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puppies' feeding
Puppies are totally weaned between 6—8th weeks of life, after then they are ready to leave mother. It's to mention that normal weight of adult dog may widely differ for the same kind (at appropriate life stages). Speed of grow is very high at the early stages and it's usual for puppies to gain 50% of adult dog weight by 5—6 month age.
Dogs of large breeds demand more time to gain adult animal mass than smaller ones do. Nutrition regime is very important to set grow speed, that's especially so for large and extra-large breeds. Some breeds grow very fast and are more inclined to skeletal structure development disorders. Maximal speed of grow is not always optimal, as it may lead to skeletal structure and muscles disorders, so it's more recommended for these puppies to stretch grow period. On weaning (6—8 weeks of life) puppies' energy needs (per live mass unit) almost double needs of adult dog of the same breed. By puppies grow their needs gradually get lower and achieve adult dog's ones.
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LIVE MASS, kg / lbs 
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AGE, months
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|
2
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3
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5—6
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12
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24
|
|
 1 / 2 —
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1045
|
836
|
523
|
523
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523
|
|
2 / 4 —
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1756
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1404
|
1053
|
878
|
878
|
|
5 / 11 —
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4368
|
3494
|
2098
|
1747
|
1747
|
|
10 / 22 —
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7348
|
7348
|
3528
|
2940
|
2940
|
|
15 / 33 —
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—
|
9961
|
5977
|
3983
|
3983
|
|
20 / 44 —
|
—
|
12519
|
7411
|
4941
|
4941
|
|
30 / 66 —
|
—
|
—
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11721
|
8373
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6696
|
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50 / 110 —
|
—
|
—
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19646
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12281
|
9823
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60 / 132 —
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—
|
—
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—
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14082
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11365
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1 kCal = 4,184 kJ
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table 3
Puppies' energy needs, kJ / day
If puppies' ration provides about 119,5 kCal (500 kJ) / 100 g / 31/2 oz then 24-week-old puppy with 20 kg / 44 lbs live mass shall consume 2,5 kg / 4 lbs of food daily to cover energy needs. Daily ration shall be divided into four receptions to let nutrients be appropriately digested to provide optimal terms of growing. As 50% of adult dog weight is achieved frequency of feedings shall be cut to twice a day and keep that regime up to gaining adult dog's live mass.
It's not recommended to break a regime, when puppies ask for more food, as they can overeat and gain excess weight. Puppies have higher needs in many nutrients than adults. Protein is the most important component of dogs' nutrition and serves as a source of necessary amino acids, as well as azote, and also is very important for formation and support of such tissues as skin, hair, nails, blood, including injured tissues regeneration. All this has great importance for growing dog, as protein is required for regeneration of tissues, especially muscular ones.
Researches proved that to provide young dog growing and nitrobalance the following amino acids are necessary:
arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophane, valine.
It's essential that growing dog's ration contained appropriate quantity of all these amino acids to provide azote concentration sufficient for contiguous amino acids and other nitrogen-containing combinations synthesis. Minimal level of protein content recommended for dogs' growing varies between 11 and 22% of energy needs. Required amount of protein is the highest at weaning and later goes down. Researches had shown that 15%-level of proteins is extreme for large breeds dogs as rottweiler is.
Growing puppies have higher need for calcium. Amount of calcium in puppies' food shall be related to phosphor content as these 2 minerals relation plays a great role in the bones development. So, puppies shall be fed by a food which has sufficient caloric content, is easy digestible and responds specific needs of the puppies.
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