[lutzy]

My Bella is almost 9 weeks and about 15.5 pounds. For her weight and age it says she should eat about 1/2- 1 cup of food a day..Im feeding her 3 cups and she eats it all up..is this OK? she doesnt have any digestive problems at all..goes fine.

 

[kutzro357]

What are you feeding?

 

[AnnaRiley]

I would ask too what you are feeding.




T. Ellson

 

[scannergirl]

My Pro Plan is based on what she will weigh as an adult and how old she is, not what she weighs now. My pup is 14 weeks old. Right now that translates to 1 and a half to one and three quarters of a cup. I give her just over a half cup three times a day. She'd gladly eat three cups if I let her. My vet wants her THIN, because he said her growth will be too fast if she's overfed, and especially for a GSD it can have very bad consequences on her joints and skeletal system.

 

[pinkanml]

I fed Nico Canidae as a pup, which is a very rich food, and he got 2-3 cups a day plus canned, at her age. He was never a fat puppy, always on the lean side. The bag is only a bare guideline, I've known dogs who have looked totally starved, but the dumb owners were like, "Well that's what the bag said." Always go by how your dog looks and feels, never the bag. My dogs have always eaten more than what the bag says, and all but one are very lean.

 

[scannergirl]

Whoa- careful about the dumb owner comment. My vet told me for my puppy's health he wanted people to be asking me if I'm feeding her enough. I asked him specifically about her weight because to me she looked WAY too thin, and his answer was, and this is exactly what he said,

"See how she looks right now? She's on the heavy side of perfect- do not let her get any heavier than she is right now"
So if my vet is happy then so am I and I will follow his advice. No matter how hungry she acts.
That IS what I pay him for.

 

[pinkanml]

No, I meant LITERALLY starved and underweight, not slim and lean like a healthy dog should be. You could clearly *see* this dog's ribs, spine, and hips, and he was a longer-coated GSD!!

They were feeding him only 3 cups of a lower protein/fat kibble due to his allergy issues, but he needed WAY more food because he was a 2-yr old and had super high energy. He spent 5 days a week at daycare and burned off way more than he took in.

I know many people look at my dogs and think they're starved, but they are healthy and lean. You can feel ribs, but you don't see anything.

 

[lutzy]

Originally Posted By: kutzro357What are you feeding?

Im feeding her pro plan chicken&rice- it says 1/2- 1 cup of food for her age&weight which is almost 9 weeks and about 15.5 pounds. I leave her food with her in her cage because My other dog gets bad diarreah if she eats just a little of the pups food. So I put about a 1 1/2 cups in the morning and put her in her cage in the for about an hour, take her out for potty, and put her back in for lunch and that 1 1/2 is gone. At night I put another 1 1/2 cup's of food and put her in her cage about 9pm and then take her out about 12pm for potty and back she goes until the morning and all her foods gone..and so on....

 

[scannergirl]

I would suggest pro plan large breed puppy- or any other premium food designed specifically for large breed puppies. I looked up the Chicken and Rice and it listed it as an adult dog food. I worry so much about my pup's skeletal development and do not want to take the chance on any other type of food except one made for my puppy. I can tell you the pro plan large breed puppy would have you feeding more than what the chicken and rice bag says.
What does her doctor say?
Also, I read the label of the food you're feeding and the weight you are looking at should be the weight at maturity, not the weight she is now. It's confusing, but I think that may be your answer.

 

[scannergirl]

I see that the chicken and rice comes in both adult and puppy versions- the label info I looked up was for the puppy version. I think a puppy formula will have a large breed dog growing too quickly than what is healthy for their skeletal system.

 

[Elaine]

I'm not into measuring food for puppies, especially that age. I prefer to feed as much as they want to eat 3 times a day and then keep an eye on their weight and stool. The size and activity level of each puppy is different and will wildly affect the amount they should eat. As the puppy gets older and starts to look well fed is when I start to measure food.

