MERA Essential Junior 1 Puppy Food
Complete, wheat-free food for:
- – Small and medium-sized breeds until the end of the growth period
- – Large breeds up to the 5th month (thereafter Junior 2)
- – Lactating bitches
Feeding growing dogs the right way. Healthy food that dogs love.
MERA Essential Junior 1 – Puppy All Breeds Dog Food (12.5kg) – An extremely tasty, wheat-free high-quality dog food for rearing healthy puppies. Junior 1 is a complete food for small and medium-sized breeds until the end of the growth period. For large breeds up to the 5th month (thereafter Junior 2). MERA Essential Junior 1 (12.5kg) can is also suitable for pregnant and lactating females.
MERA Essential Junior 1 (12.5kg) is/contains;
- Wheat-free formula
- 29% protein / 16% fat
- With the 2-Phase concept and the MERA CareConcept
- Easily digestible poultry
- High-quality shellfish meat powder and salmon oil
- Prebiotic inulin and beta-glucans
- 100% “Made in Germany”
- Produced according to foodstuff standards and using green electricity – 100% CO2 neutral
- No colourants or preservatives
2-Phase Concept
In the first months of life, dogs of small, mid-sized, and large breeds require puppy food with a high protein content to ensure the optimum development of organs, muscles, tendons and joints.
For large breeds, the protein content in the feed can be lowered from the 6th month because from this time on they grow slower than smaller breeds. For this reason, the entire growth period for large breeds is also considerably longer.
For this reason, MERA has developed two different junior products.
MERA Junior 1 for small to mid-sized breeds to the end of the growth period and for large breeds to the end of the 5th month.
MERA Junior 2 for large breeds from 6 months of age to the end of the growth period.
CareConcept
All about the MERA CareConcept
The scientifically solid, uniform nutritional system for the healthy and happy life of your dog. Tailored to the individual needs of your dog, this CareConcept creates 360 degrees of total satisfaction.
- Cellular protection: Antioxidants (vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and selenium) for optimal cellular protection
- To support natural defenses: Natural beta-glucans to support the natural defenses
- Skin and coat: Natural omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (salmon oil, sunflower oil, linseed) and zinc chelate for skin and coat
- Gut flora and safe digestion: Prebiotic inulin for a stable intestinal flora and safe digestion
- Constitution and metabolism: Adequate energy content, high-quality protein sources (poultry, egg) and New Zealand green-lipped mussels (nutrients for cartilage and joints) to support physical constitution and metabolism
When the dog is a small or large breed
From a nutritional point of view, a dog is a large breed if its anticipated final weight (i.e. its fully-grown weight) is more than 40 kg. In this case, feed your dog junior 1 during the first few months, and junior 2 from the 6th month onwards. All dogs whose anticipated fully-grown weight is less than 40 kg should be fed junior 1 until the end of the growth phase.
When Junior 1 is fed – when Junior 2 is fed
Every puppy, regardless of whether it is large or small, requires a puppy food with a high protein content in the early months in order to ensure that the organs, muscles, tendons and joints develop properly. If the puppy is given insufficient energy and protein in the early months, serious deficiencies can occur. Your puppy will only have a good muscular structure if it also gets enough protein. If the puppy is not provided with food that is rich in energy and protein during the important early months, its muscles would receive a poor supply of nutrients and would therefore be underdeveloped, as would everything else. It would not move in the way that is appropriate for the species!
The protein content can only be reduced from the 6th month onwards with large breeds, because they grow more slowly than smaller breeds from this point onward. On the other hand, the total growth period is significantly longer with large breeds.
For this reason, MERA has developed two different junior products.
- MERA Junior 1 for small and medium breeds up to the end of the growth period (approx. 12-14 months) and for large breeds up to the end of the 5th month
- MERA Junior 2 for large breeds from the 6th month to the end of the growth period (approx 6-24 months)
Caution with overfeeding and supplements
Dog owners often think that a dog cannot be overfed, and metabolises all of the energy that it takes in and uses it for growth. However, this is completely false: Overfeeding in particular leads to excessive energy intake and the development of fatty tissue and excess weight, even in puppies. As the fat builds up, the muscles break down, which affects the sensitive skeleton of the dog. Think about and calculate the additional energy you are providing, particularly in treats. If you like to reward your dog with lots of treats, reduce its daily food ration accordingly. You can reward your dog with our MERA PURE Goody Snacks without hesitation since they are adapted to the energy-reduced recipes of our PURE products.
Caution when adding food supplements:
It is definitely not a case of the more, the merrier. On the contrary, the addition of food supplements such as minerals (calcium, phosphor, and the like) can also cause damage. Our puppy food contains ideal proportions of all minerals and vitamins. Too much phosphor, for example, can prevent the absorption of calcium, and too much calcium can cause abnormal bone development. If you still wish to use supplements, we recommend that you consult your vet.
Composition MERA Junior 1 dog food:
Poultry protein (35%, partially dried and hydrolysed), rice, maize, poultry fat, linseed, lignocellulose, beef pulp, egg powder, salmon oil (0.7%), brewer’s yeast (dried), sunflower oil (0.5%), sodium chloride, chicory inulin (0.2%), yeast cell walls (=0.05% beta-glucans), potassium chloride, glucosamine from animal tissues (0.02%), chondroitin sulphate (0.01%).
