The Husky is a stunningly beautiful dog. This breed takes its looks from its wolf ancestry, looking more like wolves than dogs.
Huskies were bred to pull sleds over long distances in harsh conditions, so they are strong, with ample stamina and an appetite to match.
An owner must know how much to feed a Husky puppy so it will grow into a healthy adult dog.
Huskies have a beautiful, thick coat that comes in a wide range of colors and markings coupled with unusual blue eyes.
They are sturdy and strong and need a strong leader for an owner. In fact, this breed is not recommended for first-time dog owners as they are very independent.
In this article, we will present and discuss a Husky feeding chart in detail, so new owners can be sure how much, what, and when to feed their Husky puppy.
How Much Should A Husky Puppy Eat?
Feeding recommendations for a Husky puppy depend on a number of factors such as the puppy’s weight and activity level.
A Husky puppy should have three to four meals per day during the first three months so they develop properly. They need frequent meals so they have enough calories to burn.
A general guideline is to feed your Husky puppy about 1 – 1.5 cups of high-quality meals 3 to 4 times per day.
When your dog is 12 weeks old, you can start feeding it three times a day until it reaches 6 months.
Then you can gradually start reducing the meals until the dog only gets two meals a day by the time it’s seven months old.
Husky Feeding Chart
Husky puppies have a lot of energy and grow very fast in the first five months. So, how much should you feed your puppy?
If you buy commercial dog food, the question is easily answered. Commercial dog food for Huskies comes with a growth chart that indicates the recommended amount of food depending on the dog’s size.
The food is recommended according to the weight of the dog, so you must weigh your dog regularly to know how much to feed it.
If you decide to feed your dog homemade food you need to calculate the dog’s resting energy requirement (RER).
How to calculate RER for a medium-sized dog
The formula is: 30 x (body weight in kilograms) + 70
So, if your dog weighs 30kg, its RER will be 30 x 30 kg + 70 = 970
That means your dog needs 970 kcal per day.
4 Week Old Husky Puppy
Young puppies of any breed need small but frequent meals. Until four weeks of age, a young Husky puppy is completely dependent on and should only drink its mother’s milk.
At four weeks, you can start to introduce other food to your dog.
When you introduce puppy food, make sure it’s top-quality food high in protein. To begin with mix the dog food with water: one measure dog food to three measures water.
Some puppies will take to this new regime immediately, while others will resist it for a few days. Just keep trying.
6 Week Old Husky Puppy
From about five weeks, your puppy should eat the puppy food and water mix 3 to 4 times per day. By six weeks, your puppy should have adjusted to the dog food and water mixture.
By this time, the ratio should be more dog food heavy. In other words, you should decrease the water and increase the dog food.
At six months, the mix should be a quarter water and three-quarters dog food.
At this stage, your dog will drink much less from its mother.
8 Week Old Husky Puppy
A 7-week-old puppy should still be on a food and water mixture three to four times per day.
At this time, the little dog will still try to suckle from its mom, just let it be, but make very sure that it doesn’t get all its calories from her milk.
By 8 weeks, your Husky puppy should only eat three times a day, not four. Your 8-week-old puppy should now be ready to go home with you.
Now is the time for its first visit to the vet for a check-up. Make use of the opportunity to find out what the ideal weight for your puppy would be.
10 Week Old Husky Puppy
By now, your puppy is only eating puppy food. Your dog will need quite a lot of food at this stage, at least two to two and a half cups a day split into three meals.
By ten weeks, a three meals per-day routine should be established. It is a good time to encourage housetraining by taking your pup for a walk after every meal.
Be sure you are feeding your dog good-quality commercial food and always have plenty of fresh water available for your dog.
12 Week Old Husky Puppy
At this stage, your dog’s feeding habits will be settled. Pay close attention to its weight. Keep weighing your dog regularly to make sure it is not over or underweight.
If your dog is very active, it might lose weight and you might have to adjust its diet. Consult your vet if you are concerned about your dog’s weight.
At ten weeks, it is normally time for teething to start. Don’t be concerned if your dog seems reluctant to eat – it may simply be a case of sore gums.
14 Week Old Husky Puppy
By 14 weeks, your puppy’s feeding routine will have been settled for a while and you won’t need to make any changes. A 14-week-old Husky puppy should eat 1 to 1.5 cups of high-quality puppy food three times a day.
Keep in mind that these are just rough recommendations. The exact amount will depend on factors like the puppy’s weight, activity level, and overall health.
16 Week Old Husky Puppy
You should not make any changes to your puppy’s mealtimes or food at this stage.
Keep on weighing your dog and consult the feeding chart on the dog food package to be sure that you are feeding your puppy the correct amount of food.
Remember to take your puppy for regular walks otherwise, it will put on weight. Also, keep plenty of fresh water available at all times.
