Optimal amount of the food for a puppy

[Maksym]

I have a two months old puppy with the weight of 5.3 lbs, and feeding it by Royal Canin starter mini.  I am wondering what is the optimal daily amount of the dog food for the puppy with these conditions. Could you please tell me?

[Guest dog person]

See what it recommends on the dog food package for the pup's current weight per day, I tend to go with the lowest amount and add a spoon full of soft food and a splash of water.

I would divide the daily recommended amount up into 3 or 4 portions (small meals).   I would not free feed (leave food down all day) puppies will eat till they vomit.

Weigh the dog once a week, just weigh yourself, then stand on the scale with the pup then deduct your weight.    Increase the amount of food accordingly, you should see a gradual increase in weight, for the pup not you, lol

By 5-6 months you should be able to go to 2 meals per day.

I imagine you will be seeing the vet in the near future for puppy shots and such.  He will be able to advise you if the pup looks well nourished and is developing normally.

Edited February 14, 2019 by dog person

[Guest dog person]

Please keep in mind that when you ask questions regarding veterinary care, diet, vaccinations and everything else.

Traditional veterinary views can differ greatly from homeopathic veterinary views.    Therefore you will get a variety of opinions.

In my experience I have found that it is best to find a veterinarian that you like and trust, go for routine checkups as recommended and listen to what he/she advises.

Otherwise it can get very confusing.

[sanford]

Related to this, is the topic of recommended feeding amounts on dog food labels. Everyone I've spoken to, including folks here who have written in, agrees that the amounts on those labels are much too much! 

It's  grossly irresponsible for dog food companies to get away with promoting these unhealthy amounts, just to sell more of their product and I don't understand how they continue to get away with it. Most dog owners have enough common sense not to follow these outrageous "guidelines", but what about naive, first-time dog owners who don't have the experience to know better? It's a shame that this practice continues to go on!

[Guest dog person]

Are you talking about this product?   https://www.chewy.com/royal-canin-size-health-nutrition/dp/34740

If so, it may be time to transition to another formula?     Please check with your veterinarian.

"Whether we’re talking about their bodies or their lifestyle, small dogs are a little bit different from the rest of the canine world. Fortunately, Royal Canin Mini is distinctly different, too. This unique nutritional solution meets the needs of the mother and her puppies during the first 5 stages of life. This ensures that your little ones have everything they need from the start. Royal Canin's starter food has your pet covered through gestation, birth, lactation, weaning and growth up to 2 months."

Edited February 14, 2019 by dog person

[Kathryn]

Have to admit that I was a little put off by the desciptions in the above link, and their use of such language to sell dog food!

"great for the mother and her precious puppies..."

"Uses the same goodness found in mother's milk..."

Gosh. I didn't know "goodness" was an ingredient!

And dogs don't read...

Sorry, Maksym, to be a little off your topic. The best food for dogs generates as many different opinions as the best food for people. Often there are no final conclusions.  Some people choose one of the commercial dog foods. Others cook for their dogs using grocery store ingredients. Some people choose to feed raw. It is VERY hard to find solid advice. 

Your puppy is young and I hope your breeder provided information. I think you could check back with the breeder for more advice.

And when you take your puppy to the vet for puppy shots, that would be a good time to also ask about food recommendations as your puppy grows up.

We are using Blue Wilderness puppy food for our six-month old puppy because that was what he was being fed when we got him 2 months ago. We did not want to upset his system with a change of food.

Your pup is adorable, and clearly you are doing all you can to give him the best possible life. Enjoy his puppyhood - they can be trying at times!

Edited February 14, 2019 by Kathryn

[Sam I Am]

With Sam we fed him kibble till he was 6 months(and never fed the amount that was recommended) then switched to raw and home cooked.   I agree with Sanford and  Kathryn to the ridiculous amounts kibble bags say to feed ones dog. .....fat puppies are not necessarily healthy puppies. 

[sanford]

I was disappointed to see that corn is the 4th ingredient in Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Starter Mother & Baby dog Dry Dog Food. Some time ago it was determined that among other drawbacks with this common "filler", corn is one of the cheapest ingredients that processors resort to. It has also been alleged that many dog foods use the sweepings, literally from the floor, that are left behind from processing the corn for other uses.

      When this info came to light some years ago, people stopped buying dog foods with corn in the ingredient list and many packages prominently labeled their products: "Contains No Corn" 

However, Science Diet calls corn a "Golden Grain", citing studies that describe corn as packed with essential nutrients. They deny that they use it as a filler with no nutritional benefits.

      And so it goes...

Edited February 14, 2019 by sanford

[Hillscreek]

Agree in general with above comments. What to feed question generates dozens , nay hundreds, of different opinions often quite passionately held by those that espouse one way or another.

I fed puppy Angus what his breeder was feeding him till I felt he was settled - a few weeks- then I transitioned him over to what I was using at the time a grain free kibble with fresh clean water always available. As others have said I fed much less than the guide lines suggested. Have to say I just went with my gut feeling as he was growing and even when he was grown. Felt for some ribs under a small layer of fat. Rarely weighed him. Daily poop check. If all well and he was bouncing about then I relaxed.

 

 

 

[Scarlett]

I feed my little guy Guy fresh pet puppy. It’s not raw but lightly cooked. Comes in sausage roll kind of packaging and Guy LOVES is. I often add a dollop of 0 fat plain greek yogurt on top. Occasionally I’ll top it off with a few sardines or other fish. Guy loves fish...... I was curious about portions too because the directions on the fresh do have a “weight” guid but it’s a current weight guide and doesn’t account for breed size. His vet said to let him eat as much as he wants for 15 minutes twice a day. This translates to about a pound of food and then treats....... but he is not fat....... 4 months and about 8 lbs.......

[bradl]

A lot of variables going on so I can't speak to specific amounts but maybe about strategies that have worked for us. 

First step is to get comfortable assessing weight, not so much in terms of actual pounds but in terms of "too much" or "too little" based on bodyfat, rib prominence, appearance etc. We reassess *each week* and either carry on as we are doing or make a *small" adjustment up or down in food and then reassess in two weeks the affect of the new amount.

In order for this to work we must know exactly how much we are feeding, so we weigh (wet food) or measure carefully (dry food). To give you an idea of an adjustment, when we notice one of our dogs is looking thin we might adjust their 1/4 cup of food from level to level plus one layer more of kibble (say, "a rounded" quarter cup). Likewise we might go from level to a scant quarter-cup the other direction. That might only be 10-15 kibbles each way but can be enough to establish a new nice weight.

When we fed raw the target amount of food was some % of body weight, for sake of example say 2%. That's easy to calculate for a dog of "adult size" say 2 years old. We found that with puppies we'd just feed them as if they were the expected size of the adult, divided over several meals. That meant they ate an enormous percentage of their puppy weight . But never anywhere near a pound! Maybe 3-4 oz.