 

[ladyluck]

Cheo is currently 12 weeks and we are feeding 3 cups of proplan large breed puppy food a day, he eats most of it and leaves alittle. bag says for 1.5-3months of age and adult wt expectation of up to 100lbs to feed 1 1/4th to 2 1/3 cups a day. Pup also gets 4 oz beef heart split with 2 feedings and ground tripe mixed in all 3 feedings. bag says to go up at 4 months through 5 months to 3 1/2 cups to 5 cups a day. I plan on staying at 3 and increasing raw part of the diet eventually getting rid of kibble. we started on raw when he first came home at 7 weeks but had severe diarrhea for whole week and lost precious wt. so we had to quit and go to kibble which resulted in firm stools and gaining wt. so far the 3 cups of kibble and raw beef heart and tripe are working great for us. he is still on lean side really active. cant wait to go all raw and have firm but alot less stool tho! HA.

 

[big_dog7777]

I urge and invite all of those feeding a Purina product to check out the nutrition section below. You can do MUCH better for the same money than Pro Plan, and this is coming from someone that used to feed it because my breeder fed it and I knew no better. The only way I would feed any Purina product (or Hills, Iams, Eukanuba as well) is if my dog did horribly on any other food.

Feed your puppy a high quality kibble meant for adults.

 

[Timber1]

A few quick comments.

First, find a better dog food then Purina.

Secondly, if your dog is eating or wants 3 or so cups a day fine, as unless as the dog does not get fat. Also, add a bit of BARF to the dog's diet.

My pup started out at a minimum of three cups a day and now eats five with BARF added. The dog is thin, happy and healthy.

As for good foods, there are tons of recommendations on this board.

 

[EastGSD]

I have no problem feeding Pro Plan and will use it when I am in between shipments of my preferred food. I always get the results I expect and it is easy to find.

Cherri

 

[DianaM]

I agree with the others, there are better foods than Pro Plan and other Purina products. Some dogs have digestive issues or allergies and yes, Pro Plan ends up being the only thing they can eat, but for a healthy dog, there are much better options. The Diet and Nutrition section is a great place to start in finding a better kibble!

When looking for a good kibble, look for one heavy in protein and low in grains, or even without any grains (watch for high protein levels, this is not always a good thing). Look for foods without corn, soy, and wheat, with specific meat sources high on the list. There's a lot more that goes into finding a good kibble; the Diet and Nutrition section is the best place to start! You'll find opinions do vary and there is no single food best for every dog, but most of us do agree that minimizing grains and maximizing meat is best. Best rule of thumb is to start off on the highest quality dog food you can find, then move downwards until you find the kibble that works best for your dog. How to tell? Low or no doggie odor, no bad breath, good teeth, shiny coat, no dandruff, small poops that are of good consistency, good level of energy without hyper energy (unless your dog is like that genetically), and a general good vigor Be aware that sometimes you'll find a good food and hang onto it, only to have your dog suddenly do poorly on it- yup, they change formulas and often don't mention anything about it! Another reason to feed raw or homecooked- if you found the best combo for your dog, you can control it and stay on it!

I've read that a lot of people start their puppy off right away on adult food, skipping puppy food altogether.

 

[denwil2007]

if your runny on raw, maybe you don't have enough bone with the meat? Raw was the only thing that put weight on Chase. When I started raw the diarrhea stopped.

I figure in 3-4% of the pups body weight to find calorie intake, then I decide how much to feed from there.

I don't have any problem with most foods that don't contain cor, wheat, by products or soy, but would much prefer raw.

 

[Timber1]

Where is pro plan manufactured and packaged. I am curious because Timber eats half and half raw and kibble, and the kibble is packaged fresh on a daily bsis in the US.

Actually only a mile from my home.

 

[ladyluck]

well after reading all this section we went to nutrition section and did lots of research. we are in the process of switching from proplan large breed puppy to the Canidae ALS. was surprised to find a place that sells it approx 40-50 miles away. we mixed 1/2 cupp C. to 2 cups ProPlan then split that into his last 2 feedings for the day on sat. he loved it ate it up quick. he took all day to eat is proplan. YIPEE. hope it lasts. so far no diarrhea. will mix 1 cup C to 2 cups ProPlan and split into his 3 feedings today and keep an eye on his stools. hope to be off the proplan by end of week. hope we will have a few less stools a day on the C and that he does well on it. we will of course keep the beef heart and tripe added to it as well. thanks for all t he great info and help as I had thought proplan was a premium food. the cost between the puppy large breed proplan and Canadie where almost the same. that was great to find too.

 

[big_dog7777]