6 Months – 12 Months Old Husky Puppy
When your puppy is six months old, you can start feeding it less frequently – puppies at this age only need to eat twice a day.
At this stage, you are faced with a decision, whether or not to spay or neuter your dog. Neutered and spayed dogs tend to put on weight easily.
If you decide to go ahead with the procedure, it’s time to switch your dog to adult dog food. Make sure the food doesn’t have fillers that just add calories and limited nutrition.
If you are not having your puppy neutered or spayed at this stage, keep feeding it puppy food for the time being.
12 Months & Older Huskies
By 12 months of age, your husky puppy only needs two meals per day consisting of adult dog food.
If you have a male Husky, it should weigh between 45–60 pounds by now and between 35–55 pounds if it’s a female dog.
Huskies typically reach their full size at this stage, but many of them keep filling out and gaining more weight over the next couple of months.
Dogs are individuals and will gain weight at different rates, so don’t be concerned if your dog’s weight differs slightly from the mentioned parameters.
However, your dog should always look slim during its first year, and should slowly fill out over the second year of its life. Make sure you feed your dog at regular mealtimes and limit treats between meals.
Understanding Husky Puppy Nutritional Needs
Huskies were bred to do hard physical work, so they need a lot of protein in their diet, preferably animal protein.
Plant-based protein is not suitable for Huskies – they don’t seem to digest it very well.
Huskies thrive on nutrient-dense food that doesn’t contain fillers like corn, wheat, and soy. Huskies need a good amount of protein and fats.
Seeing that they hail from Siberia and Alaska, their typical protein source was fish. Therefore, the best brand of puppy food for Huskies is food with fish as its main ingredient.
Food with 85% animal protein, mostly fish, but also including de-boned chicken, turkey, chicken fat, and omega fatty acids would be a good choice.
Avoid feeding your Husky dog food that contains corn, soy, or wheat, as these ingredients are difficult for this breed to digest.
How Many Times A Day To Feed A Husky Puppy?
Puppies have small stomachs and can’t eat large amounts of food in one go, so it’s a good idea to divide their meals into smaller portions throughout the day.
Also, feeding your Husky puppy smaller, more frequent meals will help maintain their energy levels throughout the day.
You should feed your Husky puppy three to four times a day until it’s about six months old.
As your husky puppy grows older and reaches six months of age, you can gradually reduce the number of meals to two or three per day, culminating in two meals per day by the time it is one year old.
Kibble vs Wet Food for Husky Puppies
Both kibble and wet food can be suitable for Husky puppies, and it ultimately depends on your personal preference and your puppy’s individual needs.
Kibble is a popular choice for many dog owners because it is convenient, tends to be less expensive and has a longer shelf life than wet food.
On the other hand, wet food can be a good option for puppies that are picky eaters. Being higher in moisture, it can help keep a puppy hydrated if it’s reluctant to drink water.
However, it is tricky to prepare wet food so it has all the nutrients a growing puppy needs. If you don’t know what you’re doing, your puppy can easily suffer from malnutrition if you feed it wet food.
Switching from Puppy Food to Adult Food
It is generally recommended to switch from puppy food to adult food when a Husky puppy is about one year old.
After confirming with your veterinarian that your puppy is ready for the change, you can gradually transition your puppy to adult dog food over the course of a few weeks to avoid any digestive problems.
You can start by mixing a small amount of adult food with your puppy’s current puppy food, gradually increasing the amount of adult food over a four-week period until your dog eats only adult food by the end of the fourth week.
What if My Husky Puppy Won’t Eat?
If your husky puppy suddenly stops eating or refuses to eat, you don’t need to be unduly concerned. It’s normal for puppies to skip a meal or two.
However, if it carries on too long, it may be time to consult your veterinarian.
If your Husky refuses to eat for more than two days, something is amiss and you should consult your veterinarian to establish the cause.
In the meantime try the following:
- Different flavors and textures
- Add some chicken or beef broth to the food
You could also try hand feeding. Most dogs love taking a treat from their human friend. If your Husky refuses a treat from your hand, that may be a sign of something seriously wrong.
Can You Freefeed A Husky Puppy?
Free-feeding, or leaving food out all day for a puppy to eat is generally not advised.
Free-feeding can lead to overeating because dogs don’t necessarily know when to stop eating. In fact, most dogs will keep eating as long as there is food to be eaten.
Rather than leaving food out for your puppy to eat any time, establish a regular feeding schedule with set meal times and portion sizes.
To enforce the idea of a set mealtime, take food away that has not been eaten within 15-20 minutes, and only give your puppy food again at the next mealtime, not before.
Best Puppy Dog Food for Husky
1. Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Puppy Dog Food
Editor’s Choice
This is a grain-free dry dog food, formulated to contain 28% protein to support bone, joint and muscle growth.
