Many pet enthusiasts dream of getting their husky puppy due to their unique and aesthetic appearance. However, with keeping a puppy comes the responsibility to give them the right nutrition. So, how exactly do you feed a husky puppy and how much do you feed them daily?
As with most dog breeds, huskies need to have different amounts of food depending on their age, weight at birth, genetic history (e.g. food allergies), nutrient needs, and the like. That’s because huskies are known to be more prone to cataracts, retinal problems, and the like, so they will need more care when it comes to looking for the best puppy food for Siberian Husky puppies.
Don’t worry – we’re here to guide you. In this article, we’ve written all about how much to feed a husky puppy and about their nutritional needs. We will help you to make your husky healthy and happy without having to spend a lot of trips to the vet.
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How much to feed a Husky puppy?
Because a husky is a large breed, husky puppies need a lot of nutrition to keep them strong and filled with every meal. With that said, husky puppies differ a little when compared with other breeds in terms of calorie needs. That’s because huskies tend to have less likelihood of overweight issues.
The reason why huskies don’t get weight gain as fast as other big dogs are that they like to work and be active a lot. They are an agile breed so they easily burn the calories and fats without getting stuck in their system and causing health issues. Most huskies are muscular, fit, and workaholic dogs pulling sleds in the winter.
Fortunately, husky puppies aren’t the type to graze on their food (whatever food is served). Moreover, they are a little picky with their choices so it’s not like they will easily gobble down everything at once. As a big dog breed, huskies need about 2 cups of food a day, which is divided into 3 meals.
Puppy food that’s meant for large breeds such as the Siberian Husky will have around 327 calories per cup. If we are to feed husky puppies with 2 cups a day, the result would be 654 calories. That looks very high compared to most puppy calorie requirements, but that’s because the husky is a big and active dog breed.
To help you understand how much you can feed your husky depending on their age, here are a few guidelines:
2 weeks old
Husky puppies during this stage are still under their mom’s milk so they aren’t meant for the weaning process yet. During this time, they should solely be nursed with their mother’s milk.
However, if you suspect that your husky puppy is a little behind when it comes to weight (see our growth chart below for more information and reference), you can add a little substitute for them, such as a puppy formula. Your vet will give you advice on which puppy formula is best for this case.
3 weeks old
During this time, your husky puppy is still dependent on their mother’s milk but they are slowly growing. This is still not the ideal time for the weaning process since they still need a lot of nutrients from their mom’s milk.
After nursing, if your husky puppy is still a little behind, you can also continue with the separate milk supplement or replacer to help them. Husky puppies that are 3 weeks old are also already having a sense of adventure by trying to explore the world around them.
4 weeks old
When your husky puppy reaches 4 weeks old, you can already start the weaning process. To do this mix a quarter of puppy food and 3/4 water to make it easy for your puppy to eat and digest it. Puppies during this time may also still depend on their mother’s milk but it will slowly decrease.
A 4-week-old husky puppy needs some time and patience as some of them might not be open for weaning yet. Don’t try to force the food on them. Instead, let them wait and offer them to their living quarters where they can easily access it. A husky puppy will eventually get curious and want to try out the new food.
5 weeks old
A husky puppy during this stage is still half-nursing and half-weaning so continue your efforts. The mixture might not have been a big hit for your puppy last week but in the 5th week, they are most likely to take an interest.
As puppies might get a little scared or cautious, you should constantly check if the food has been touched or not. Any puppy food and water mix should be taken away after 20 minutes that it hasn’t been eaten to avoid getting spoiled and molded. Try offering this water and food mix about 3 to 4 times a day.
6 weeks old
At 6 weeks of age, the husky puppy might be more getting used to the puppy mixture. If your puppy does get interested and eats it wholeheartedly, that’s when you can decrease the water to only 1/4 and increase the puppy food to 3/4 of the mix. In this way, your husky puppy will eat more solid food than liquid.
7 to 8 weeks old
Nursing during this time will greatly lessen so you need to offer the puppy food at least 3 to 4 times a day and have them access it easily. However, keep in mind that the nature of a husky is to not gobble down food too easily so you might find them not eating a lot of their food. That is normal for a husky puppy.
Puppies during this time will also slowly depart from their mother when it comes to nursing. If the puppies are part of a litter in a breeder’s quarters, this is somewhat the preparation stage for them to move to their new home.
