Best Food for Shiba Inu Puppy

The feeding of a Shiba Inu dog (or any pet) is essential to take care of its health. In the same way as humans, dogs need a quantity of nutrition that meets the needs of their physical growth. Shibas are a very active breed, they need daily walks and a lot of physical activity. A balanced diet is necessary to keep the dog in good physical condition. And it is not easy to feed a Shiba Inu. Shiba Inu is born with gastrointestinal problems, especially in their early years. It is essential to feed them properly to protect their gastrointestinal health.

How to feed a Shiba Inu puppy?

In general, puppies will have finished their mother’s milk around 8 weeks old. Please try to consider adopt/purchasing the puppy after it completely weaned.

First of all, you should keep the same food that your Shiba Inu ate before it came to your house. And then you need to talk to the former owner or breeder about the dog food to find out how to feed your puppy in the first few weeks. And if the breeder gives you some kibble and you want to change; you will have to do it very gradually. For two weeks or more, you can introduce and mix the new kibbles with the old ones a little more each day.

How to switch dog kibble gradually

How many meals to feed your SHIBA INU puppy?

It will be necessary to feed your SHIBA INU puppy in several meals:

• 3 to 4 daily meals for dogs 2 to 6 months old,
• 2 meals a day up to 1-year-old (and in the case of some dogs we can continue like this even in adulthood) to avoid any risk of stomach problems.

For the doses, it will be necessary to adjust them according to puppy’s age, breed, weight, lifestyle, etc. You need to monitor your puppy’s growth. In fact, once your Shiba Inu reached 90% of the final weight, you will need to switch to an “adult” diet.

Meet nutritional needs

Regardless of breed or weight, your puppy’s food should be well balanced and rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to help him grow well. The nutrition needs for Shiba Inu puppies

Here are the main nutrients that your SHIBA INU puppy will need:

• Proteins are essential for the development of tissues, organs and muscles, as well as for the prevention of diseases. These proteins must be of good quality and represent a little more than 25% of the ration. Therefore, a meat-only diet will not be adequate without the risk of causing locomotor problems, but also bone problems.
• Carbohydrates also contribute to the good growth of your dog. These are generally found in cereals.
• Essential fatty acids are important for the nervous and immune systems. They must be selected as an energy source and not as carbohydrates. Undoubtedly, age is more digestible and contains vitamins.
• Calcium, of course, for the bones.
• The vitamins

What brand of Shiba Inu puppy food is recommended?

For the puppy before 10 month old:

1. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food

Usually, the regular size Shiba Inu expected adult weight is 10kg-15kg, and adult mame Shiba Inu will be approximately 6kg.The Royal Canin Medium Puppy dry dog food is tailor-made for the medium size puppy. Medium-sized dogs are known for their energy. As puppies, their tiny bodies are tasked with a double duty: while playing hard all day, their bone structure is developing rapidly, and their bodies are equipped with natural defenses. They need proper nutrition to help them maintain a rapid growth period.

Zorrito with Royal Canin puppy food

I feed my Shiba Inu Zorrito with Royal Canin puppy food because the Shiba Inu breed has a sensitive digestive system, so the grain-free diet may not suitable for Shiba Inu puppy. This brand of puppy food including wheat gluten, fish oil(rich in EPA and DHA to support healthy skin, especially in the stage of changing coat) full of vitamins and trace minerals (to prevent pica).

2.  Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Orijen Six fish dry dog food with 85% quality fish ingredients, Six Fish nourishes dog of all life stages according to their evolutionary and biological needs. Strongly recommended for the fussy eaters. My friend’s Shiba Inu Miki is a picky eater, Miki chose Orijen Six fish after my friend had shown Miki a few different puppy foods. The freeze-dried Cod liver naturally enhances the flavor, making Orijen Six fish dog food deliciously tasty. But Miki had soft stools after eating the Orijen Six fish, it depends on different puppy’s digestive system condition.

*It is recommended to buy a small bag of food for the first time, if the puppy does not like it, it can be changed to the others.

After 10 months old, Shiba Inu should switch to adult dog food. I will post the adult dog food in the future when I feed my Zorrito after he has grown up.