Pet Health Plan: Puppy & Kitten Nutrition Tips

There’s a lot to learn about your pet’s health but three basic areas to understand from the very beginning are Diet, Parasite Protection and Vaccinations. When it comes to puppies, a complete and balanced diet is key to a healthy fur baby:

• The best nutrition is premium quality commercial food “for puppies”
• Make sure you get the correct food for your puppy’s breed size
• Clean, fresh water is a must for drinking – avoid milk as it can cause diarrhoea
• Human foods are a common cause of skin conditions, allergies and obesity in dogs and should be avoided
• Dogs aren’t like people – fatty human foods like sausages and bacon are common causes for pancreatitis in dogs and must be avoided
• Always ask your pet health professional for advice on keeping your puppy’s teeth and gums healthy – e.g. special diets, treats and home teeth cleaning

How often should I feed my puppy?

• 3-4 meals per day until your puppy is 12 weeks old
• 2-3 meals per day for dogs aged up to 6 months
• 1-2 meals per day for dogs over 6 months old

 

Meals should always be spaced out evenly throughout the day but if you want to change your puppy’s diet or transition to adult food, do it gradually over a week to avoid tummy upsets.

 

Do not feed your puppy: adult dog food (doesn’t provide the right nutrition for a growing dog), table scraps (high in fat), cooked bones (can fracture teeth and perforate the intestinal tract), chocolate, onions, garlic, avocado, nuts and grapes (toxic) – liver treats are much healthier and just as tasty.

Kittens thrive on a complete and balanced diet

• For the first year the best nutrition is specially formulated commercial food “for kittens”
• Feed small amounts regularly – don’t overfeed as this can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and weight gain
• Make sure your kitten always has access to fresh water
• Feed your kitten in a clean, secure area away from lots of noise
• As they mature into an adult cat you can feed them just twice a day if you prefer
• Talk to your vet to find out what food is best for your kitten
• Most kittens are lactose-intolerant so choose specially formulated kitten milk and only give it as a treat as these are normally high in fat

Do kittens need home cooking?

Home cooking lacks a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids for brain and eye development and can lead to taurine deficiencies which cause blindness and heart failure

Premium quality kitten food has the right balance of essential nutrients, amino acids, vitamins and minerals

Ask your pet health professional for advice on keeping your kitten’s teeth and gums healthy – e.g. special diets and home teeth cleaning

Not all premium foods are complete and balanced so check the label and if you want to change your kitten’s diet or transition to adult food, do it gradually over a week to avoid tummy upsets.

Parasite protection for your puppy

Advantage for dogs is a monthly spot-on that guards against fleas and lice and is safe to use on puppies from birth.

Advantix can be applied monthly or fortnightly as a spot-on for Paralysis tick protection as well as fleas, biting insects and lice. Advantix kills and repels ticks (including deadly Paralysis ticks), mosquitoes and Sandflies and is safe in puppies from 7 weeks old.

Advocate for dogs is a monthly spot-on that protects against fleas, heartworm, intestinal worms, mites and lice and is safe in puppies from 7 weeks old.

Available as a chewable treat, tablet or liquid formulation, Drontal protects dogs against intestinal worms like roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm and is safe in puppies from 2 weeks old.

Kiltix protects against Paralysis ticks, Brown Dog ticks and Bush ticks and is available as a collar to be replaced every 6 weeks for Paralysis tick control or every 5 months for other ticks. Kiltix is safe in puppies from 12 weeks old.

Parasite protection for your kitten

Advantage for cats is a monthly spot-on that guards against fleas and is safe to use on kittens from birth.

Advocate for cats is a monthly spot-on that protects against fleas, heartworm, intestinal worms, lungworms and mites and is safe in kittens from 9 weeks old.

 

Available in tablets for small and large cats, Drontal protects against intestinal worms like roundworm, hookworms and tapeworm and is safe in kittens from 9 weeks old.

Profender is a spot-on applied every 3 months to protects cats against intestinal worms and lungworm and is safe in cats over 0.5kg and kittens from 8 weeks old.

Some of these products can be used in combination – see our full product range or ask your vet for more details.

Vaccinations for puppies and kittens

Having the right vaccinations at the right time is essential in protecting young pets from infectious, contagious and/or deadly diseases such as distemper, hepatitis parvovirus and canine cough in dogs and enteritis, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis in cats.

Your pet health professional will be able to recommend a proper vaccination plan for your pet so make sure you visit your vet at least twice a year for a check-up.