Feeding Puppy, how much should she get?

Question

Ok here's the problem. When we got the puppy she was underweight. At feeding time (she's now 14 weeks) she attacks her food like she can't get enough. We feed her four times a day for a total of 4 1/2 cups. She is a large breed puppy. I think she should get more food because there is a problem if she's not feeling full, however my boyfriend is very strict and wants to follow the feeding guidelines on the kibble bag to a T. What do you think? She is gaining weight, but it my opinion still is on the skinny side. And my boyfriend is anorexic anyway so his standards are obviously low.

Answer 1

It's one thing for the puppy to be hungry or a chow hound, however you don't want the dog to eat the food too fast b/c then they don't chew and won't get the nutrients out of it that they need. It can also cause food agression later if the dog doesn't think that food will always be available. One way to fix this (although you might have to clean up a mess later) is to fill the dogs bowl up, if it eats everything, fill the bowl again, keep doing this so the dog realizes there will always be food and there is no need to scarf it down. After doing this, maybe try giving the dog 5 cups a day, that's only 1/2 a cup more, but you should notice improvement. Not sure what kind of puppy it is, but at 14 weeks, for most large breeds you want to still be able to see a couple of the ribs. You never want to make a large breed puppy fat, sometimes for these breeds it's better to keep them a bit skinny while they're young and then after they've started developing a bit more allow them to put on the rest of the weight.

And the other poster isn't correct. For large breed puppies they should be fed at least 3 times a day until they are at least 9 months old. If they start not eating during one of the feed sessions, you can cut that one out. Large breeds should be fed 2 times a day though once they're an adult.

Answer 2

We have a Border Collie puppy and our vet said the listings for feedings on the bag are just guidelines on how much to feed. This breed we have is EXTREMELY active and they need more food that the normal suggestions as they burn it off more.

I would consult your vet and it's possible you may need to increase the intake of food some. At 14 weeks, your puppy should be able to go down to 3 feedings a day and then down to 2 by 4 or 5 months. Make sure your boyfriend goes with you to the vet so he can hear for himself what the vet suggests for feedings.

It is possible, that if you puppy hasn't been wormed, this could be part of the eating problem. Dogs with worms lose a lot of what they should get from the food to the parasites.

Answer 3

I too just bought a puppy! My vet said that you should feed it 3 times a day, just like you should eat. Make sure it is puppy food, others are too harsh for the puppy's system! Keep them on puppy food for at least a year! And let the puppy eat as much as he wants for 15 minutes, after 15 mins pick up food until next feeding! Good luck! Make sure you take the puppy outside like 20 mins afters feeding to go potty, also as soon as he wakes up take him out right away this will help with potty training. Our puppy is nine weeks old and asks to go outside already!

Answer 4

Have you thought about getting a professional opinion from your vet? If you puppy wasn't the healthiest when you found it then it sounds like it should have been checked out by your vet and given guides on how to feed an undernourished puppy etc.

Answer 5

what kind of puppy and what kind of food?

when you feed the lower qualtity foods you must feed more becuase they are low on nutrition and high on filler - ALL foods from grocery store and Wal Mart are low quality..
one food (IAMS) at one time was fined for LYING about the feeding guidelines.. they fudged the numbers inorder to get people to think the food was better quality than it currently is (it used to be good until Proctor and Gamble bought it out years ago and dumbed it down)

has she been dewormed?
has she been seen by a vet? dogs with heart murmors or other problems will have harder time with weight....

really I suspect its a food quality issue.. not a quantity - or its a health thing..

some pets, like some people are naturally thin and have higher metabolism

Answer 6

The guideline on the bag are just that - guide lines. We got a small breed pup and for the first few months of his life he'd eat like there was no tomorrow.
First of all -how much does the vet say to give her? That would be a better giudeline to follow. Also know that as she stops growing so much, her appetite will taper off. Finally -no (under any circumstance) table scraps.

Answer 7

Dont feed cheap food go to pet smart or your local pet store and get the best, most dog foods are just fillers and get the good stuff and stuff they need and will quench their hunger, try that and i bet you will see weight gain and much more, get a dog food with no corn that will help too. I feed Purina Pro Plan and in my opinion that is the best. my dog eat it very well and they look good, just feed the recomended amount on the bag. you will feed less of this dog food but it has better stuff in it for your dog.

Answer 8

If the pet seems still hungry after she eats,feed her a little more.She is just like you,when she gets hungry.Don't you eat until you're full? Don't worry she won't eat any more than what she wants,but of coarse if you aren't the owner,then this should be owners choice.

Answer 9

Well maybe you should stick to the feeding guidelines but if she continues to attack her food, then maybe you should feed her more.

Answer 10

Your boyfriend is right. Just stick to the schedule you have going now and the puppy should be fine. She is just acting like a normal puppy.