A husky puppy that’s around 8 weeks old needs 2 cups of food a day in general. However, it depends on your puppy’s physical activity and the advice of your vet. Usually, husky puppies can be fed 3 times a day but don’t feel worried if they didn’t finish their food. As mentioned above, husky puppies aren’t exactly food hoarders despite being a large breed.
During 8 weeks or 2 months old, a husky puppy is also likely to weigh somewhere between 8 and 15 pounds since they are a large breed. However, don’t force-feed your puppy and ask a vet for a better way to help raise their ideal weight.
9 to 10 weeks old
By this time, you can increase your husky puppy’s food intake from 2 cups to 2.5 cups a day. However, it should still be divided into 3 to 4 meals a day – usually twice at lunchtime. This is also the time when the puppy completely stops getting nursed by their mother.
If your husky puppy had been introduced to a different puppy food and you want to switch brands, you should do it gradually by adding portions of the new food at first. Then, slowly put more of the new food in the bowl and less of the old food. This will lessen the chances of a digestive upset for your puppy.
At 10 weeks old, a husky puppy should still be fed around 3 times a day. Always stick to a schedule to avoid the likelihood of weight problems. With that said, huskies rarely get overweight because of their physical activities.
11 to 12 weeks old
During this time, husky puppies could be prone to weight issues because this is the period when they eat a lot. They might even pick up random objects or leftovers from the floor so you have to keep your home safe for your puppy.
Watch for signs of weight gain, such as seeing a waist. If you are worried or want to know which weight is recommended for your husky puppy, we have a growth chart below.
By 12 weeks old, they are most likely going to run around so they need a lot of energy from their food. However, this is also the time when they start teething so they might not eat comfortably. When your puppy turns 1, you can simply reduce the meals to 2 times a day.
3 to 4 months old
By 3 months old, husky puppies should weigh around 18 to 30 pounds, but this solely depends on the gender of your puppy and the type of husky. Some varieties of huskies tend to have a smaller build or size than others. All you need to look for are signs of fat on the puppy’s sides. At 4 months old, a husky puppy may weigh 22 to 34 pounds.
5 to 6 months old
During this time, your puppy should have a consistent meal plan to keep them slim but also fit. At 5 months old, the weight should be around 25 to 39 while at 6 months old, ideally, the husky puppy should weigh 28 to 44 pounds.
Feeding Schedule
Husky puppies are best fed 3 to 6 times a day, which depends on their age. To help you figure out a good feeding schedule for your puppy, here’s a helpful chart that we put together:
| Puppy age | Feeding schedule |
| Below 3 months old | 4 meals a day |
| 3 to 6 months old | 3 meals a day |
| 6 months old and above | 2 meals a day |
Most husky puppies are fed 3 times a day. Here’s a suggested blank feeding schedule checklist for your reference (you can adjust the time depending on your personal needs):
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
| 7 am | |||||||
| 1 pm | |||||||
| 5 pm |
Growth Chart
All dog breeds have specific weight recommendations based on their age – husky puppies are no different. Therefore, we put together a growth chart as a guide to help you figure out if your husky puppy is currently underweight or overweight:
| Husky puppy’s age | Weight (lbs.) | ||||||
| 8 weeks | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 9 weeks | 10.1 | 11.3 | 12.4 | 13.5 | 14.6 | 15.8 | 16.9 |
| 10 weeks | 11.3 | 12.5 | 13.8 | 15 | 16.3 | 17.5 | 18.8 |
| 11 weeks | 12.4 | 13.8 | 15.1 | 16.5 | 17.9 | 19.3 | 20.6 |
| 12 weeks | 13.5 | 15 | 16.5 | 18 | 19.5 | 21 | 22.5 |
| 13 weeks | 14.6 | 16.3 | 17.9 | 19.5 | 21.1 | 22.8 | 24.4 |
| 14 weeks | 15.8 | 17.5 | 19.3 | 21 | 22.8 | 24.5 | 26.3 |
| 15 weeks | 16.9 | 18.8 | 20.6 | 22.5 | 24.4 | 26.3 | 28.1 |
| 16 weeks | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 |
| 5 months | 24.8 | 27.5 | 30.3 | 33 | 35.8 | 38.5 | 41.3 |
| 6 months | 29.3 | 32.5 | 35.8 | 39 | 42.3 | 45.5 | 48.8 |
| 7 months | 33.8 | 37.5 | 41.3 | 45 | 48.8 | 52.5 | 56.3 |
| 8 months | 39.4 | 43.8 | 48.1 | 52.5 | 56.9 | 61.3 | 65.6 |
