Growth of puppies....help.

[SRUAlmn]

HI! We have a new addition to our family (see in my sig ) and we are just trying to find somewhere online where it tells you how much your puppy should grow and how much weight they should gain throughout the first year. Our vet was VERY specific when describing to us how to feed her and how much, but she is gobbling down the amount he said and still crying for more. We don't want to overfeed her, but have noticed over the past week she has really grown. We just want to be sure this is normal for her age (9 weeks tomorrow) and not that she is eating too much. Any help would be greatly appreciated. She is a cocker spaniel, female, and will be 9 weeks old. She was 2 pounds 2 ounces when we got her last Thursday (6/15) and was 2 pounds 8 ounces when she went to the vet 2 days later (6/17.) Thanks!!!

 

[maddiemouse]

Talk to your breeder. Hopefully they can give you specific information about their line and what to expect.

 

[transparant]

I really don't know that one. But I have a question for you - WHAT IS THAT CUTIE PIE'S NAME????!!!!

 

[mrsv98]

Hmm well we feed our lab pup 1C per 10lbs/day so she is getting 3C/day split into two meals. If you really think the baby is very hungry, try giving her 1/4 more and see if that helps. Our girl has gone thru a couple of growth spurts and if we didn't give her a little extra, she would eat us!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Very important not to overfeed. You want even growth during puppy stage. What are you feeding the dog and how much?

 

[doxdogy]

I don't know if there is a set growth chart. I do know that puppies require higher protein then adult dogs. If she is still wanting more food, then you may want to try increasing the amount she is given. Also if you are only feeding her once a day, try feeding her twice a day.

 

[cyndibelle]

yes make sure you are feeding her quality food...and they do go thru growth spurts...and when they do they are gonna want more to eat..i am a sucker our dog max is a golden and he grew like crazy and well i cant help but give him something to eat when he looks at me with those eyes..

 

[SRUAlmn]

Her name is Riley!

The puppy food says to feed 1 cup per day split into 3 meals for a puppy that is 3 pounds and her age. She is slightly under 3 pounds, so the vet said to only give her 1/8 of a cup 3 times a day which is 3/8 a day. He said if she acted hungry still to increase it for the next meal, so we have increased it to 1/4 of a cup 3 times per day which is 3/4 a day, but she is still acting hungry. We go back in for her next round of shots on Thursday, so we're going to check with him. I know it makes sense to give her more if she's still hungry, but we really don't want to overfeed her. Our vet is VERY VERY VERY conscious and careful about weight. (maybe I need to talk to him about myself )


ETA: We are feeding her IAMS Smart Puppy which is what she was eating at the breeders and our vet said it is a great food along with Science Diet.

 

[Horseshoes]

That puppy is WAY TOO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JoenAdamnErinnSam]

No advice-I just wanted to tell you that Riley is absolutely adorable!!! I love her little face. And she has beautiful markings-good luck with her.

 

[cvemom]

Ahhhhh Riley is such a sweetheart!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

She is slightly under 3 pounds, so the vet said to only give her 1/8 of a cup 3 times a day which is 3/8 a day.

Am I reading this right? Less than 1/2 cup of food per day? That seems low to me, but then again, I'm used to large dogs. I would give more, though, if I sensed the dog was still hungry. Hard to differentiate a "chow hound" from a hungry puppy, but most puppies should feel satiated and content, and not be nosing around for more food after they've already eaten. Tried to find growth charts for you but didn't see any. I would also see what your breeder says. Good luck, she's a cutie!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks everyone for the sweet words!! She is such a sweet puppy, but is ALL PUPPY with the chewing and nibbling

I emailed the breeder, but yes, that is what the vet suggested due to her small size 3/8 of a cup per day. We are now giving her 3/4, but she still seems slightly hungry. I guess we'll check on her size at the vet's on Thursday.

It's been a rough night tonight. We live in condos, and my fiance took her outside, and some drunk college students were out where we take her and they ran over and picked her up (without asking) and started calling her a gerbil and the one girl dropped her (only from about 5 inches or less, but still.) My fiance is really upset that he 'let' it happen, he's so hard on himself, but I am ticked that people would do that! We have such a nice neighborhood with sweet, kind people and this was so out of the ordinary.