Analysis MERA Junior 1 dog food:
Protein 29%, fat content 16%, raw fibre 2.5%, crude ash 6.5%, calcium 1.15%, phosphorus 0.9%, sodium 0.35%.
Nutritional additives per kg MERA Junior 1 dog food:
Vitamin A 12.000IE, vitamin D3 1.500IE, vitamin E 200mg, vitamin C 100mg, copper (as copper-(II)-sulphate, pentahydrate) 12.5mg, zinc (as zinc sulphate, monohydrate) 100mg, Zink (as glycine-zinc chelate hydrate (solid)) 60mg, iron (as iron-(II)-sulphate, monohydrate) 250mg, manganese (as manganese-(II)-sulphate, monohydrate) 35mg, iodine (as calcium iodate, anhydrous) 2.0mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.35mg.
Technological additives per kg MERA Junior 1 dog food:
Antioxidants.
MERA products are generally fed dry. Make sure that your dog has a constant supply of fresh water. The recommended details are only approximate values per day and must be adapted to suit outside influences and the dog‘s dispositions.
| JUNIOR 1 | FINAL WEIGHT | CURRENT AGE OF YOUR PUPPY IN MONTHS: | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
3 |
4 |
6 | 11 | 15 | ||||
| g/day | g/day | g/day | g/day | g/day | g/day | ||||
| small breeds | under 15 kg | 75 | 120 | 155 | 165 | 140 | (adult food) | ||
| mid-sized breeds | 15 – 40 kg | 195 | 330 | 425 | 480 | 395 | 365 | ||
| large breeds | over 40 kg | 315 | 520 | 690 | (300)* | (875)* | (735)* | ||
* Our recommendation: Feed “MERA Junior 2” from the 6th month
We recommend:
The above-mentioned feeding recommendation is merely a guideline for balanced, requirement-oriented feeding of your dog. This information was calculated in accordance with the latest scientific knowledge, but must be adapted to the individual needs of your dog. Because a single number cannot cover all of the individual differences and conditions such as breed, age and size of dog, movement level, environmental influences (weather, summer, winter) etc.
Storage:
Please store all MERA products in a cool and dry place so that the quality of our products is maintained over the entire shelf life.
Ideal Feeding
Because of the wide range of influential factors involved in the rearing of puppies we would like to recommend a feeding plan, which should be individually adapted to the situation. Of course, we would be pleased to reply to any questions you may have in person. In the following, you will find one table for breeders and one for puppy owners containing recommendations for the period from the first week after birth to the end of the puppy’s growth phase.
For breeders: Weeks 1 to 8 after birth:
|
AGE OF THE DOG |
TYPE OF FOOD | FEEDING FREQUENCY | RECOMMENDATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppies (week 1) |
Mother’s milk (puppy milk) |
12 x daily | Puppy milk is useful for hand rearing, for large litters, if the mother is sick or weak or in the event of intentional intensive breeding. |
| Puppies (week 2) |
Mother’s milk (puppy milk) |
8 x daily | see above. |
| Puppies (week 3) |
Mother’s milk (puppy milk) |
5 – 8 x daily | see above. |
| Puppies (week 4) |
Mother’s milk and/or Junior 1 | Supplementary food and water 3 – 5 times daily | Start of supplementary food feeding. Junior 1 can be softened and/or mashed before feeding. |
| Puppies (week 5) |
Mother’s milk and Junior 1 |
Supplementary food and water 3 – 5 times daily | Supplementary food meets around 50% of nutrient requirements. |
| Puppies (week 6) |
Mother’s milk and Junior 1 |
Supplementary food and water 4 – 6 times daily | Gradual weaning from mother’s milk. A supply of fresh water must now be available at all times. |
| Puppies (week 7) |
Junior 1 | 4 – 6x daily + fresh water |
Puppies are normally weaned at this point and are given supplementary food / complete food |
| Puppies (week 8) |
Junior 1 | 4 – 5x daily + fresh water |
Fresh water must be available at all times |
From week 8 after birth to the end of growth phase
| AGE OF THE DOG | TYPE OF FOOD | FEEDING FREQUENCY | RECOMMENDATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppies (8-12 weeks) |
Junior 1 | 4 x daily | The recommended daily dosage is divided into 4 portions, whereby the 4th meal can also be omitted if the puppy is no longer hungry. |
| Young dogs (4-5 months) |
Junior 1 small breeds Junior 1 large breeds |
3 x daily | When the 4th feed stops, the total daily ration should be slowly increased in order to provide the recommended daily ration. |
| Young dogs (6-12 months) |
Junior 1 small breeds Junior 2 large breeds |
2 x daily | The rations should gradually be increased in this case as well, whereby the increase must be kept small for large breeds in order to allow the skeleton to develop. |
| Adult dogs (12-24 months) |
Adult food for small breeds (e.g. Reference) Junior 2 for large breeds up to the end of the growth phase |
1 – 2 x daily | Depending on the number of treats you give your dog, the number of meals should be reduced to one or two. Important: The dog should rest after eating! |