It’s best to know everything to expect when making an essential decision like what puppy to adopt. There are all sorts of factors like how much, how often, and what food you should feed your new Pitbull puppy. By knowing these details ahead of time, you can best prepare for a happy and healthy future for you and your growing new friend!
1 – 2 Weeks Age
Between one and two weeks, your Pitbull will begin to open their eyes and move around. Although, at this age, they don’t move very far. Your Pitbull will be utterly dependent on its mother for milk. Because of this, make sure your puppies are always close to their mother.
To compensate for all the milk she’s producing, their mother will need a higher amount of calories. Keep an eye on the puppies in the litter over these two weeks. If any puppy is looking smaller than its siblings, your vet may recommend supplementing formula.
3 – 5 Weeks Age
At three weeks, your Pitbull will remain close to their mother and will continue relying on her milk. It’s too early to wean the puppy from their mother or introduce dog food. At four weeks, your puppy will have more balance and mobility. Their legs will start to stretch, and they will begin to explore.
Your puppy should still rely on their mother’s milk at this point, but if you’re interested in weaning, puppy food mixed with water is an option to try. This mixture should be ÂĽ food to Âľ water.
Don’t worry if your puppy isn’t interested in this mixture yet. The pup may prefer to rely on milk until it’s closer to five weeks old. Even if they start to try it at five weeks, they will remain dependent on their mother’s milk through this change.
Always remember that a puppy’s belly is small, so you can’t expect them to eat much!
6 – 9 Weeks Age
At six weeks, your Pitbull puppy should start to find the food mixture a little more interesting. Once they start eating it, try decreasing the amount of water used to half the amount of food.
By seven weeks, your Pitbull will be eating the food without much trouble. At this time, if you haven’t already, you can remove water from the meal entirely. During these weeks, the mother will start to assist the weaning process. You will see her begin to leave the puppies as she wishes and allow them to eat the puppy food.
Your puppy will be ready to be independent of their mother at eight weeks old. If you can, split your puppy’s daily calories into portions fed four times a day. Remove any uneaten food after 20 minutes or so to help your puppy adjust to their new feeding schedule and to aid digestion.
While your puppy is adjusting to their new home and way of eating, make any changes to food slowly. Mix fresh food with old and make adjustments over time to avoid upsetting your puppy’s stomach.
2 – 4 Months Age
Your puppy digesting anything other than appropriate puppy food can be a real danger. In these early months, it’s essential to watch your new Pitbull and make sure they only chew on safe toys. As appetite increases, it’s okay to accommodate food portions as the puppy’s appetite increases gradually!
At two months old, puppies will eat 2 cups of food, divided into equal portions throughout the day. Your puppy will most likely grow to consume 3 cups of food in a day once they are three months old.
4 – 6 Months Age
In the months following your puppy’s growth spurt, their appetite might continue to grow. At this point, they will eat around 4 to 5 cups of food a day.
Their growth and appetite should steady at about six months of age. Keep a close eye on your puppy to watch for any excessive weight gain as weight loss can be difficult on some Pitbulls.
You and Your New Friend
Your Pitbull will primarily nurse from their mother in the first seven to eight weeks of life. As they begin to gain some mobility and independence, they will start to explore bites of puppy food. Finally, at the end of your puppy’s growth spurt, they will settle into a feeding pattern that gives them the healthiest, consistent schedule that benefits their digestion.
