The puppies playing with a beach ball.
Puppies roughhousing outside!
A puppy chewing on my flip-flop.
Weights for Day 40
Reuben: 13 lbs 13 oz
Lucy: 11 lbs 2 oz
Padme: 11 lbs 2 oz
Vader: 13 lbs 8 oz
Strider: 12 lbs 14 oz
Evey: 12 lbs 0 oz
Thorin: 13 lbs 1 oz
Arwen: 11 lbs 12 oz
Hermione: 10 lbs 15 oz
Everyone is continuing to gain weight steadily, and will be 15-20 lbs by the time they're ready to go home. Because Newfoundlands grow so quickly during the first year of their life, we recommend a high-quality puppy food. We are currently feeding Taste of the Wild: High Prairie Puppy Formula with Roasted Venison & Bison. It is grain-free.
We feed the parents Acana, which is a Canadian company that also has a puppy formula, but be wary of feeding your puppy a "large-breed puppy formula" because it can have less nutrients. On the flip side, you don't want want to feed them a diet with too much fat or protein, as that can also cause problems. Animal Essentials (next to the Superstore on the Northside) has Taste of the Wild Puppy, but if you are planning on switching to another brand, we recommend that you switch slowly over the course of a week to make it easier on their little puppy tummies. Many premium brands of dog food have trial-size packages for a couple of dollars that you can use to see if your puppy likes the new food. The Barking Lot (on the Hanwell) is another locally-owned business that has great prices and a good selection of healthy food.
On a premium food like Acana, we spend about $120-$150 monthly to feed both Sam & Kia, as we go through a 13 kg bag every 2 weeks (@ $60-$75 per bag). Since growing puppies can eat up to twice as much as a mature adult (it takes 2-3 years for them to fill out), you will want to budget that much for a year or two. Right now, the puppies are eating about 3/4 cup 3x daily with a small amount of dry food if they get hungry between meals.
If you are feeding a high-quality diet, you don't really need any supplements. However, there are treats that have glucosamine in them (for healthy hips & joints), and we have also added Salmon Oil (for healthy skin & coat), yogurt (healthy bacteria), and pumpkin (healthy roughage) to Sam & Kia's diet at different times.
We aren't a huge fan of canned food, because it can make them picky, and they need the hard kibble for healthy teeth. As well, you may want to look into a slow-feed bowl as large-chested breeds like the Newfoundland are prone to bloat, which can be caused by eating too much or too quickly. We do not exercise Sam & Kia for an hour before or after eating to prevent bloat and although we always keep fresh water available, we don't let them gorge on water.
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