As with most puppies, a Staffy puppy will need to be fed three times throughout the day. It’s also important to make sure that they are getting the right amount of food split evenly across feedings. The easiest way to do this is to create a feeding schedule with morning, afternoon, and dinner slot allocated for each feed.
For example, if you’re feeding them two cups of food every day, you can create a feeding schedule that looks something like this:
- Morning feed – 1 cup
- Afternoon feed – 0.5 cups
- Dinner feed – 0.5 cups
The reason why you need to feed a Staffy puppy throughout the day rather than in just one sitting is that they burn off energy much faster than an adult Staffy. They also need regular feeding to help them grow into big, strong, healthy dogs.
Can Staffy puppies eat raw meat?
Yes, it is absolutely fine for a Staffy puppy to eat raw meat. In fact, many Staffy owners choose to feed their dogs exclusively with raw food. There are some important things that you need to know if you want to feed a Staffy puppy raw meat, though.
First of all, it’s incredibly important to make sure that you’re only feeding them with the freshest raw meat possible. As soon as an animal is dead, the decaying process begins, and with that comes harmful pathogens which increase over time. However, if kept at low enough temperatures, the rate with which the pathogens increase can be slowed down significantly.
For this reason, it’s important to make sure that you freeze any raw meat that you’ve bought in bulk. Likewise, any fresh or defrosted meat should be kept below 39ºF and used within two days.
Now, you might be thinking that Staffies have tough digestive systems that can cope with pathogens that would usually make a human ill. While this is true, it’s only the case for adult Staffies. Staffy puppies are much more vulnerable to pathogens and if they eat any raw meat that hasn’t been stored properly they could become very sick.
Another important thing to remember when you’re feeding a Staffy puppy raw meat is that they have very delicate teeth. While all puppies lose their first set of teeth and they are replaced by stronger teeth, any damage to them as a puppy could create problems for their adult teeth growing through.
The best way to stop any damage from happening is to make sure that the raw meat you’re feeding your Staffy puppy is entirely free from any bones. If they were to eagerly bite down into their food and hit a bone, their teeth could fracture. This can leave them in loads of pain and you’ll also be left with a hefty veterinarian bill.
Another reason why you should check for bones in raw meat is that they can be a choking hazard to puppies. All it takes is for one small fragment of bone to get lodged in the back of your Staffy puppy’s throat and you’ve got a potentially fatal situation on your hands.
Finally, if you’re choosing to feed your Staffy puppy with raw meat, it’s a good idea to give them a wide variety of different meats. The reason for this is that different types of meat contain different nutrients, and for your puppy to grow as healthily as possible they’ll need as many nutrients as they can get.
It also keeps things interesting for them, and it’s a reason why processed dog foods are available in so many different flavor combinations. Staffies are renowned for their healthy appetites, but they can still get pretty bored if they are eating the same thing every day.
What food is best for Staffy puppies?
You have the choice of feeding a Staffy puppy with a raw diet or with processed dog foods. But which is the best? Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference and there will be some trial and error as you discover what your Staffy puppy likes the most and what they’d rather leave untouched in the food dish!
Whichever route you choose, however, there are some important things that you need to make sure your Staffy puppy is getting from their food.
First of all, they need to have food that has the right kind of amino acids including arginine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These will help your Staffy puppy grow strong and support their immune system.
Their food should also contain animal-based proteins. This is easy to achieve with raw meats, but if you’re choosing processed dog food go for flavors such as chicken, fish, or lamb. These will feed their muscles and ensure they grow strong and healthy.
Your Staffy puppy’s food should also contain a source of fiber, and one of the best ways of doing this is by choosing something that contains vegetables. You can also choose food with grain in it, but you need to be aware that some dogs have an intolerance to grain. If you’re unsure, it’s best just to stick with vegetables as their fiber source.
Finally, it’s best to choose foods that only contain natural preservatives or, better still, no preservatives at all. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, sunflower oil, and spring water are all suitable preservatives. Others, such as BHA or BHT are artificial preservatives and could cause severe damage to your Staffy puppy’s liver if eaten.
There are also some ingredients that you should avoid when looking for the best dog food for Staffy puppies. If you see any of the ingredients listed below, avoid that food and choose something else:
- BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)
- BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
- Corn
- Corn Syrup
- Ethoxyquin
- Food Dyes
- Meat by-products
- Propylene Glycol
- Rendered Fat
- Synthetic Vitamin K3
- Wheat Gluten
Avoiding these ingredients will ensure that your Staffy puppy is eating only the best quality food that will help them grow into a healthy adult dog. And, when they reach adulthood, it’s a good idea to keep avoiding these ingredients as some of them can do some real damage over time.
