How many times a day should I feed my puppy?

[sakirby]

as of right now, i feed oscar three times a day. as some of you know, he was struggling with diarrhea or lbm. he had worms, and was on de worming meds as well as anti-diarrheal meds. things were good. now he is off the meds, the worms are gone, but, he still has diarrhea 50% of the time. especially at night. i have him on 1/4 rice and 3/4 innova (i have slowly been converting him to innova). i am wondering if this is the right food for him. maybe i should try to convert him to raw? if i do, how slowly would you suggest? back to the original question....can i feed him twice a day yet but still feed him the same amount? or should i stick to twice a day? he is almost 12 weeks old. thanks for your help guys.

[gmacleod]

IMO it is better to feed a baby puppy a minimum of three meals a day (and I'd still classify 12 weeks as a baby). At that age their little tummies aren't all that big, and it isn't that long since they were feeding every few hours either ;) Two meals a day is better suited to pups over six months and adults.

Innova is an excellent kibble, probably one of the best dry dog foods around. I personally feed raw, and do believe that it is the best diet for most dogs. But I also think raw feeding is something that needs to be researched before you jump into it - it really helps to understand what constitutes a balanced diet and to be sure you're comfortable with it before starting. If you're interested in starting a raw diet, some good books around on the subject include Dr Ian Billinghurst's "Give Your Dog a Bone" and "Grow Your Pup With Bones" and Dr Tom Lonsdale's "Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health".