Considering Whippets are an active breed with a lifespan of 12 to 15 years and a robust disposition, owners frequently question what they can feed their dog to guarantee they are getting all the nutrients they require.
As long as you provide your Whippet with a well-balanced and healthy meal, it should be safe for your Whippet to consume any dog-formulated food, apart from individualized allergies. As a result, it’s a matter of personal preference whether you feed your Whippet dry food, wet food, homemade food, or raw meat.
Continue reading to learn more about what Whippets eat, how a Whippet puppy’s feeding habits change as they grow, how much you should be feeding your Whippet, and more.
What Do Whippets Eat?
Feeding Your Whippet Dry Food
Dry kibble is considered the most popular dog food option worldwide. It’s not only handy, but it’s also fairly priced and lasts a long time. Just walking into any pet store will reveal the enormous selection of dry food alternatives available.
On the flipside, kibble is the least appealing option, and dogs are frequently hungry shortly after eating it. If you do decide to feed your Whippet dry food, scrutinizing the ingredients, and look for a listed animal protein at the top of the list. Try to avoid brands with meat by-products and other fillers, which might irritate a dog’s stomach.
Feeding Your Whippet Wet Food
Wet or canned dog food provides better nutritional value and higher quantities of animal protein than dry dog food, although being more costly. Dehydration is less likely as a result of this. This shouldn’t be an issue as long as your Whippet puppy has constant access to freshwater.
Wet food is also more flavorful. Although there is some evidence that soft, moist food might cause dental issues in dogs, cleaning your dog’s teeth on a regular basis should minimize the danger.
Feeding Homemade Food to Your Whippet
You have total control over what your Whippet eats when you feed them a customized diet. This diet differs in that it may include cooked meats and veggies. A homemade diet is also more natural and delicious than professionally prepared dishes.
You must, however, ensure that your puppy receives the proper nutrients in the appropriate amounts. It’s critical to speak with your veterinarian before feeding your Whippet puppy a homemade diet. Nutrient deficits can cause growth and developmental issues in dogs, especially in young, developing puppies.
Feeding Raw Meat to Your Whippet
Providing dogs with raw food diets is growing more and more popular since it’s closer to their natural diet.
Homemade, store-bought, freeze-dried, or dehydrated raw dog food are all options. Organ meats, muscle meats, whole or ground bone, raw eggs, dog-safe fresh fruits and vegetables, and dairy products like milk or yogurt are common ingredients in a raw diet. Raw food advocates tout the following advantages: shinier coats, clearer skin, better dental health, more energy, and smaller stools.
Raw diets, however, are not recommended for dogs that live with small children or individuals who have impaired immune systems, according to some vets. Raw food handling, preparation, and cleanliness necessitate extreme caution. Take note that cooked food is required for dogs with pancreatitis, cancer, or other conditions. Cooked food is also preferable for puppies.
How Does a Whippet Puppy’s Feeding Habits Change as They Grow?
Young Whippet puppies should be fed three or four times a day. However, by the time they reach approximately a year old, their meals should be modified to twice daily.
Continue to give your Whippet puppy food until they are roughly 90% of their mature size. Switch to adult dog food in the same gradual manner as you did the first time you altered their food. Check with your veterinarian if your breeder hasn’t given you a diet chart.
Although the packaging on commercial meals will give you an idea, each puppy has its own specific requirements due to activity level and other variables. As a rule of thumb, an adult Whippet will require one ounce of food for every two pounds of body weight.
How Much Should I Be Feeding My Whippet?
As a rule of thumb, an adult Whippet requires one ounce of food for every two pounds of body weight. A whippet’s food is the cornerstone of its development and health; if you want him to grow big and strong, you must offer him a healthy, high-quality diet. Giving a whippet puppy the most significant components and the right amount of calories will ensure that he grows to adulthood.
A whippet puppy, believe it or not, requires more calories per pound of body weight than an adult dog of the same breed. A puppy weighing 10 pounds and expected to grow to 33 pounds at maturity requires 990 calories each day.
