How to Care for a Toy Poodle
Choose a food formulated for your dog's age., Choose a completely dry food diet., Schedule the frequency of feedings depending on your dog's age., Give your dog plenty of water.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a food formulated for your dog's age.
Depending on their age, dogs require different levels of protein, calories and other nutrients.
There are different types of dog food formulated for puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs.
Puppies:
Puppies need higher levels of protein for their muscles, calories for growth, and calcium for healthy bones.
If your toy poodle is a puppy under 12 months of age, feed it dog food that is specially designed for puppies.
These are usually labelled as "puppy food" or "growth" foods.Choose a puppy food designed for toy dogs.
This is because the kibble size is smaller and easier for your puppy's tiny teeth to deal with.
Adult dogs:
When your dog reaches about 12 months of age, feed it food formulated for adult dogs.
Keep them on this food until they are about 7 years old.
These foods are nutritionally balanced to provide an adult dog's dietary needs.
Senior dogs:
When your adult toy poodle is 7 years and older, switch to a senior food.
These contain reduced level of minerals such as phosphate that the kidney finds more difficult to process.
By switching to a senior food, you can help protect your pet's renal function. -
Step 2: Choose a completely dry food diet.
The options for feeding are a complete dry diet (often known as kibble) or a wet diet of canned food with the addition of mixer biscuits.
Dry foods are healthier for the dog's teeth, because chewing on the biscuit helps keep them clean.
Wet foods can be more appealing to toy breeds, but the sticky canned or pouched food does stick to teeth and encourage plaque formation.
If possible, start your toy poodle pup on a complete dry diet to help promote dental health.
Look for a food designed for toy breeds, which will make chewing on the kibble less troublesome. , When your dog is a puppy, it has a smaller stomach and needs to be fed more frequently than when it is an adult.
Puppies:
Feed your toy poodle puppy small meals frequently.
The general rule is 4 meals a day up to 3 months of age; 3 meals a day up to 6 months of age; 2 meals a day from 6 months through adulthood.
Adult and senior dogs:
Feed your adult or senior dog 2 meals per day.
Two meals is recommended because a toy poodle's small stomach capacity means he prefers to eat smaller meals more often., Always have a bowl of water available for your dog.
Refresh the water every day and clean the bowl every few days. -
Step 3: Schedule the frequency of feedings depending on your dog's age.
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Step 4: Give your dog plenty of water.
Detailed Guide
Depending on their age, dogs require different levels of protein, calories and other nutrients.
There are different types of dog food formulated for puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs.
Puppies:
Puppies need higher levels of protein for their muscles, calories for growth, and calcium for healthy bones.
If your toy poodle is a puppy under 12 months of age, feed it dog food that is specially designed for puppies.
These are usually labelled as "puppy food" or "growth" foods.Choose a puppy food designed for toy dogs.
This is because the kibble size is smaller and easier for your puppy's tiny teeth to deal with.
Adult dogs:
When your dog reaches about 12 months of age, feed it food formulated for adult dogs.
Keep them on this food until they are about 7 years old.
These foods are nutritionally balanced to provide an adult dog's dietary needs.
Senior dogs:
When your adult toy poodle is 7 years and older, switch to a senior food.
These contain reduced level of minerals such as phosphate that the kidney finds more difficult to process.
By switching to a senior food, you can help protect your pet's renal function.
The options for feeding are a complete dry diet (often known as kibble) or a wet diet of canned food with the addition of mixer biscuits.
Dry foods are healthier for the dog's teeth, because chewing on the biscuit helps keep them clean.
Wet foods can be more appealing to toy breeds, but the sticky canned or pouched food does stick to teeth and encourage plaque formation.
If possible, start your toy poodle pup on a complete dry diet to help promote dental health.
Look for a food designed for toy breeds, which will make chewing on the kibble less troublesome. , When your dog is a puppy, it has a smaller stomach and needs to be fed more frequently than when it is an adult.
Puppies:
Feed your toy poodle puppy small meals frequently.
The general rule is 4 meals a day up to 3 months of age; 3 meals a day up to 6 months of age; 2 meals a day from 6 months through adulthood.
Adult and senior dogs:
Feed your adult or senior dog 2 meals per day.
Two meals is recommended because a toy poodle's small stomach capacity means he prefers to eat smaller meals more often., Always have a bowl of water available for your dog.
Refresh the water every day and clean the bowl every few days.
About the Author
Beverly Cook
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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