my new puppy ate fine the first few days but now he won't eat all his food. It's not that he doesn't like it cause he eats it to a certain point but he gets distracted. Will take two bites then walk away. Then come back for two more bites. I switched bowls cause I thought he didn't like the steel bowl but then he was scared of other bowls. First few days he was eating a cup of food at morning and breakfast. Now he is barely eating 1/2 cup during meals. I thought labs were supposed to love food! He is eating canidae puppy food.
My puppy wasn't really interested in eating at first. I scatter-fed her which made it more interesting and she soon became more into it
I think once they stop being in competition with their siblings, their appetites lessens. They also are getting used to being in a new environment.
Around 1/2 cup of Canidae for a young pup 4 times a day would be pretty much in line with manufacturer recommendations which tend to over estimate how much food a puppy needs. I would tend not to worry, let him eat what he wants, wait 15 minutes or so and remove anything left.
I’m not sure how long your pup has been with you, could he/she still be settling in to it’s new surroundings? I scatter feed sometimes as Bailey loves hunting out her food and enjoys the game/challenge. I’ve also just bought her a Kong Wobbler, mainly to slow down her eating and for entertainment. She absolutely loves it, finds it a game and her tail is constantly wagging! It maybe worth a try if she gets easily distracted....
My Ella went through the same she is now eating 300g of arden grange large breed a day at 14 weeks old I do put 2ml of salmon oil in the food lets face it must be as boring as hell for them
I think you are feeding twice a day? Smaller amounts more often might help. If he's not losing weight though, it's not a big problem.
I was feeding twice a day then I lowered the portions and feeding 3 times a day now. It’s kind of the same thing, he eats then when he gets close to the bottom he stops. Then it’s a game to try and get him to finish. He isn’t losing weight so I am not as concerned as I was. I think he just gets distracted so easily and everything catches his attention.
Hello , I’m new to the forum . I am looking for advice on how much food to give to me 11 months female yellow lab . The last visit to the vet was two weeks ago and she found her overweight ( 65 pounds ) . I can still see her waist but I notice that she is actually gaining weight . I feed her Black Gold Premium Food ( was recommended by the breeder ) and she eats 4 cups a day divided into 3 meals , I just learn reading your posts that the manufacturers normally recommend more than they need . She was spayed and I do not want her to gain weight. Vet says that once she is one year we can start reducing food . Can someone please advice ? This is our first lab
Hi and welcome to the forum. Did you vet explain the reasoning behind waiting until a year old before reducing food? My vets would say to reduce food, regardless of still being a puppy, to get your girl's weight to where it should be. If she is receiving too much food her weight will continue to increase until action is taken and the less weight to loose the easier it is.
Hi , my Vet said that she is still growing up and does not want to take the risk of reducing while she is still a puppy . She told me to monitor her weight and next month when she is a year will start reducing . Thanks for your reply , I agree that is going to be hard to loose weight if she continues gaining . I have been reducing a little bit in the past days
I agree with @Jojo83. It is very important to keep your puppy's weight in check especially whilst growing. It's been shown that being overweight during development phases is a huge contributor to things like hip and elbow dysplasia. I think you're doing the right thing by reducing her food immediately. My latest puppy was prone to being a chubster, too, and I struggled to get her weight (well, build) to what I considered acceptable, so I know that it can be difficult.
Thanks for your advice . How much food will be ok ? I’ve been told one cup in the morning and one in the evening .
It is really difficult for anyone to give advice on feeding without being familiar with the specific brand that you use. Also, food is not the only element here. How much exercise does your girl get?
She is always playing when we are at home , throwing balls in the back yard I take her for a walk daily , we walk 1 mile , sometimes 1 1/2 miles . I feed her Black Gold Premium performance food . Manufacturer says to feed from 3 3/4 to 5 3/4 cups , I know that is too much
