog’s food out at night?
For those who are concerned that their newborn puppy will be keeping them up all night, you can leave some food out for them.
However, as newborns need to be fed every couple of hours, there is a chance that they may run out of food and therefore run out and become distressed if they wake up later on at night.
It’s also important to bear in mind that every dog is different so their dietary requirements and needs will be different.
If you own a breed such as a pug that requires specific foods, then you may be a bit wary about leaving food out overnight and would prefer to monitor their food intake through the night.
What time should a puppy have its last meal?
One of the best ways to prevent your puppy from going hungry overnight is to carefully plan their meal times.
On average, the best time to feed your puppy in the morning is around 7 am, and they should have their dinner at 5 pm. This means that they have plenty of time to digest their food before bedtime.
Conclusion
It’s important to make sure you are building a bond with your puppy so they can learn to trust you.
If you are leaving a newborn puppy for long periods of time without any access to food, they will eventually distrust you and start showing signs of distress and aggression.
Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you are following the guidance in this article correctly to ensure that they are completely comfortable in their home as well as allowing you to enjoy your time with them.
Owning a puppy is a fantastic experience, and they are often credited as members of the family, so they should be treated as such.