Prairie Puppy Formula contains real meat from buffalo and bison, peas and sweet potatoes, fruits and vegetables as well as dried chicory root for prebiotic support and healthy digestion.
The food is enriched with essential minerals combined with amino acids for easy absorption.
This high-quality food also contains omega fatty acids for skin and coat health.
Lastly, Prairie Puppy Formula contains species-specific K9 Strain Proprietary Probiotics and prebiotics for healthy digestion.
2. ORIJEN Puppy Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food
Runner-Up
ORIJEN Puppy Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food offers a biologically appropriate diet packed with protein and fat from a variety of animal ingredients.
The ingredient list is longer than your arm. The protein source includes free-run chicken and turkey, sustainably farmed fish (Mackerel), and cage-free eggs.
The manufacturers claim that the most nutrient-dense and succulent parts of the prey are used, including organs, and bone.
That means the food is made of 85% quality animal ingredients. This meat-rich dog food is then freeze-dried to preserve the raw flavor.
Other ingredients include lentils, beans, peas, pumpkin, butternut, green beans, apples, cranberries, kelp, and a long list of vitamins and minerals.
Also included is a long list of roots and herb extracts like chicory root, turmeric, and rosehip, to mention a few.
To crown it off the food contains dried probiotics for easy digestion.
3. Purina Pro Plan DHA Lamb & Rice Puppy Food
Purina Pro Plan Brand Dog Food Puppy Lamb and Rice Formula is a dry puppy food that has real lamb as the first ingredient.
The food is enriched with DHA from fish oil that nourishes the brain and supports vision development.
The food is formulated to be highly digestible, ensuring optimal bioavailability of nutrients. This puppy food is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of puppies under 1 year old.
Purina foods have no artificial colors or flavors and contain only high-quality ingredients that are chosen for specific nutritional or functional purposes.
In addition, the food is fortified with live probiotics to help with digestion.
4. Nulo Freestyle Limited Puppy Salmon Dog Food
This puppy food is a limited-ingredient food that will probably be easier for little puppies to digest than some of the more complicated formulas mentioned earlier.
This puppy food has a single source of animal protein, namely salmon, which makes sense as these dogs originate from Alaska and Siberia where there are no chickens or turkeys running around. Fish is these dogs’ natural source of protein.
Plus, fish provides all the omega oils needed for healthy skin and coat. This puppy food is made without chicken, eggs, peas, pea protein, corn, wheat, and soy, which have no place in food for Huskies.
The food is enriched with specially-formulated probiotics that help support a healthy gut and immunity and doesn’t contain artificial colors or preservatives.
5. Taste Of The Wild Pacific Salmon Puppy Dog Food
This grain-free puppy food is formulated with salmon, peas, sweet potatoes, fruits, and vegetables as well as dried chicory root.
According to the manufacturers, the peas and sweet potatoes provide carbs that puppies need for energy. The chicory root is added for digestion.
The fruits and vegetables provide the vitamins and minerals small puppies need for optimal health.
The added essential minerals are chelated with amino acids to help with absorption.
This puppy food consists of 27% protein to promote healthy bones, joints and lean, strong muscles. The formula is enriched with species-specific K9 Strain Proprietary Probiotics to aid digestion.
Is A Raw Diet Healthy For A Husky Puppy?
It is generally not recommended to feed a Husky puppy a raw diet. Puppies have unique nutritional requirements.
Most people don’t know enough about canine nutrition to be able to prepare food for dogs that will meet their nutritional needs.
A raw diet, if not planned by a nutritionist, may not provide sufficient nutrition for a growing husky puppy.
In addition, a raw food diet requires careful preparation, storage, and handling that is very hygienic to eliminate any possibility of bacterial contamination.
At any rate, don’t attempt feeding your puppy a raw diet without consulting your veterinarian.
How Much Do Husky Puppies Grow Each Week?
The amount that a Husky puppy grows each week depends on its age, size at birth, gender, the food it gets and how much exercise it gets.
An added element is the puppy’s genetics. Some individuals are genetically predisposed to grow faster than the majority.
All in all, there isn’t a set standard for how much a Husky puppy grows every week – there are too many factors influencing a puppy’s growth for a standard to exist.
How Much Water Should A Husky Puppy Drink?
A puppy should drink fresh water throughout the day. It’s important to always provide ample fresh water within easy reach for your Husky puppy.
According to the American Kennel Club, young puppies need about a half cup of water every two hours.
Older puppies that don’t drink from their mothers anymore need between a half ounce and one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
So if your puppy weighs 20 pounds, you must make sure it gets between 10 and 20 ounces of water per day.
If you live in a hot climate or your dog is very active, it will need more water. Be sure to monitor your puppy’s water intake to be sure it drinks enough.
