Mella is now 11 weeks. She is putting on about 1/2Kg a week and we are feeding her 3 X 60gm of Royal Canin Labrador Junior each day. Does this sound about right folk? Certainly got plenty of energy but my wife thought she looked a bit "slim" at the waist? At 12 weeks I was going up to 3X70gm/day.
Re: Feeding enough? Hi there, the amounts on the packet can only ever be a very rough guide. Puppies vary very widely in how much they need to stay slim and healthy. At 11 weeks it is normal and good for your puppy to have a waist. So provided she is not getting 'ribby' she is probably getting enough to eat, and I would increase with caution. Better a little too little, for a few days, than a little too much. Do you have a recent photo side on, or from above?
Re: Feeding enough? Hello E and thank's for the speedy reply. Heres a couple of pic of mella taken just now as she had her supper........
Re: Feeding enough? Hmm - love the fact that that bowl is empty and she's still checking it out in ever optimistic Lab mode... Clare Oh, and weight wise she looks fine to me although I'm sure someone else will be able to give you a more definitive answer!
Re: Feeding enough? [quote author=cheddar-caveman link=topic=4522.msg55267#msg55267 date=1392800796] we are feeding her 3 X 60gm of Royal Canin Labrador Junior each day. [/quote] That's about 70% of the recommended amount for a 25kg dog of adult weight. I never fed more than 80% of the recommended amount, and rapidly reduced to 50 - 60 % (for a much heavier dog than 25kgs). My view of the recommended amounts is that they are far too much. It's hard to tell from the photos, dogs with its head in a bowl often look like they are "sucking in " their tummy. Do you have photos of her when relaxed?
Re: Feeding enough? Harley is on Royal Canin and her food is advised as just over 400g per day. I increased it to 340g one day, but she had a bit of a runny poo (sorry if you're eating breakfast ) we have kept it at around 100g per meal, she still has 3 meals a day as when we done 2 meals her poo told us that it wasn't a good idea atm. I do give her a kong each day and a few training treats, but nowhere near what is suggested. I think it is the dogs body, shape and poo that will tell you
Re: Feeding enough? Thanks folks. I think we'll stay where we are at the moment, 65-70g/day and raise it a bit at 12 weeks.
Re: Feeding enough? Indie is now 15 weeks and is on 90gms / 3 times a day plus a spoonful of wet food, she has been putting on about 0.8kg a week. Mella looks fine to me, I like them to have a waist. You will know if you a feeding too much, the poo will go soft and runny. Manufacturers advise too much IMO, after all they want you to buy more food LOL.
Re: Feeding enough? It is a tricky one isn't it and I worry about that myself sometimes. I always try and imagine the size of the dogs stomach and feed the amount of food that would fill it... But I'm pretty experienced with dogs as I've worked in kennels for 7 years. For Penny's age and size the bag of food suggests that she be fed 300g per day. There is no way I could feed her that much, although she would eat it she would have diarrhoea and be morbidly obese in a week!! I can barely give her 200g a day and maintain her weight. At the moment she gets 50-70g per meal and she is fed twice a day - she has the smaller amout if she's had extras during the day such as treats or bones. As long as your pup isn't under or overweight and the poo is nice and solid and not runny, I would say carry on with the amount you're giving her at the moment. I take no notice of what the packaging says and feed what I know my dog can handle.
Re: Feeding enough? Sorry - double posted! FYI she looks great in the pics, I wouldn't worry too much. We see too many labs that are overweight these days and it seems to have become the norm. Personally I prefer the look of the slim labs - or rather labs that are a normal weight!!
Re: Feeding enough? Am I reading this chart on the back of the Royal Canin packet correctly? Coming up to three months Mella (Yellow Lab lady) should be getting 263g of Canin a day in three meals (about 86g/meal) with water. I'm actually giving here 3 X 70g at the moment. If that is correct then she will stay on 3 meals a day right through 15 months??
Re: Feeding enough? I can't remember when we moved to two meals a day, but I think it was at around four months.
Re: Feeding enough? Brew switched over to two meals a day just before 6 months... I see your packet says 5 months. The guidelines on packets are only ever that - guidelines. You know how much we all love the subject of poo on this forum - and keeping a watch on that will tell you if she is not coping with the same quantity of food across two meals. The little graphic there shows an equal split - I'm sure that not everyone here splits the daily food allowance equally. Mella's body shape and digestive system will soon let you know if she needs more / less or a different feeding schedule! Clare
Re: Feeding enough? [quote author=cheddar-caveman link=topic=4522.msg57258#msg57258 date=1393424666] Am I reading this chart on the back of the Royal Canin packet correctly? Coming up to three months Mella (Yellow Lab lady) should be getting 263g of Canin a day in three meals (about 86g/meal) with water. I'm actually giving here 3 X 70g at the moment. If that is correct then she will stay on 3 meals a day right through 15 months?? [/quote] The packet indicates swapping to 2 meals at 5 months, I think. I feed the same food and swapped about then. I think the tap and bowl means water should be available, not mixed with the food (if that's what you mean). 3 x 70g is 80% of the recommended amount - I cut back to below that as Charlie gained some weight. I'd just keep a really close eye on her body shape. Although, I never found that easy when Charlie was younger, I found it got easier as he got older. Some weeks he'd be a bit round, then his legs seemed to grow a bit and he'd even out.
Re: Feeding enough? Thanks folks but still a bit confused. Alongside the 3m for a 26Kg dog it says 3+⅞. What dos that mean? Divide the 263g (first column) by three but what's the ⅞? Think I'm getting senile???
