Is my pup gaining weight too fast?

Question

I have a German Shorthair and she is about 5 months old. I am worried though that she is gaining weight too fast at this stage. On Aug 28, she weighed 30 pounds. On Sept 14, she weighs 36 pounds. On Sept. 20 (tonight), she weighed 42 pounds. I know this breed reaches 45-60 at maturity, but I'm worried that she might be growing too fast because a breed like this usually stops growing over a years time. Could some of it be because she feeds at different times throughout the day. My vet recommends once a day, but we had been spreading it out throughout the day, like two or three times. Could any of this be related to weight gain. If she is fed once a day, would that slow the growth.

Answer 1

Yeah I think you are overfeeding it.

Answer 2

It's hard to say if you're overfeeding your dog or not. It's also hard to say if he's getting too fat. Pups will grow at different rates and at different times. There's some general rules, but every pup is different. So, just because he seems to be growing exceptionally fast, I wouldn't necessarily worry. Rather than weighing him all the time, I'd recommend keeping an eye on his proportions. I mean, if his belly is swelling, then he's getting fat. That could happen at 30 pounds, and that could happen at 50 pounds. So, watch to see that he looks slim and fit, and pay less attention to his actual weight.

Now, as for feeding.... I don't think feeding him two or three times a day will cause him to be fat. I mean, a cup of food once a day, or a half a cup twice a day, makes no difference ... a cup is a cup. People recommend feeding once a day for a few reasons: (I don't know how much you're feeding your dog, I'm using 1 cup as just an example)

1. It's far easier to control portions. In other words, it's very easy to give him a little bit too much each time, so a little but too much three times a day sure adds up quickly. You end up overfeeding him with out really knowing you're doing it.

2. It's better for routine and discipline when you feed once a day. Dogs love routine & dicipline, a once-a-day routine promots this.

3. Dogs in the wild feed once a day, so don't worry about thinking that you're starving him, or your fido will be hungry. Dogs are not humans. We need food throughout the day, but dogs do not.

So, here's my recomendations:

- move to once-a-day feeding (when he gets a bit older)
- keep an eye on his belly and waist as the measure of "too fat" or "too thin". You should be able to tell, just by looking at him if he's getting too porky.


Good luck

Answer 3

sounds like it could be overfeeding but you cannot rule out an imbalance either. You said you feed her 2-3 times a day, my question is how much do you feed her at these times? Depending on what type of food you feed her, perferably a good formula, it should be somewhere between 4-5 cups per day not per feeding. If you feed her 2 times a day, at 5 months you can switch her to 2 adays, feed her roughly 2.5 cups per feeding, once in teh morning and once in the afternoon. Also, roughly 2-3 or more hours after eating in the afternoon, take her and play with her. If she likes balls or kongs, play with her and make her run around to build the muscle and metabolism she needs. This breed is an outdoor breed which means they need exercise daily. However, it could also be that she has an imbalance in how she transfers food to energy. Does she poop a lot? It should be only one poop per feeding so roughly 2 poops a day if she eats 2ice a day. Buy either a measuring cup or something to measure the amount of food she gets plus work her out at night. The imbalance is only a theory but not likely. Hope it helped.

Answer 4

Keep feeding your dog a couple times a day. With breeds like this with a deep chest (I have a standard poodle who also is deep chested - others are greyhounds, mastiffs, dalmatians) they are prone to bloat - a serious and often deadly condition. With puppies of any breed they should be feed at least twice a day anyway, once in the morning for energy, and again in the evening. What my vet told me (i thought my puppy was underweight) was that there's no real guideline on how much to feed them - just check them to see if they look and feel healthy. Can you feel her ribs easily when you rub from her chest to her tail? Here is a website that will help you determine if she's at her ideal weight. Also, remember some dogs grow quicker than others, even within the same breed. It may be in her genes.

http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/a/aa041203a.htm

Answer 5

If you are feeding her the amount of puppy food on the bag each time you feed her then you are over feeding if you are dividing the amount on the bag by three and feeding the resulting amount then you are not over feeding.

incidentally you should be using an averaage of the parents healthy weight not the breed standard to determine the adult weight of your German Shorthaired Pointer. as many breeders may not breed for confirmation and breed for hunting ability, or other traits. your dog may not conform to the standards which are developed for confirmation events. (Dog Shows judgeing apearance against the breed standards) This is why there is such variation within breeds. talk to your veterinarian for guidence on the proper weight for your specific dog.

Answer 6

That sounds about right. I have a Choc Lab and she did the same thing. around six to 8 months there reach about 75% of the full growth. Just make sure you keep her active. Playing Fetch and regular walks will keep your pup happy and in shape. I have three dogs. Two labs and one Pit. They gain weight fast. But it will slow around 8 months. It's okay don't worry. Good Luck!

Answer 7

you want to have slow growth to avoid hod. in the growth plates. also one large meal can cause bloat. so feed a protein not more than 24% and three small meals a day to avoid bloat. i never met a vet to say once a day . that is not good for any dog much less a large breed pup.

Answer 8

Might want to cut off on the food a bit, she might just be getting fat. Big dog breeds will grow very fast, so don't be too worried...just hold off on some of the food or she's going to get a little too big.

Answer 9

So long as the portion you feed her over the course of a day is the same as one you'd feed her once a day, she should be fine. Remember, like humans, she needs exercise, water, and good sleep!