Hi, I posted in December, I had a puppy named Bear who was ill with salmonella when we picked him up and had to be put down on the 31st. After finding out his illness was definitely not our fault we decided to find a new pup. We were recommended a breeder who is also a vet and picked a beautiful little 8 week old chocolate lab called Hunter. We picked him up on Saturday and he has been great. He has already got the hang of waiting at the back door when he needs the toilet, sit, lie down (half the time!) and he comes to his name. He is also good in his crate and we are working on his mouthing. He is fed on Eden pet food and has had no issues on it. He weighed 5.9kg on Sat at 8 weeks, but when weighed on Tuesday he was still 5.9kg despite being fed to the guidelines. We upped his food to the next level and then weighed him again and he is still 5.9kg. He looks like his grown a bit, and has got a bit skinnier. He has a vet check on Monday with his 2nd vacs but in the mean time should I up his food again? Im super conscious about not over feeding him. And also very wary about his health after losing Bear. Thanks, Andrea
I'm so sorry for your loss of Bear. Also congratulations on your new baby. Hunter is a great name. I noticed with our pup (who's now 7 months old) that some weeks he barely gained at all. All I can offer for advice is what I did. Don't give him so much food that he gets digestive issues but give him enough so he gains a little each week.
Not sure about the food but as he came from a breeder vet you could ask them as they will be willing to help you out. I wish you all the luck and happiness after such a bad start. Hunter sounds lovely. We upped our Willow's food as she was only 2.6 kg at 8 weeks she is gradually putting on weight so if she has the runs I know she has been overfed so it's trial and error. My Willow is hungry all the time so I have to watch I don't over do it.
Hi @Andrea0408 It will be exceedingly hard not to worry after the experience with your other puppy. If you can, put it behind you, and enjoy Hunter. Growth comes in fits and starts.
Please don't worry about weight or track it or feed your puppy according to what the packet says: The amounts recommended on packets are always too much and every puppy is an individual. Growth comes in spurts, with some periods of not much happening. I would instead suggest you feed your puppy according to his appearance. If he looks slim, then feed more. If he looks overweight, feed less. You should be able to *easily* feel his ribs and when looked at from above or the side, he should have a 'waist' and an hour-glass shape before his back legs. Far more puppies are overweight, than underweight - and being overweight carries far more health-risks than being underweight. Higher obesity risk in the future; higher cancer risks; higher hip dysplasia risks and more...
Fab, thank you all. I spoke to the breeder and he said to increase slightly and keep an eye on his appearance, same as all this advice! You can see a slight outline of his ribs sometimes, and he does have a very defined waist. I'm trying not to worry but it's difficult!