 

[LK03]

I agree with the other poster who thought 3/8 food seemed real low. When we got the lil' guy in my siggie at 9 weeks, we fed him 3/4 to 1 cup per day. We don't free feed but if we put the food down he won't eat it right away. He'll only eat if we stand with him, but that doesn't seem to be the problem with your little pup. Did you maybe google about your breed online to see if there are specific forum boards or answers maybe to that question? Hopefully you can find out for sure. Goodluck and she's a cutie!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Go by the bag guidelines - a quality food will not need to be fed as much quantity wise as a non quality food. Iams and Science Diet are neither quality but aren't absolutely terrible, either (like Pedigree or Kibbles and Bits, blech!) I'm saddened that your vet finds them to be quality but not surprised... =(

I had a tiny pup at one time, I am trying to think what we fed him! As a pup, they need more food than an adult of course. It's impossible for a vet to tell you how much to feed in general because it depends on the food - that is, unless your vet told you how much to feed based on the food you are currently feeding which might have happened. If they didn't do that, then I would find another vet as you can't come up with a number in the air for all dogs and dog foods. I feed a quality food and I feed half what I fed on Science Diet because the food has more nutrients and less filler that just gets pooped out. So it varies a lot!

Each dog has different nutritional needs - it depends on their activity level and growth level. A vet is not usually a breed specialist though a quality breeder is. My first vet told me that my Shih Tzu would be 3 pounds full grown - BS! A Shih Tzu should never be that size. I was a first time dog owner and I believed him (he also got me to feed Science Diet for awhile...). Harley is now a healthy 12 pounds - right in line with the breed standard.

I start with the bag guidelines, which usually overestimate the food needs, and then go up and down depending upon the dog's size. ALL PUPPIES think they are starving =) If I fed my two dogs what they wanted as puppies and each time they cried, they would have been big ol' oompa-loompas. If she is at a healthy size yet still whiney, add some no calorie food to her diet like green beans. That will make her feel full, allow her to eat a while longer at the bowl, yet not pack on the pounds.

Be careful with weight - the vast majority of dogs are overweight. It's very easy to do! Those cute little eyes are hard to say no to =) Congrats on the new addition!

 

[LK03]

Go by the bag guidelines - a quality food will not need to be fed as much quantity wise as a non quality food. Iams and Science Diet are neither quality but aren't absolutely terrible, either (like Pedigree or Kibbles and Bits, blech!) I'm saddened that your vet finds them to be quality but not surprised... =(

My pup just graduated puppy training class and the last week was devoted to food and boy was it eye-opening. The trainer had told us that a lot of vets push Science Diet in their offices since they get a kick back from it, but I believe one of their top 3 ingredients was plain ol' corn and we all know that just means bigger poo piles, and well who wants that?

 

[nomie74]

What food do you recommend? I bought Science Diet for my puppy because I thought it was one of the better foods. Also the breeder recommended I feed her Gerber baby food, chicken only and the Gerber "chicken stix" . I seem to have the opposite problem, I was told she should eat every 4 hours and she definately is not very hungry and only eats a few bites. This is my first small dog, I have always had large dogs so I have no idea what is normal...

 

[bekkiz]

Here's a great link with a long list of the best dog foods:
http://www.oes.org/page2/1342~Dog_Food_--_Whole_Dog_Journal.html

I fed our pup Solid gold for about 7 months, and then switched to Wellness. It works very well for him--great teeth and coat+no weight problems

 

[4chitlins]

I also only have experience with large breeds, but I do know that Cockers sometimes tend to have weight problems so maybe that is why your Vet is so stern about the amount you are giving her. I would tell him everything when you take her back and see what he says. BTW she is too cute for words

 

[JustHolly]

The Vet Tech at our vet told me once that puppies double their weight every month for the first 6 months, in general. We have a lab mix though.

Our vet is more concerned with body shape than by pounds because weight can vary considerably depending on breed, height, age, muscle, etc. There is a chart on the wall they use.... here is a link...

http://www.placervillevet.com/canine body condition.htm