How much to feed my 11 wk old Kaida
Submitted by KaidasMom on July 24, 2012 - 10:53amHi, all - as an afterthought - I want to make sure I'm feeding Kaida properly. I've read various materials on puppies and feeding - some say to free feed until the puppy is full - some say to follow the bag instructions.
We've been following the bag instructions and giving her 2 snacks (watermelon, banana, apple, cheese, treats - all in small amounts).
Is this enough? I don't want her overeating to the point where she doesn't know her belly is full and is put at risk for bloat or the like, but want to make sure she's eating enough too. She loves food, so I'm nervous she'll go overboard.
Any advice? She's not "skinny", but a healthly looking pup - that I can feel her ribs - but not prominently. Her tummy is rounded - and is pretty predominant after she's eaten.
Thanks much,
Kaida's Mom
Hershey is 18 weeks...we feed . .
3/4 a cup x 3 times a day for a total of 2.25 cups a day - of Blue Buffalo Wilderness (not a puppy formula) he is getting big fast, but does not seem over weight to us.
He LOVES food and will try to get into his sisters any chance he gets. If we were to feed him until he was full, he would definately bloat or atleast not know when to stop.
Last steps taken May 26, 2014 -- Been rolling along ever since . . . .
Free Feeding
I don't like free feeding, but I have 3 dogs and I feed raw so I weigh each meal and ofcourse raw can not be left out.
My puppy's ate kibble 3 times a day, 4 times if needed to put weight on, and about 1 cup per feeding until 6 months old. Then they go to 2 feedings a day. Go to adult food around 4 months, if you are feeding a puppy food. If this puppy has a promenient tummy and is ribby I would have the puppy wormed, especially if the breeder has not provided worm records for you or you don't know if it's been wormed. Puppies usually need 2 or 3 wormings, but this should be done by the breeder before the puppy is sent to it's new home. IMO free feeding makes a picky eater and if you get another dog it is difficult feeding free with 2. I like to feed all mine separate, so they can eat at there own pace, and I know exactly what they are eating and how much. Also it keeps peace in the house with separate feedings.
kibble 3x a day, check - 1 cup per feeding?
Thanks for the feedback. I'm feeding her a mix of kibble (1/2 avoderm puppy, 1/2 fromm four star nutritionals) which state feeding amounts according to what they weigh - at her size it says 1 cup per day - so I'm confused...is this guideline only if she's "an adult"? Should I feed her more?
She's had all of her dewormings and isn't "prominently" ribby nor does her tummy bulge in a scary way - but she acts as if she's hungry all the time (which may be why I'm having the other issue with her:
Additional thoughts or feedback is greatly appreciated!
Submitted by KaidasMom on July 24, 2012 - 10:44am.So, I got home yesterday - Kaida's first day alone with her mom & dad at work and found:
She hadn't played with her toys (except the Kong & a stuffed lion being moved) - and there was no poop? UH OH. She had pee'd on the potty training pads - and should have pooped at least twice more since I left in the morning and when I got home? I saw a few small traces and smudges of it, but nothing else? Not in her crate that she naps in during the day either?
I suspect...UGH - she might have consumed it? I read that canned pumpkin and pineapple are natural deterrents when mixed in their food (which I haven't tried yet) has anyone found this to help?
She is currently being fed by an autofeeder which dispenses her 1/4 cup of kibble at 12 and 5PM. I give her breakfast and a snack at night. Are those 2 meals I give her enough of a deterrent during the day when I'm not home?
I've also heard of tablets you can give them that will make their poop smell bad to them so they don't do it?
We always pick up her poop and dispose of it when we are home or outside - but inside - if the deterrent doesn't work, I may need to find a mid-day walker to come by and check on her.
Thanks for the advice,
KaidasMom
1 cup per day
is not nearly enough for a growing puppy. She is starving with that. No wonder she is devouring poop. I have never had a poop eater, but everything I have read is that there is somekind of nutritional deficiency if they are eating poop. And no those 2 meals a day are not enough. I would go to 4 small meals a day if you are leaving her along during the day for more the 8 hours, but she should be eating about 3 cups of kibble a day. try a schedule something like 6am, 11am, 3 pm and 7 pm. I honestly don't like ribs on puppies, they need the fat to grow. But if they are to fat that is not good either, but I would rather have a puppy on the chubby side then too thin.
I would also add a supplement like Missing link and some Salmon oil to help with nutrient she might be missing.
Has she been wormed? Had shots and her puppy well check?
At that age
We were feeding Chef D just shy of a cup of Wellness at 7:30am, noon-ish and 5:30pm.
We also feed him a lot of kibble as treats. We live in a high-rise, so he got lots of treats being good in the elevator, walking the halls, going to the bathroom in the correct spot, etc.
The vet always complemented us on how good his weight was.
Chef D's Mug Shot
Deb is exactly right
At 11 weeks, feed one cup per feeding, and 3 feedings per day. Switch to adult kibble around 4 months and then reduce feeding to twice per day. My 10 week old puppies are on the 1cup x 3 schedule and my 9 month old is eating 1.5 cups per feeding twice a day. My adult dogs normally eat 1 cup twice a day, though I've had some that needed 1.5 cups twice a day well into adulthood.
Heather, Jack, Rosie, and Thor
Kaida report - weight now at 7.6lbs
I think my girl is going to be a petite one like her momma - (lol...I'm only 4'10 and 110 lbs)
She's now up at 1/2 cup 3x and frozen yogurt in her kong when I leave for work to keep her happy. So, it looks like she's been gaining about a pound a week since we got her (except in the 10th week).
Week 8: 4.6 lbs
Week 9: 5.4 lbs
Week 10: 6.4 lbs
Week 11: 6.8 lbs
Week 12: tbd - 7.6lbs this morning, but won't know this week's increase until Saturday
At 11 weeks Phoebe weighed in at...
13 pounds. Currently she eats about 2.75 cups a day and is doing well on that. Now that she is 4 monthsshe is about 20 pounds and I think I will cut her back to 2 cups a day soon.
Just a Lil Thang
Yes she is a tiny little one. She probably can't eat 3 cups a day but it's good she is gaining. I suspect she will mature somewhere around 35 - 38 lbs.