How Often Should You Feed a Husky Puppy?

Last Updated/Info Checked on February 18, 2023 by Linda Michaels

The Husky profile given by DogTime says that the breed has high physical needs. At the same time, though, they don’t have a “hearty appetite”. 

That’s all about an adult Husky. Puppies when fed with this mantra could end up in a weak spot. 

They could develop nutritional deficiencies that could lead to major health problems pertaining to bones and the heart. 

Remember – a healthy puppy is a healthy adult. 

So, how often should you feed a Husky puppy so that it doesn’t experience health issues? You should feed your husky puppy at least 3 times a day. This is the general rule of thumb. You should check out the daily recommendation on the dog food package you’re using.

However, if I were you, I wouldn’t rely on just this answer. I’ll dig deeper to know when I should increase the meal times. 

More than that, I’d want to know if meal times are more important than portion sizes (they are not). 

Don’t go anywhere because I have answered all these questions. 

Why do You need To Know About Husky Feeding

Dog owners take advice from anyone who poses as an “expert” in the field. 

They don’t ask if they have had a valid experience with the dog in question. 

I’m not one of them, though. 

I’ve been a dad to two Huskies in my life – Camilla and Joe (check names). 

Joe was a rescue but I had raised Camilla in my own hands. I have had a fair share of my worries when raising it. 

She was only 2 months old when I adopted her, so you could guess what I went through. 

The knowledge that I’m going to share here, thus, is my first-hand experience. 

I have done a great deal of research on that bit in the past. 

That’s what I’m going to do in this article. I’ll slap a source that verifies my knowledge of feeding Husky puppies right from weaning to adulthood. 

How much should A Husky Puppy Eat A Day?

Experts say that you should feed your puppy 3 to 4 times a day from weaning onward to 4 to 6 months. 

Between 6 and 10 months, the feeding times should reduce to 3 times a day. Beyond that into adulthood, a Husky should only eat 2 times a day. 

Now, this is a general rule of thumb. 

How many times a dog should eat doesn’t account for all the nutritional value that it gets. 

However, it does help in maintaining their energy level.

For example, puppies from weaning to 4 or 6 months need a high-calorie diet as compared to their older counterparts. 

They are growing, pooping, playing, sleeping, growing, and more pooping and playing. 

You get the idea. 

It’s also important to know that you can’t feed them anything you want at this stage in their life. Everything has to be the right portion and nutritional value. 

A good way to start is to look into the feeding guide at the back of your Husky puppy’s food. 

I choose Royal Canin for its versatility and knack for following AAFCO recommendations (check this). 

The company suggests their Lab puppy food for your Siberian Husky puppy. 

I’m going to take 57 lbs as the target adult weight because that was Camilla’s mother’s weight. 

If you don’t know what your pup’s target adult weight should be, refer to its same-sex parent’s weight. 

So, a male pup should reach 60 lbs, considering its father’s weight to be that much.

Siberian Husky Puppy Feeding Chart

Puppy’s age (months)	Weight (lbs)	Portion size
		Cups	Grams
2	10 to 15	2 and ½	212
4	27 to 32	3 and ¼	284
6	30 to 40	3 and ¾	325
8	40 to 50	3 and ½	300
10	50 to 55	3 and ⅜	287
12	55 to 57	2 and ⅜	289

Feeding Chart Source: Royal Canin 

Weights Taken From Pawlicy

To explain this chart further, let’s have a look at the following research.

1. Grams or Cups – Which One Should You Use?

Speaking from my personal experience, grams are more suitable. 

You can measure the exact amount by using a kitchen balance. There’s seldom any discrepancy leading to errors in feeding. 

You can eliminate that by buying a highly calibrated kitchen balance from a valid and trusted source. 

You see, why I’m recommending grams of cups is the fact that I’ve never been good with measuring cups. 

They have a tiny space above the final measurement and most of the time, that gets filled. 

A few grains of kibble could add to the juvenile obesity of your Husky. You wouldn’t want that, of course.

So, use grams over cups. 

2. How Many Grams Per Meal Should You Feed Your Husky Puppy?

With the help of the chart above, you now know the portion sizes for your puppy based on its weight and age. 

All you have to do now is to equally divide that portion into the meals the pup requires. 

For example, a 4-month-old puppy should eat 284 grams of Royal Canin kibble per day. Divide that into 4 and you get 71 grams. 

Thus, the same puppy should have 4 meals per day of 71 grams each to account for the total portion. 

3. What Time Is Best To Feed Your Husky Puppy?

Puppies of all breeds get hungry after a few hours.

It’s best to divide the meals with similar gaps in between. 

Feed your Husky puppy at 4-hour intervals. For example, I used to feed Camilla at 8 am in the morning, then 12 pm in the noon, 4 pm in the afternoon, and then 8 pm at night. 

