Rottweilers enjoy eating, and it is one of the most important parts of their daily routine. It is your primary responsibility to make the experience satisfying and pleasant for your pet Rottie. You have to make sure that you do not over-feed them as this can lead to a lot of stress on his heart. This is of critical concern, since the life expectancy of Rottweilers, which is at 8 to 10 years, is a lot shorter compared to most of the other dog breeds. You must also make sure that your pet Rottweiler doesn't exercise excessively. You have to keep these two things within safe and healthy levels in order to maintain the overall well being of your pet Rottweiler.
Here are the important points that you have to remember and practical feeding tips that you have to follow:
1. Do not feed your Rottweiler more than his required food intake, as this can lead to slower growth and development. Your primary objective is to keep your pet Rottweiler lean and healthy.
2. If his rib cage is not easily felt by simple touch or if his waist is not visible, then it is an indication that you have an overweight pet Rottweiler.
3. Overfeeding predisposes your pet Rottweiler to a variety of bone problems including hip dysplasia, torn knee ligaments and shoulder bone ailments.
4. Don't include cooked, smoked or sterilized bones and rawhide in your Rottweiler's diet. These food items are the leading causes of intestinal impaction in Rottweilers. Such occurrences need immediate attention and may require surgical intervention. This condition, when not resolved in a timely manner, can lead to the death of your pet Rottweiler.
5. You can give chew toys to your pet Rottie. It is also safe to feed them with buffalo leg bones, cow hoofs and even raw beef, as long as you remove the exterior fat components. Avoid feeding them with pig ears and cow ears as these can lead to digestive problems.
6. In order to minimize bloating, you must keep your pet Rottweiler without water for at least an hour immediately after feeding.
In preparing a healthy diet for your pet Rottweiler, it is essential that you consider the following points and guidelines:
1. Diet supplements are not normally required in your Rottweiler's diet.
2. A regular puppy chow is sufficient and suitable for your pet Rottweiler.
3. The proportion of meat in the diet must not be more than 20%. You may include beef, ox cheek, kangaroo or lamb meat in your dog's diet.
4. You can add fruits, fresh or cooked vegetables, garlic, oatmeal and rice to have a more balanced diet for your pet Rottweiler.
Recommended Rottweiler Diet
You can use the following recommended diet which is especially designed for Rottweilers.
1. At 8 Weeks - Your pup must have 3 meals daily, with a hard biscuit or bone to chew. Check with the breeder what the diet was prior to 8 weeks of age.
- Breakfast : Oatmeal porridge with 2 tbsp of milk
- Lunch: cup of mutton, pasta or vegetable stew plus biscuit or bone to chew
- Dinner: a quarter of puppy pal plus cup of dry puppy food. You can add grated carrot or chopped parsley plus bone to chew.
2. At 10 Weeks - Double the food quantities given at 8 weeks.
3. At 16 Weeks - Give your pet Rottweiler 3 square meals daily while maintaining his healthy weight.
4. At 6 Months - Shift from 3 feedings to 2 feedings daily and increase the amount of food slightly.
5. At 12 Months - The fast growing phase of your pet Rottie is over, and you can now shift to adult diet.
