Gilbertson & Page Dr John Puppy 10kg

Product Information

Symptoms of hunger, shivering in the cold and fatigue can be early signs that your dog needs a higher energy formula. It may be that you have been feeding a light diet to prevent your dog gaining weight, cutting out treats to prevent bad behaviour, or perhaps started keeping your dog cooler to improve coat condition. All these minor changes can have an effect on your dog’s metabolic rate and nutritional requirements. Generally, after the age of seven most dogs will start to show some signs of aging. They may just be a little slower on their walks, sleep a little deeper at night and need more reassurance and affection from you, but it can also be the start of some debilitating illnesses like arthritis, diabetes and kidney disease. What you feed your puppy is even more important than with an adult dog as this is the key stage for determining their adult health and wellbeing. First of all, they need to be fed a puppy diet and a complete dry food will ensure they get all the nutrients and bone minerals in the right percentages to match their growth. While our Dr John dog food review is totally non-biased, we really can’t find any faults, except for the hefty price-tag that is. From our research, it seems as though dogs all over the country are absolutely lapping up these products.

Sporting dogs like Spaniels and Labradors used in shoots and trials, will need higher levels of energy for short bursts of activity, they will also need good concentration and eye sight for retrieval, so a highly active diet like Dr. John Titanium will give them the additional energy and nutrient levels they need along with a joint supplement to keep their active joints supported and in good health. Decide in advance whether your dog will be allowed upstairs and how to discourage any explorations or the puppy from simply following you up. Baby gates can be a good temporary solution to open stairs. Puppies are not able to manage stairs so will need carrying until you can teach them how to safely crawl up and down.

All puppies will develop slightly differently to each other depending on their environment and genetics but they all will go through the same stages during the first 12 weeks from birth.

As your dog ages, there is a general decrease in energy needs, firstly due to a reduction in physiological needs but also due to reduced activity. Therefore, it makes sense to keep a close eye on any weight fluctuations and reduce the amount fed as required. On a physiological level, ageing can lead to a number of changes in your dog’s body, seniors often have lower glucose tolerance, less lean body mass, and reduced function from their kidneys (reduced kidney blood flow and glomerular filtration rate), their immune function, hormone secretion and response, brain and enzyme activity and mineral uptake/homeostasis can all be reduced too, making them more vulnerable to illness, environmental changes and digestion and absorption issues. Food: A good breeder will send your puppy home with enough food for a few days, but it can be worth enquiring before what food it is and getting a small bag in to cover the first few weeks before moving onto a suitable puppy diet. The best age to bring a puppy into a new household is between 7-12 weeks. At this point they are becoming independent from their mother and are ready to form an attachment with a new owner. Typically 8-10 weeks of age is the best age to come home, but it needs to be a good time in your diary too when you can be at home and give the new addition all your attention. WHAT YOU NEED FOR A NEW PUPPY Dr John knows exactly what they are doing and they always have nutrition in mind when creating their foods. There are a vast amount of health benefits which include:Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements. All dogs will vary in their nutritional requirements, and although estimates can be made for average breed size, individuals may require more or less than these guidelines. Factors to consider are whether your dog is smaller or larger than the standard for the breed, how active they are, their energy levels, their age and appetite. Then, start with the recommended feeding amount and adjust to as many of these factors as possible – never going more than 50% over or under the starting amount (exceptions for puppies and during breeding). Always remember to subtract a small amount for treats if using these as behavioural rewards. The resulting amount is your starting point. Immediate signs of overfeeding are struggling to finish the food in one sitting and loose stools or diarrhoea; a more long term effect is weight gain. If you under feed, some obvious signs are that your dog will be ravenously hungry and constantly asking for food even after finishing the meal and in the longer term, weight loss will result. Weigh your dog regularly and keep a careful eye on their shape to maintain a good level of condition. You should see a nice covering on your dog but the ribs should be felt once you press lightly. How you measure the food is important, the best way is to weigh the food out each time as this avoids inaccuracies gradually being built up over time. Alternatively a measuring cup or marked scoop can be used, but with this method it is worth weighing out the amount you are measuring every now and again, to make sure that the amount still matches the weight you are expecting. NEW PUPPY? Firstly more energy: working or sporting dogs are likely to need either a higher energy diet like Dr. John Titanium or a good active maintenance diet like Dr. John Gold, with enough energy for activity, protein for growth, maintenance and repair of tissues and essential fats for condition and additional energy. Start by feeding towards the upper end of the recommended feeding requirements to get the right level to maintain condition in your dog. Feeding twice a day is ideal for most dogs, however, it needs to be at appropriate times for a working dog so they rest after eating to encourage good digestion before starting a period of work.

Timing with puppies is everything. Once you’ve decided to get a puppy there’s a lot to get done before bringing them home so time to plan is vital. Research into their typical behavior and needs will help, and if you are getting your pup from a recognized breeder this is the ideal place to start. If you are not planning to breed, then there are a number of good reasons to neuter as it can prevent cancers and infections as well as the risk of unwanted pregnancies. The optimum time for this surgery is approximately 6-12 weeks after the bleeding stops, as this will be in the middle of her next reproductive cycle.

PUPPY FEEDING SCHEDULE

Once you are home, allow the puppy to stretch its legs in the garden and then introduce your puppy to the areas of your home they will be in and any new family members and pets. It’s best to start with an activity routine immediately, although, remember that puppies don’t need walks like an adult dog does and over-walking will excessively tire a puppy and can cause some harm to developing joints. Simply exploring the garden and little games with you will be enough to start with. We can’t seem to find many alternatives that quite match Dr John Dog Food. There are a few grain-free products out there, but we really are very impressed with Dr John. If your budget can stretch to it, we would highly recommend grabbing a bag. We are certain that your furry friend will lap it up! Another common complication is false pregnancy. This can occur soon after the heat cycle and mimic all the signs of pregnancy. Typically symptoms will last for a month or so before subsiding naturally. Getting a vet’s diagnosis can be helpful in ruling out other possible causes. With their wide range of available foods, you can be sure to find something to suit your pooch, whether you have a fluffy little pup, or a really old doggie, there is certainly something for you in the Dr John Dog Food range.