When they’re between one and a half and three months old, a Whippet that will weigh between 21 and 50 pounds as an adult should be fed 2/3 to 1 14 cups of food every day.
They should have 1 34 to 2 1/3 cups of milk between the ages of four and five months. They should be given 1 1/3 to 2 cups at six to eight months.
Then, between the ages of nine and eleven months, they should be fed 2 1/3 to 2 12 cups. When your Whippet reaches the ages of one-two, they will happily consume between 2 1/3 and 3 12 cups of food daily.
How Much Food Do Whippets Consume on a Daily Basis?
How much food an adult whippet consumes in a day will also be very dependent on elements like exercise and other aspects of the Whippet’s lifestyle.
Adult whippets should be fed twice a day with a combination of dry and wet food, with the occasional raw meat treat. This will keep your whippets interested in their food and excited about mealtimes. However, make sure your Whippet gets enough exercise to burn off any additional calories they’ve consumed.
What Things Should You Never Feed Your Whippet?
Whippets Should Never Consume Chocolate
Chocolate is a wonderful treat for people, but it is not suitable for dogs. Chocolate poisoning affects all canines, including Whippets, and is mainly caused by unintended intake.
Chocolate contains theobromine and, to a lesser extent, caffeine, both of which are toxic to dogs. Theobromine is readily metabolized by humans but not by dogs. Dogs metabolize theobromine and caffeine slowly, enabling poisonous substances to accumulate in their bodies and causing severe chocolate poisoning symptoms.
While chocolate is harmful to dogs, the degree of toxicity varies depending on the type of chocolate ingested, the amount consumed, as well as the dog’s size.
Whippets Should Never Consume Any Form of Garlic
Garlic is the most dangerous of all the Alliums, and it is toxic to dogs, cats, cattle, horses, birds, reptiles, sheep, and goats. It is approximately five times as poisonous as onions or leeks.
Garlic poisoning can cause weariness, pale gums, weakness, and collapse in Whippets. Hemolysis can make your pet’s urine seem crimson and make them look yellow. Anemia might cause your dog to have trouble breathing or have a fast heart rate.
Whippets Should Never Consume Onion
Onions, unfortunately, contain a toxic compound known as N-propyl disulfide. This drug causes red blood cell breakdown in all dogs, including Whippets, resulting in anemia. This N-propyl disulfide toxin can cause irreversible oxidative damage to your Whippet’s red blood cells.
As a result, if you feed onion to your Whippet, they are likely to develop a disease called hemolytic anemia. This disorder affects or kills a dog’s red blood cells, leaving them insufficient for normal functioning. In dogs, severe onion poisoning can be lethal.
Whippets Should Never Consume Avocados
Persin is a chemical found in avocados. It is completely harmless for individuals who are not allergic to it. However, in dogs, too much may cause vomiting or diarrhea. If you like to grow avocado plants in your home, keep your Whippet away from them.
Persin is found in the fruit of the avocado, as well as the leaves, seed, and bark. Furthermore, the avocado seed might become entangled in the intestines or stomach, producing a fatal obstruction.
Final Thoughts
Whippets are an active breed with a 12- to 15-year lifespan and a strong disposition. Apart from unique allergies, any dog-formulated food should be okay for your Whippet to ingest as long as you serve a well-balanced and healthful diet. As a result, whether you give your Whippet dry food, wet food, handmade food, or raw meat is a personal choice.
Dry kibble is by far the most popular dog food option since it is convenient, reasonably priced, and lasts a long time. However, wet, or canned dog food has a higher nutritional value and contains more animal protein than dry dog food, although being more expensive.
On the other hand, owners also have the option to feed their Whippets with either homemade food or raw meat. When you provide your Whippet with a tailored diet, you have complete control over what they consume. This diet is distinct in that it may contain raw and cooked meats, as well as vegetables.