Our beautiful 12 week old lab puppy is doing really well. I do wonder if he’s too thin though. His ribs are just visible, eg when he turns or twists around. It’s hard to know how much to feed him - guidelines on packets vary so much, and then we try to reduce the amount a title to compensate for treats used in training. Should we see his ribs or should we increase his feeds?
Hi Chris, you shouldn't be able to see his ribs. A lab is a healthy weight if you can gently run your fingers down the sides and feel their ribs. How much are you currently feeding him a day? We feed Luna 3 times a day and now she is 5 months she is on 110g at a time with extras (she is a very hungry little lady and is very lean)
Thanks - we’ve been feeding him a cup of food three times a day, plus extras. This is at 12 weeks. I think it was the portion size on the pack. I’ve increased it as of today. He can obviously afford to eat more!
the first few ribs should be just visible only when they are stretched or twisting, so sounds good to me. If he has a defined tuck and his waist goes in when looking from above, ribs can be easily felt & his back bone isn't visible I would think that's ideal. We just check Kyko every week & if we think he's getting a bit chubby cut his food a little
It depends really whether you have a working or a show lab(American/English) The working labs tend to be a lot leaner. You can play around with the food. Increase a little at a time until you feel happier and decrease if he starts to look too chubby. I tended to feed the lower end of the kibble recommended amounts but you could do it by calories instead.
