How thin do you like to keep your pups?

[Snowden]

How thin do you like to keep your puppies? When you feel them how much bone should be felt? Should you be able to feel all the ribs, sholders, spine? Should the puppy always be hungry?

I understand that keeping them thin isgood for joints, but how thin is too thin?

Thanks,
Lindsey

 

[nowhavethreebears]

You should be able to feel the ribs when you run your hands down the sides lightly. You shouldn't have to "dig" for the ribs. The ribs should not jut out of the skin either. You should be able to feel the ribs easily below a thin layer of subcutaneous fat.
Puppies need a bit of fat reserve for energy and just for growth.
I would say the spine should be like the ribs...you should be able to tell they have one, but it should not jut out under the skin.
You don't want a fat pup, but at a young age it is okay to let them be less lean as they are continuously growing little bundles of energy!
As for being hungry, it depends on the pup I think...My Sophie and Hannah always seemed satisfied with their meals.
My Gabriel on the other hand always was hungry....He would have eaten as many times a day as I would have fed him, I think even though he was getting an adequate amount of food.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

For most pups, you can feel the ribs but if you are feeling spine and shoulders then he could be too thin. Most pups are always hungry. How much does he weigh and how much food did the breeder recommend?

 

[Snowden]

I feel like I can feel all his bones... My breeder recommended 1.5 cups in the am and .5 at night... He weighs 30 lbs at 11 weeks old.

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

Wow that is only 2 cups a day. My pups at that age are eating 3 cups, but 30 lbs is a lot for an 11 wk old pup.

 

[JackandKelly]

I have no idea how much to feed, but my girls around that age ate 3 cups also. They were only approx 18 and 22 pounds.
Two cups doesn't sound like much. Plus I feed pups that young 3x a day

 

[Snowden]

Wow that is only 2 cups a day. My pups at that age are eating 3 cups, but 30 lbs is a lot for an 11 wk old pup.

He really is a big boy, with HUGE paws that he has to grow into. I think I'm going to up him to 3 cups a day for the next week to he how he does. I really think he only needs 3-4 more lbs and he would be perfect.

 

[Snowden]

Plus I feed pups that young 3x a day

I still feed my 5 month old 3x daily and usually do so until 6 months.

 

[JackandKelly]

I still feed my 5 month old 3x daily and usually do so until 6 months.

I agree, Sophie is 5 1/2 months and she still gets 3 meals.

 

[R Taft]

Katy was 30lbs at 11 weeks, she is a big girl now. She has always been mean and lean. But I could feel the ribs easily and not the spinal processes, but we could feel the tip of the pelvis. Katy stopped eating her midday meal herself at 14 weeks, but she had the equivalent of 3-4 cups a day......Katy is/was RAW fed and she was hungry for her two meals, but never interested in her midday meal.
I have always fed brisket bones to the puppies too, which keeps them entertained. It is part of the total volume of food.

 

[Ohana Mom]

Sometimes when they are acting REALLY hungry I think they are telling us they need a bit more. Not all - some of them want to eat all of the time. But you do get to the point where you can tell the difference.
I agree - I would feed 3 cups, 3x a day and watch and see how he does. Lani came to us at 15 weeks and was 45 pounds - so 30 pounds at 11 weeks is probably what she was.... She is one for sure that I can tell when I need to up or lower her food.

 

[Tricia2]

My vet gave me an easy way to check body fat.

You make a fist, now run the fingers of your other hand over the knuckles on the back of your fist...that is what "too thin" feels like.

Now extend your fingers and run your finger over your knuckles again, that is "just right."

If you run your finger over the palm side of the knuckles of your outstretched hand that is "too fat."

It works for adult dogs, not sure about puppies.

 

[JackandKelly]

My vet gave me an easy way to check body fat.

You make a fist, now run the fingers of your other hand over the knuckles on the back of your fist...that is what "too thin" feels like.

Now extend your fingers and run your finger over your knuckles again, that is "just right."

If you run your finger over the palm side of the knuckles of your outstretched hand that is "too fat."

It works for adult dogs, not sure about puppies.

Tricia, Thanks so much for that!!

 

[new_2_newf]

thanks tricia2, that is a handy reference

 

[ardeagold]

I'd suggest feeding 3x a day until he stops wanting that third meal.

And you'll have to keep upping the amount as he grows. Then when he doesn't

want the third meal, keep the other two the same amount.

At this age, I'd probably try a cup each meal. If he doesn't eat it all, back down a bit....per meal.

 

[Snowden]

Thanks Everyone! I'm upping Kiba's intake to 3 cups a day and I think I'm going to cut Stella back a bit.

Tricia - Thanks for the reference! Extremely helpful!

 

[Elizabeth M.]

Abbi was 11 weeks old on Saturday, and weighed almost 40 pounds. (I weighed her standing on the Wii) She is not fat, just big. She is getting 3 cups of food, spaced out for 3 meals. I am wondering if she needs a little more? She seems hungry after eating and recently has started trying to look on the countertops where the treats are. I know.... clean off the counters.

 

[lilly06]

Oliver is 5 1/2 months old. He weighed in at 60.2 lbs a week and a half ago. He is gaining steadily and is on the lean side. He gets 2 meals per day and a total of 4 cups. He is going to be a big dude! His littermate sisters are about 50 lbs and are being fed the same amount. Oliver is always hungry!!!!

 

[JackandKelly]

Ty is only 12 weeks old and eats 5 cups of high quality kibble a day and is really thin and hungry all the time. He is only 20 pounds.
Lola (16 months) and Sophie (6 months) both eat 5 cups also. So all three of my Newfs of varying ages and sizes all eat 5 cups/day each of the same food

Ty eats double what Lola and Sophie ate at that size

 

[Pipelineozzy]

30 lbs at ll weeks seems pretty normal to me.
I actually feed mine 4 times a day until 16 weeks to keep the hungries away...then 3 times until at least 7 months. Hungry puppies eat indiscriminate things...so I'd rather feed smaller amounts more often. The hand reference works on pups too...it's my general rule of thumb for all of them. I expect a pup to gain 2 to 2.5 lbs a week, if they are gaining more, I don't increase their food at all..gaining less, I give them a bit more.