Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding

21
FEEDING AND NUTRITION OF THE DOG; FROM BIRTH TILL
ADULTHOOD
Esther A. Hagen-Plantinga
Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chair of Nutrition, Utrecht, The
Netherlands.
Email: e.a.plantinga@uu.nl
Introduction
Healthy growth is the basis of a healthy life. We know this to be true for humans, but this is
also very true for our pets. To obtain a healthy growth, balanced nutrition is especially
important. The nutrition is considered balanced when it contains all the nutrients the animal
needs on a daily basis in adequate amounts. The nutrients also need to be easily digested and
absorbed by the gut. During puppy growth different phases can be distinguished; the milkphase,
the weaning phase, and the post-weaning phase. Below, the different phases will be
briefly discussed, and nutritional key factors for puppy growth will be considered.
Milk-phase
The first 2 weeks after birth puppies are considered to be neonatal. Puppies are born in a
relatively immature state and are completely dependent upon their mother’s care. The first 24 to
36 hours of a puppy’s life are critical because the sudden environmental changes that newborn
puppies experience are very stressful. Controlling the environment as to assure a quiet and warm
whelping area is thus of importance. A rapid uptake of milk within the first hours after birth is
critical to assure good immunity. The bitch’s milk that is produced directly after birth (called
colostrum) contains antibodies and bioactive factors that can be absorbed by the gut of the puppy
during the first 24h of life. After this period, the gut “closes”, which prevents further transfer of
these antibodies and bioactive compounds. The immune system of puppies is not fully developed
until 16 weeks of age, which makes the transfer of antibodies via colostrum important for their
survival and protection against infectious diseases.
Puppies show a tremendous growth rate during the first weeks of life. They almost quadruple
their birth weight in the first 3 weeks of life. As the bitch’s milk is the only source of nutrition
during the early rapid growth phase, it needs to be rich in energy and nutrients. When considering
the nutrient composition of bitch milk compared to other mammal species, it is noticeably rich in
fat and protein, with a mean protein content of 8-10%, a mean fat content of 11 to 13%, and a
mean energy content of 1500-1800 kcal/L (6.3 to 7.5 MJ/L) (Adkins et al., 2001).
After 4 weeks, milk alone will no longer provide adequate nutrients and energy to support
normal development, coinciding with the time that puppies will become increasingly interested
in trying new foods. During this time the introduction of semi-solid food can be advised,
marking the start of the weaning process.