Dogs
   We recommend feeding your pet dry dog food. Dry food greatly retards the formation of tooth tartar which can cause gum disease and tooth loss. Some dog owners prefer feeding one of the premium brands of food which must be purchased at a pet supply store or veterinarian's office (the Animal Humane Society's pet supply shop also carries several of these brands), but there are millions of dogs thriving on the major brands of food which can be purchased at any grocery store. Avoid the generic foods or any unknown brand unless you have first checked it out with your veterinarian. Be sure to choose a dog food which is labeled "nutritionally complete." The specially formulated foods ("light" or "senior" foods) can be helpful in meeting the dietary needs of overweight or older dogs.
   Some owners feed once a day while others prefer to divide the food into two portions for a morning and evening meal. Simply set down a bowl with the amount of food recommended by the manufacturer for your dog's breed or size. Leave it for 15 minutes and then remove it, whether he has eaten all, half, or none of it (that's fairly common for a dog in a new home). Don't feed anything until the next regular mealtime. Sounds harsh you say? Well, you do feel pretty mean when he looks hopefully at you with those big brown eyes, but it's the best way to avoid having a problem eater. If you panic when your dog turns up his nose at the food you offer and run out to buy three varieties of canned food and toss in some leftover roast beef and gravy, you're sunk. You're going to have a dog who picks sadly at his food, doesn't get proper nourishment, and is prone to digestive upsets when you change his diet to tempt him to eat. An adult dog won't deprive himself of food long enough to cause physical harm; wait him out.
   If you would rather feed your pet canned food, you can certainly do that, but it will cost you more, and your pet will probably need more frequent dentistry to remove tartar buildup from his teeth. Including at least some dry food in the diet should help control the tartar problem. Select a major brand of canned food (look for the "nutritionally complete" label on canned food also) that your dog seems to like and stick with it. Avoid the extremely rich varieties like liver chunks which tend to give a dog diarrhea.
   Whether you feed your dog dry or canned food, you may find that the amount recommended by the manufacturer is too much for your dog unless he gets a lot of exercise. If you find your dog is getting chubby, cut back gradually on the amount you are feeding until he is maintaining an ideal weight. In addition to answering other questions you may have about nutrition, your veterinarian can show you how to tell if your dog is overweight, but, in general, you should be able to feel his ribs by running your fingers over his rib cage.
   Try to feed your pet at the same time each day to promote regular digestion and elimination habits.
   Your pet needs a constant supply of fresh water, particularly in warm weather; wash and refill his water bowl at least once a day.
   Do not give your dog bones. Poultry, steak, or chop bones, which may splinter and lodge in the throat or puncture an intestine, are the most dangerous, but large bones may also cause problems. An intestinal blockage can result when a dog gnaws off and swallows many small pieces of bone.

Puppies
   If you have a chosen a puppy for your new pet, you will want to feed him at least three times a day; four times would be better if he seems ravenous at feeding time. By six months he should be gradually cut back to two meals a day. At a year he can be fed once a day unless you prefer to keep him on a twice-a-day schedule permanently.
   We recommend you choose a dry food for your puppy because it will help keep his teeth and gums clean and healthy. Be sure that it's a puppy formula and labeled "nutritionally complete" to make sure he gets all the nutrients his growing body needs.Some owners prefer to feed one of the premium brands available at pet supply stores or veterinarians' offices (the Animal Humane Society's pet supply shop carries several of these brands), but your puppy should do just fine on any of the major brands carried at grocery stores. Avoid the generic foods and check with your veterinarian before using any unfamiliar brand. You may want to moisten the dry food with a little warm water (not milk) for the first month or so, especially if your puppy is small and seems to be having difficulty chewing the dry pieces.
    How much should you feed your puppy? Since overweight is seldom a problem with a growing pup, he should be allowed to eat as much as he wants, unless he's one of those who tends to gorge. If he's overburdening his tummy with more than it can easily handle at one time, offer him small, more frequent meals. Manufacturer recommendations tend to be high, but can serve as a rough guideline for the amount of food to offer.
   Remove the leftover food after the puppy has had a chance to eat what he wants (15 minutes or so). It's best not to let him snack all day because regular eating habits are very important in successfully housetraining your puppy. A meal strongly stimulates his urge to eliminate, and by taking him out soon after eating when you know he will want to eliminate, you can get your pup into the habit of doing the socially acceptable thing and getting praise for being a good, clever pup. (Some need to go out immediately after eating, others 10 or 15 minutes later; you will soon be able to tell by his behavior.)
   Newly adopted puppies usually present few feeding problems, but if yours is really a reluctant eater, adding a little canned food may help. Avoid the overly rich varieties like liver chunks and choose a plain chicken or beef.
   Don't give your puppy milk; most of them don't tolerate it well and may get severe diarrhea.
   Don't give your puppy real bones. Even the large knuckle bones are not safe when given to a big, strong pup. Your puppy will probably be an enthusiastic chewer while he is teething, perhaps even into adulthood, but nylon or rawhide chewing toys are the safest way to give him chewing exercise and save your shoes. Even rawhide chewing needs to be supervised; some poor quality rawhides are dry and splinter like real bones.
   When your puppy has achieved most of his growth at about 6 months, you will need to begin paying attention to how much he is eating and perhaps begin cutting back to just the amount that will leave a nice covering of flesh on his body. Your veterinarian can show you how to tell if your pet is too fat, but, in general, you should be able to feel his ribs when you run your fingers lightly over his sides. Most dogs will be overweight if fed as much as the manufacturer recommends.

