di59louie Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Hey all, Just a quick question about how much is appropriate for my 12 week old pupster. I view normal eating as such: Eats when he is hungry and not necessarily will finish - that's o.k. - pretty simple. I feed 3 times per day: 1/2-3/4c Innova mixed with wet food: Dick Van Patten - varies flavors Louie does not always finish - I am o.k. with this. All food is corn and wheat free - even is treats. The reason I bring this up is because my puppy trainer claims he should be eating more considering his activity and the breed. Well with all of the training treats I amazed he is ever hungry for his meals. Louie weights ~16lbs. based on a PetSmart's scale however I will be at the vet. this Friday to see what he has to say. Should I be only doing dry food at this point or is the mixing of wet and dry o.k.?? Thanks as usual. Diana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 That's a lot of food for a pup!!! 3 X 1/2 - 3/4 plus wet food?! I am not familiar with Innova, but my 15 months old (45 lb) eats 1/2 - 1 cup A DAY of California Natural. Sometimes I put in a teaspoon of wet food and some shredded cheese, to entice him to eat it/ Plus occasional treats or food scraps. He was eating waaay less as a puppy. Border Collies can be very picky eaters, and i wouldn't worry about him not eating enough unless he is realy underweight. How old is Louie, 3-4 months? 16 lb is a good weight, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
di59louie Posted January 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Hey Anda, Thanks so much for the validation. Louie is 12 weeks old and I think his weight is perfect! we walk daily, I try to get him on the trails 1x/wk and of course plays all of the time. I can feel his ribs but trust me he is clearly healthy and fit for a puppy. Again, thanks for the encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 I agree, you have to go with your pup's physical appearance - or rather how your pup feels. Can you easily feel his ribs, the hip bones. Is he active, not lethargic. I don't go by the measurements on the food bag, but I do measure out the food. My BC is only on dry with treats for training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collies4me Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 what is the important of wheat/oorn free food? I noticed that at the pet store today...sorry for the new guy question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SincereArtisan Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Anda, your Ouzo eats only 1/2-1C a day? Rune eats 2C a day, and she's not even 30 lbs...she's barely 29. :eek: And she's pretty slender, not scrawny, but right at her perfect weight. (feel ribs, feel hips/not see them, hourglass figure, all that...) I'm just surprised at the variation. It might be that mine are with me running amuck at daycare all day, and thats where they burn it all off. LoL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Sarah, that's correct I put about 1/2 cup of food in the morning in his bowl and sometimes he eats it, then he gets another 1/2 at dinner, but other times he does not even touch his breakfast till dinner time. Some days he asks for seconds, and I gladly give them. The bag of food is actualy in the kitchen, and if he would realy starve, he would get inside and eat more. NEVER EVER EVER happened. And not because his manners are excellent He does go diving in the trash can, but for napkins and paper products, not food (And occasional chicken bones that give him almost instant runs :mad: ) You saw his pictures, he's not a skinny guy, and I can attest to his endless energy Lately I've been giving him some pig feet and he loves those. I'm all for feeding him till he's full, but he just isn't that much into food. If he could get his calories from tennis balls or napkins, now that would make him a happy pup! I've always had problems feeding him, until I just realized that's his metabolism and I should stop worrying about this. Here are some pics taken yesterday: All 45 lb of him (or maybe more, haven't weight him since October 21st, on his 1st birthday) And a few days ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 That sounds like plenty of food for a pup. If you are wondering about weight, there is this thread: http://www.bordercollie.org/cgi-bin/ultima...t=002630#000000 Dazzle only gets 1/2 cup or less (almost 2 years old - 30ish pounds). But that is on SD (not-so-great-food) - it seems that if I give her anymore she just builds up fat. Only a few more weeks before we run out and I can switch to better kibble. Yay! It isn't so much the amount of food but what is IN the food - and of course it changes a LOT from dog to dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 Rune eats 2C a day, and she's not even 30 lbs...she's barely 29. And she's pretty slender, not scrawny, but right at her perfect weight. (feel ribs, feel hips/not see them, hourglass figure, all that...)Yikes! You all are lucky, my 1 yo is eating 3 cups a day...and you can see all the bones; hips, ribs, spine....in her, little heifer build Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amylobdell24 Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 All dogs have different metabolisms, just like people. My 38# 2 year old, very active, very skinny BC eats 2 1/2 cups of high calorie food daily (1100 k/cals per day!), and my 12 week old 16.7# puppy eats 2 1/3 cups of dry puppy food daily. Neither is overweight, but they are very active and fit. Puppies under 4 months need more calories per day. Once they reach that 4 month mark, and again around 9 or 10 months, their caloric needs tend to lessen. As several other folks said, I'd go by body condition. It's hard to overfeed a growing puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DakotaSpirit Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 I feed my 6 mo. old pup Canidae. He gets 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups per day (split between 2 feedings). He is nice and slim like he should be (can feel ribs without seeing them-not that you could with all his fur). I haven't had him weighed recently, but a few weeks ago he weighed 21 lbs at the vet (he will remain on the smaller side of the bc weight spectrum). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted January 29, 2007 Report Share Posted January 29, 2007 I proudly report that Ouzo ate 1.5 cups of his food today (California Natural - Lamb& Rice) ! Ate his breakfast (0.5 cups) at noon, then 0.5 cups at dinner, and asked for seconds (another 1/2 cup)! That's the most he's eaten in a while! (probably because yesterday and last night at 3 AM he had the runs from the free samples I got from that Sportsmen Expo :mad: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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