She’ll usually go to poop 10 to 15 minutes after feeding. These feeding times not only gave her definite times to poop but also made my life easier. 

Over time, I realized that the routine she was following is actually keeping her nerves under control.

Even a slight change in the feeding times would send her into tantrums. 

You do know how Huskies sing ballads about everything they don’t like. 

4. What food is best for Husky puppies? What does a Husky puppy eat?

There are many brands out there, but as I said, Royal Canin is my favorite. 

Camilla grew quite well when I put her on it. 

In fact, it fulfills our new dog Milo’s most dietary needs. 

It’s kibble basically and I very much prefer it over wet or canned food. 

Here’s why. 

5. Dry Vs. Wet Food – What Can Husky Puppies Eat?

From weaning to 4 months, you may decide to go for wet food because the puppy finds it hard to chew on kibble. 

That’s up to your Husky, really. 

My pet had no issues chewing the food. I too had a hand in it as I’d crush or blend the kibble to form its powder. 

Then, I’d add a little water just enough to make a paste. Sometimes, I’d top it off with a banana or another fruit, other times, it’ll be just crushed kibble. 

Beyond 4 months, I had to transition from wet to dry food for the sake of the dog’s teeth and gut health. 

Let me be honest, though, sometimes the wet food would mess up the dog’s bowel movements. 

So, after 4 months, I didn’t crush the kibble. I served it as it was. 

Later in her life, I avoided wet food because it has more fillers than dry food. So to say, per portion, both foods vary in nutrition. 

Wet canned food, for example, has as much as 70% water! Then comes wheat and soy as fillers that may also serve as allergens for the dog. 

As you can see, I very much recommend dry kibble for most of a dog’s life. 

Still, you cannot rule out the benefits of wet or canned food when they are suffering from gut-related issues. 

My go-to food was wet canned food alternated with plain white rice when Camilla or Joe (my former rescue Husky) had stomach issues or diarrhea. 

Besides this, wet food also serves as a wonderful alternative for fussy eaters. 

Dry Kibble	Wet Canned Food
It promotes dental health. You’ll see a reduction in plaque.	Helps in weight loss because it has more fillers, protein, and fewer carbs.
The gums get healthier.	It’s more palatable than kibble.
There are fewer chances of bacteria growth.	Easy on the gut.
It’s dry so it doesn’t spill.	Spilling it is an issue.
You can easily store it in any container.	Can’t store in any container
Cheaper, obviously.	Some brands are expensive.
Cleaning after a messy eater isn’t a problem.	Where’s that mop?
Hard to keep it fresh, though.	Each time your dog gets fresh food when you open the can.

6. What Foods Can Husky Puppies Can’t Eat?

Here are the foods that are not recommended for a Husky puppy or any other breed’s little one. 

• Tuna as it has high mercury content 
• Tomatoes because it causes anemia
• Avocado has highly toxic Persin 
• Ice cream can lead to hyperglycemia because of its high sugar content
• Pizza could lead to salty poisoning 
• Raw eggs and meat are potential sources of Salmonella or food poisoning causing bacteria 
• Sausages have more fat than the puppy could consume 
• Chicken nuggets are deep-fried, so no!
• French fries are also deep-fried
• Grapes and raisins could kill the puppy
• Gummies have a lot of sugar 
• Popcorn could have salt or other seasoning leading to indigestion 
• Raw potatoes cause anemia 
• Bacon is salty and fatty
• Chocolate, coffee, tea, and beverages that have caffeine cause tremors 

These are some foods that you should avoid feeding your puppy at all cost.

I may have missed a few here and that’s why I implore you to check online if the food you’re going to feed your puppy from your table is safe for them. 

7. What Human Foods Can Huskies Eat?

Here’s a list of items that you could feed your Husky puppy. 

• Cheese only moderately. 
• Bananas are the perfect low-calorie snack. 
• Pasta only in moderation. 
• Peanut butter in moderation.
• Cucumbers make a low-calorie diet as well. 
• Sweet potatoes are okay.
• Broccoli is an excellent treat but starts with small quantities.
• Apples are a huge yes! 
• Oranges feed your dog vitamin C.
• White bread only.
• Pineapple perks up a puppy.
• Peas, yes!
• Chicken and plain white rice are perfect for diarrhea.
• Curd or yogurt does well in gut-related problems, too.
• Strawberries, yup!
• Freshwater fish like salmon boost their immunity

I have compiled a complete list of fruits and vegetables that Huskies can and can’t eat.

1. Fruits that huskies can eat
2. Vegetables that huskies can eat

Also, here’s a video that shows an owner’s tailored breakfast for their huskies!

8. How much water should a husky puppy drink?

According to AKC, puppies, including Husky puppies, should drink about 0.5 cups of water every two hours. 

Keeping a measure of this becomes hard sometimes. 

