How many times a day should I feed my Westie puppy?

Typically four small meals a day from weaning, reducing to three by around three to four months and two by around six months, though this is a general pattern rather than a fixed rule. Follow the guide on your specific food and adjust based on your puppy's body condition.

How much should a Westie puppy weigh?

Westies typically reach around 6-10kg as adults, but the healthy weight for your individual puppy at any given age depends on their growth curve. Your vet can track this at check-ups and flag early if your puppy is gaining too quickly or too slowly.

Can I use a general puppy feeding chart for my Westie?

A general chart is a reasonable starting point, but the feeding guide on your specific puppy food, based on your puppy's actual weight, is more accurate than a generic one. Adjust gradually based on body condition rather than following any chart rigidly.

What if my Westie puppy is always hungry?

Some puppies seem hungrier than others without it being a problem, but a puppy who seems constantly hungry and is gaining weight quickly is worth discussing with your vet, who can check whether the amount you're feeding is right for their current weight and growth stage.

Westie puppy feeding chart

There's no single feeding chart that fits every West Highland White Terrier puppy exactly, since the right amount depends on your individual puppy's age, weight and the specific food you're using. The general method below, based on frequent small meals that reduce as your puppy matures, is how most small-breed feeding schedules are built.

The general method, not a fixed chart

Small breed puppies like Westies are typically fed four small meals a day from weaning, reducing to three by around three to four months, and then two meals a day by around six months as their stomach capacity grows and their calorie needs relative to size settle down. This is a general pattern rather than a fixed rule for every individual puppy.

The actual amount at each meal comes from the feeding guide on your specific puppy food, which is based on your puppy's current weight and expected adult size. Westies are a small breed, typically reaching around 6-10kg as adults, so their guide amounts sit at the lower end compared with larger breeds.

Reading a feeding guide properly

A feeding guide on a bag of puppy food is a starting point based on average puppies of that breed size, not a guarantee for your specific dog. Some puppies need slightly more or less depending on their activity level, metabolism and body condition. Weigh your puppy regularly and adjust gradually rather than sticking rigidly to a number that clearly isn't working.

Watch body condition rather than just the scale. You should be able to feel your puppy's ribs without them being visible, and see a waist when looking down from above. A puppy gaining weight too quickly or looking too lean between vet checks is worth discussing with your vet promptly, since Westie puppies still growing benefit from a steady rather than rapid growth rate.

When to get advice specific to your puppy

If your Westie puppy seems constantly hungry, is gaining weight faster than expected, or is leaner than seems right, a vet can weigh and assess them properly and advise on adjusting portions. This matters more than following any generic chart, since every puppy's needs are individual.

Puppy vaccination and check-up visits are a natural point to ask about weight and feeding amounts, since your vet will already be weighing your puppy and can flag anything that needs adjusting early rather than after it's become an established pattern.

Feeding kit

Things we stock that owners commonly reach for here. Nothing on this page depends on you buying one.

Beaphar Lactol Milk Replacer for Puppies

A milk replacer for newborn and orphaned puppies, and for nursing or recovering dogs

From£20.23

Choose options

Nutriment Dog Weaning Paste

A 500g frozen weaning paste for puppies, single-ingredient British chicken

£2.99

Alpha Sensitive Salmon & Rice

A salmon and rice dry food for adult dogs with sensitive digestions, made without wheat gluten, soya or dairy.

£49.00

Alpha Working Dog Maintenance Chicken

An energy-controlled chicken dry food for working dogs with lower energy needs or a tendency to put on weight.

£29.00

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Common questions

How many times a day should I feed my Westie puppy?: Typically four small meals a day from weaning, reducing to three by around three to four months and two by around six months, though this is a general pattern rather than a fixed rule. Follow the guide on your specific food and adjust based on your puppy's body condition.
How much should a Westie puppy weigh?: Westies typically reach around 6-10kg as adults, but the healthy weight for your individual puppy at any given age depends on their growth curve. Your vet can track this at check-ups and flag early if your puppy is gaining too quickly or too slowly.
Can I use a general puppy feeding chart for my Westie?: A general chart is a reasonable starting point, but the feeding guide on your specific puppy food, based on your puppy's actual weight, is more accurate than a generic one. Adjust gradually based on body condition rather than following any chart rigidly.
What if my Westie puppy is always hungry?: Some puppies seem hungrier than others without it being a problem, but a puppy who seems constantly hungry and is gaining weight quickly is worth discussing with your vet, who can check whether the amount you're feeding is right for their current weight and growth stage.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.