Cats
   We recommend that you feed your adult cat twice a day. You can start with the amount recommended on the bag, but this will be too much for many cats. If your cat isn't active enough to utilize that many calories and starts to get fat, cut back slowly on the amount you feed until he is maintaining ideal weight. Fat cats may look comically cute, but overweight is a medical problem for animals, just as it is for people. You can ask your veterinarian how to tell if your cat is overweight, but, in general, if you can't feel his ribs when you run your fingers lightly over his rib cage, you need to put your Garfield on a diet.
   Some people feed their adult cats "free choice," simply refilling a bowl of dry food as needed and letting the cat eat as much or as often as he likes. Such a system works fine in some cases, but there are two potential problems: it's difficult to monitor how much your pet is eating (he may be ill and "off his feed" for days before you notice), and some chow hounds will get obese on such a regimen.
   You may be adopting a cat who is used to eating canned food and get some very sour looks when you set down a dish of dry food. We recommend that you not panic and run out to buy ten different flavors of canned food. It is not uncommon for an adult cat to eat very poorly or not at all for several days after coming into a new home (it may be the stress of a new environment as much as dislike of unfamiliar food). A healthy adult cat could go for a day or two without eating before seriously jeopardizing his health, but after that point you need to make sure he starts eating; add some appetizing canned food to get him back on track.
   If the cat is really resistant to dry food or if you already have a cat who eats canned food, you can certainly put your new pet on a diet of canned food, but you will want to watch out for diarrhea and have your veterinarian check the cat's teeth yearly to see if dentistry is needed for tartar removal. Don't give your cat table scraps, milk, or bones. Table scraps can result in a finicky eater and upset a cat's digestion; milk often results in diarrhea and is not needed in a cat's diet; bones can become lodged in the throat or even puncture an intestine.
   Male cats are prone to urinary tract problems; if your pet is a male, ask your veterinarian about special dietary recommendations which may help avoid these problems. Make sure that your cat has a constant supply of fresh water and that his food is always served in a clean bowl.

Kittens
   Because a growing kitten has special nutritional needs, make sure you feed him kitten food, not cat food. Since a growing kitten will have no problem with overweight, he can have access to his food all day.
   Start the kitten off with moistened dry food because the dry morsels may be too hard for a tiny kitten's teeth. Use a little warm water, not milk, to moisten the food.By the time kittens are three months old, they should be able to handle dry food without moistening. Kittens don't need milk in their diets, and the diarrhea that often results from giving milk can quickly dehydrate a small kitten. You should also avoid giving your kitten table scraps, or you are likely to end up with a finicky, poorly nourished pet.
   If your kitten doesn't begin eating fairly soon, you should take prompt action. A little kitten can get seriously dehydrated and weakened quickly if he is not taking in food and water. Try some canned food if your kitten is not eating within 24 hours. Once the kitten is eating well, you can gradually begin to add dry food.
   Because kitten feeding problems are fairly common, some veterinarians recommend starting them all out on both dry and canned kitten foods, gradually switching to just the dry food at about 5 to 6 months of age. Be sure to remove all canned or moistened dry food well before it spoils or becomes unappetizing in the bowl.
   Kittens need a constant supply of fresh water; wash and refill your pet's water bowl at least once a day. Sometimes new kitten owners overestimate the amount of food a tiny kitten needs.If kitty is eating regularly and eagerly and runs and swings from the curtains with abandon, he and getting all that he needs, even though the amount seems small to you.