Again, here I prefer that you should go with a more workable unit. Milliliter sounds perfect. 

By converting 0.5 cups to milliliter, we get about 118 ml.  

So, fill the pup’s bowl after two hours of previous water intake with that much water. 

However, make sure that you carry this out until evening. 

AKC recommends that you should remove the water bowl well before the puppy’s bedtime. 

As it is with us humans, we don’t want to see our babies and pets wetting their beds in sleep. 

But regardless of all this information, how do you know that you’re still keeping the puppy well-hydrated? 

9. How Do You Know That Your Siberian Husky Is Drinking Enough Water?

Puppies need more water than adults. They fulfill most of their needs from their mother’s milk when they haven’t been weaned. 

However, as they grow older and get adopted, they mostly rely on us for everything. 

Therefore, if your pup’s anywhere between 2 to 4 months, feed it 118 to 120 ml of water per day. 

For older ones, AKC says that they should drink about half of their weight. 

For example, if a pup is 25 pounds, it’ll need approximately 12 to 15 ounces of water per day. 

Here’s how to know if you’ve been keeping the dog hydrated, according to AKC.

• Press on its gums lightly and count the seconds before the blood returns to its place. If it’s more than 2 seconds, the pup needs water. 
• Hold it from its scruff and gently pull it up. If the scruff doesn’t return to its place abruptly, feed it water. 
• The gums become sticky and dry when the pup’s dehydrated. Spread your fingers gently on them to check it out.

10. What can Huskies drink besides water?

First and foremost, you should only feed puppies clean water. 

I understand that sometimes they don’t want to drink it. 

That doesn’t mean that they don’t need water. Some problems in the bowl, feeding times, health, or even mood could make him not drink at all. 

Here are some tips on making sure that nothing else is intervening in its water intake other than the things I mentioned. 

• Make sure your Husky puppy’s water bowl is clean.
• Are there any molds or anything lining the bowl?
• Smell the bowl and remove any unpleasant smells. 
• See if he has developed any digestive issues after the previous meal. 
• Feed him ice cubes instead of plain water to spice up his mood. 
• Add chicken broth to the water. 

If the dog doesn’t drink water even after this, you may want to see a vet. 

Remember and I’ll say it again – pups get dehydrated quite easily than adults. You can’t take your chances at all. 

As for what a puppy can drink besides water, I prefer whole fruit juices in small quantities. 

The juices are nutritious, yummy, and safe when fed moderately. 

I say moderately because I don’t want you to overload the dog with sugar. 

You already read what sugars could do to their bodies. It makes them thirstier. They could lose muscle coordination as a result of the vicious cycle of thirst > water > pee. 

11. How do I know if I’m feeding my husky puppy enough?

Overfeeding and underfeeding have definite physical symptoms. 

Overfeeding signs 

• According to Burnspet, the bowel movements of the puppy are okay in the morning but lose in the evening. 
• Their protruding bellies are a major sign. A dog’s waist shouldn’t be enough to make it lose its hourglass shape.  
• You’ll smell some unruly farts around the house. 
• Obsessive grooming because of frequent molting is a sign. 
• Some dogs may even eat their poop. 
• Being couch potatoes may make their joints swell. 
• The pup may experience eye and ear infections. 

Underfeeding signs

• According to Canna-Pet, your dog will have its ribs protruding. 
• Skin-related issues such as itching, redness, and even hair loss have been cited as signs of malnutrition in dogs. 
• Unrelenting digestive tract issues also mean the puppy’s not getting enough food.
• The coated health of the dog deteriorates over time. 
•  An underfed pup gets ill more often because of a weakened immunity system  
• You’ll have a hard time bearing the kisses of your dog because of its bad breath. 

12. Should you leave food out for your husky puppy? Is it possible to overfeed a puppy?

It’s not advised by experts to leave out food for your puppy. However, some of them say that a pup should be left to free-feed from 1 to 4 months. 

It’s a general consensus, though, that puppies could enter into juvenile obesity because of over-eating. 

So, yeah, you could possibly overfeed your puppy unintentionally. 

How Often Should You Feed A Husky Puppy? Final Thoughts

Here’s a little recap of what I said so far: Feed your puppy 4 times a day from its weaning to 4 months. 

After that, reduce the feeding time to 3 times up to 10 months or when it enters adulthood. After that, 2 times a day feeding is most appropriate. 

And that’s it. 

Before leaving, I want to say that each puppy has its own needs based on its weight, size, and breed. 

Look into the signs of overfeeding or underfeeding when you follow a feeding chart. 

In the whole process, do not forget frequent visits to your vet.

References/Resources:

1. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/puppy-drinking-enough-water/
2. https://burnspet.co.uk/nutrition-blog/the-10-signs-that-show-you-are-damaging-your-pets-health-through-over-feeding/
3. https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/siberian-husky#/slide/1