| 9 months | 43.9 | 48.8 | 53.6 | 58.5 | 63.4 | 68.3 | 73.1 |
| 10 months | 48.4 | 53.8 | 59.1 | 64.5 | 69.9 | 75.3 | 80.6 |
| 11 months | 54 | 60 | 66 | 72 | 78 | 84 | 90 |
| 12 months | 58.5 | 65 | 71.5 | 78 | 84.5 | 91 | 97.5 |
| 18 months | 87.8 | 97.5 | 107.3 | 117 | 126.8 | 136.5 | 146.3 |
Alternatively, here’s a growth chart that displays the differences between male and female husky puppies, if you are ever curious:
| Husky puppy weight range (lbs.) | Age | 2 months | 3 months | 6 months | 9 months | 12 months | 15 months |
| Male | 10 to 15 | 23 to 30 | 33 to 43 | 40 to 53 | 43 to 57 | 45 to 60 | |
| Female | 8 to 12 | 18 to 30 | 26 to 36 | 33 to 46 | 34 to 49 | 35 to 50 |
FAQs on Feeding a Husky puppy
If you want to know more information and safety precautions on how to feed your husky puppy properly, here are some frequently asked questions:
What kind of food is best for a husky puppy?
A husky puppy is quite energetic and full of athleticism. That is also why they aren’t very prone to obesity but it is still possible if you don’t pay attention to what your puppy is eating. Huskies are known to have great metabolism due to living in the cold and surviving in freezing temperatures.
Likewise, they are also dogs so they need a good amount of protein and fats. However, their typical protein sources are fish since they lived in the arctic. Therefore, they would do best on a brand of puppy food that has fish as their main ingredient.
If you want to pick up a good puppy food or formula for your husky pup, consider one that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. That’s because they process protein and fats better than carbs since they are agile and athletic dogs. Unfortunately, not too many commercially-available puppy foods out there have little to no carbs for huskies.
However, there are still a couple of brands that do have a low-carb composition. Look for brands and/or products that have certain meat, such as fish, as the first ingredients. As much as possible, a husky puppy shouldn’t be fed dog food that contains corn, soy, or wheat, as they aren’t ideal for your husky pup’s stomach.
Generally, you can just choose from either kibble or wet foods. There are also other options, such as a raw diet or a homemade meal. Here’s what to look for when choosing any of these kinds of food options for your husky puppy’s health:
1. Puppy kibble
Budget-friendly and easy to store, kibble is the most common type of dog food you can buy at the grocery store, especially in an emergency. Kibble will do the trick if you simply don’t have time to go to the wet market to give your puppy the right food that they deserve.
Alongside that, kibble is beneficial such that it can be stored longer than wet food since it is dry. If you live in an area where mold and humidity are big problems, having kibble as dog food for your husky puppy is more ideal since it won’t easily spoil, leaving your pup with a plentiful supply throughout the week.
However, with that said, huskies don’t usually go well with kibble because many kibbles in the market today have preservatives and fillers, which husky puppies might not find nutritional for their body.
Consider looking for a puppy kibble that’s ideal for them, which is high in fats and protein and low in carbs. Since husky puppies could have certain digestive reactions to some kibble brands, it’s best to give them a little trial food first.
If you find a kibble with fish as the first ingredient, that’s the ideal food for your husky puppy. Do know that the husky is a medium-to-large breed so pick the right-sized product from your chosen dog food brand. That’s because some products that are meant for small breeds are too small to chew and could become a choking hazard for large dogs.
2. Canned or wet puppy food
Wet food is usually in small or medium-sized cans and has a lot of moisture, making them ideal puppy food starters for easier digestion. Wet food is usually made of 75% water so it provides hydration to your husky puppy, especially during the summer.
When you choose a good wet puppy food, always make sure that it is from quality ingredients, such as natural and raw foods or protein sources like fish. Alongside that, it should have little to no fillers or additives that aren’t of any nutritional value to your husky puppy. Last but not the least, it should fit medium to large-sized breeds since you will feed it to a husky pup.
If your husky puppy simply doesn’t like wet food, you can combine it with your kibble or any other raw food by placing toppings. This will help them strengthen their teeth while also enjoying delicious food that has sufficient moisture for them (and is easy to eat and digest).
3. Raw food
A raw diet, also known as a biologically appropriate raw food diet (BARF), is a kind of diet plan that easily fits husky puppies due to their natural appetite for raw foods based on their breed origins. They are less likely to get healthier from commercial foods (but they are okay if chosen properly) but we greatly recommend a raw diet as their meal plan.
Of course, starting a raw food diet isn’t always a walk in the park. Here are some points to remember when choosing raw food for your puppy:
- Make sure that your puppy has been dewormed to avoid infections from raw food
- Look for nutrients that pass the AAFCO recommendations
- Keep the food stored properly to avoid getting parasites and bacteria
- Ask your vet for a raw diet plan with the proper nutrient inclusions
With that said, feeding your puppy raw food can be a challenge if you have children and seniors in the house. You can ask your vet or your GP for more information about this.
4. Homemade meal
If you aren’t so sure about raw feeding due to the fear and threat of bacteria and other harmful pathogens in your raw meat source, we suggest sticking to a homemade meal that’s properly cooked. This is one of the most common choices next to kibble feeding and wet food feeding.
Moreover, many pet owners have mixed kibble, wet food, and homemade meals and they work just fine. If you live near a wet market and have easy access to meats and fish, perhaps a homemade meal is a great choice for your husky puppy. Choosing the nutrients for this diet is just the same as raw feeding, that it is well-balanced and fit for your husky puppy’s age.
While it can be tempting to give your husky puppy table scraps and leftovers, they aren’t ideal because they could result in begging behaviors and might also have adverse effects on your dog’s tummy. Aside from that, refrain from giving them any onion, garlic, or other kitchen spices, as well as salty foods.
Can a husky puppy be fed supplements?
It depends – you should ask your vet about whether or not your husky needs or is okay with food supplements. The only reason why supplements are given to dogs and puppies is that they are lacking a certain nutrient that their body cannot easily manage or produce.
For example, supplements that are good for your husky puppy’s eyes are great for adding nutrition if your puppy food isn’t that high in quality when it comes to ingredients and nutrition. However, it is all in the matter of asking your veterinarian for expert advice.
Nonetheless, generally, husky puppies won’t need extra supplements unless it is recommended by your vet. Simply giving them puppy-appropriate food will already help boost their immune system, keep them strong and active, and also work wonders for their overall health (physical and mental).
A common deficiency that is experienced by huskies is zinc deficiency, which results in skin problems and the like. If your vet advises that your husky puppy needs zinc supplements, that’s when you should give them such. However, for normal huskies, zinc deficiency isn’t always a problem – different huskies have different stories.
My puppy won’t stop eating. What can I do?
Puppies that chow down their food excessively is going to be prone to weight issues, regardless of weight. Although it is rare for husky puppies to constantly gobble down food, if your pup is persistent then you can try the following tips and tricks:
- Lessen the treats. One problem that most pet owners experience is that their puppies become voracious eaters because of constantly being fed with treats. This is likely when you are training them, so make sure to cut down on the treats from time to time.
- Learn to say “no” when begging. Learn to discipline your husky puppy by not giving in to their plea of begging for food all the time.
- Use a slow-feeder bowl. If your puppy simply won’t stop eating, having a slow-feeder bowl will do the trick to lessen the food that goes into their stomach.
- Use puzzles or treat balls. This has the same principle as a slow-feeder bowl and has a bonus of exercise for your pup. Husky puppies love to play, after all, so this is a great way of bonding with them as well.
- Compute your daily calories. By knowing the daily calorie intake of your husky puppy, you’ll easily find out how to reduce your pup’s weight and what to take away from their diet.
Conclusion
In the long run, husky puppies could be a little tricky to feed since they have a sensitive stomach towards carbohydrates. If you have plenty of fish sources in your locality, those are a great food for your husky pup but it still pays to talk to your veterinarian on how to cook them properly to make them appropriate for your husky pup.
We hope that this article helped you in choosing the right food for your puppy and somehow became a guideline in feeding your husky pup to ensure that they stay healthy and active.
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