martymonty Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Hi Just wondering what the best way is for increasing our puppies amount of food, she seems to be VERY hungry so I think she may need more. I added extra food to her mealtimes last week and the poor thing got massive diahhrea, it was just pouring out of her. I don't want that to happen again. We have her on IAMS puppy smart dog food but are looking at possibly changing her to the more organic types of food since they do seem to be better for dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab lady Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 how much are you feeding? Is it the same diet that the breeder had the pup on? One word of warning, Labs love their food and puppies will often eat until the plate is clean not until they are full. I wouldn't be making any sudden changes in the diet these need to be done gradually to avoid tummy upsets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martymonty Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 The breeder was feeding her 1/2 up in the morning and 1/2 cup for dinner, I've increased ever so slightly, but like you said, she is devouring her food, I don't want her to be fat. I take her to the vet on Wednesday, but you can tell she is def. gaining weight and filling out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmiller Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 HiJust wondering what the best way is for increasing our puppies amount of food, she seems to be VERY hungry so I think she may need more. I added extra food to her mealtimes last week and the poor thing got massive diahhrea, it was just pouring out of her. I don't want that to happen again. We have her on IAMS puppy smart dog food but are looking at possibly changing her to the more organic types of food since they do seem to be better for dogs. I'm no expert but I would say the diahhrea wasn't caused by you increasing the kibble content. If he is 8 weeks, you must have just got him home? Even a subtle change in diet (like treats) or even water (my boy was on tank water at the breeder, tap water with us) may cause diahhreah. I'd persist with the puppy food for a while before changing its diet (maybe chicken and rice until the runs subside). Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab lady Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 not being familiar with the dry food you are feeding it's hard to say if the quantity is correct. Mine at 8 weeks are on 1/2 cup dry, a heaped tablespoon of raw mince, rice, veggies and yogurt. You could try adding some rice this won't do any harm and is unlikely to cause any tummy upsets. Vegetables provide a great filler for Labs, but they need to be added slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Extra food WILL cause an overload to the digestive system and possible diarhoea. Be sensible - you've got a labrador and they are ALWAYS seeking food. They never stop wanting food even if they've just had a full meal. Please stop taking that as a sign that your dog needs more food. An overweight puppy is at risk from joint problems so you need to be very careful. It's a labrador - what did you expect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 (edited) I would stick to the diet the breeder had her on. Did they give you a diet sheet. My breeder did & as well as the kibble there was yoghurt, cottage cheese, sardines in oil & raw mince. I was to alternate the extras at each meal. I pretty much stick to it although I did change the brand of kibble & added raw meaty bones. Tilba is still a guts & would eat all I gave her if I weren't sensible. With large breed puppies you need to grow them slowly to avoid bone & joint problems. Edited March 15, 2009 by luvsdogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 (edited) An 8 week old only on two meals a day? That seems less than I would expect.. if she is filling out, and there are no ribs visible.. feed the same amount, but divide it into 3. Do not add veges as a 'filler'- she is a baby puppy and needs good quality protein /fat to grow on- not vegetable matter ;) the ingredients list for the food you are using. It has been mentioned on here that dogs cannot easily digest /assimilate CORN.... perhaps your pup does need to be GENTLY/GRADUALLY changed to a more suitable food? Edited March 15, 2009 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 If it was me I would be gradually (over a period of say 5 days) be changing over to a better diet. Raw minced chicken frames, kangaroo meat, veges, raw eggs, sardines, etc. Of all the dogfoods my dogs have tried over the years, you are using the one that I had the worst results with. If you want to feed dryfood try Eagle Pack. It really is soooo much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 An 8 week old only on two meals a day?That seems less than I would expect.. if she is filling out, and there are no ribs visible.. feed the same amount, but divide it into 3. Do not add veges as a 'filler'- she is a baby puppy and needs good quality protein /fat to grow on- not vegetable matter ;) the ingredients list for the food you are using. It has been mentioned on here that dogs cannot easily digest /assimilate CORN.... perhaps your pup does need to be GENTLY/GRADUALLY changed to a more suitable food? 8 weeks is a fine time to cut a puppy back to 2 meals a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I agree. I've never fed my dogs 3 meals. Actually, I cut back to 1 meal at about 4 months as well which is a shitload earlier than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab lady Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 8 weeks is a fine time to cut a puppy back to 2 meals a day. Glad i'm not the only one who thinks this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelli Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 Our lab puppies leave us on 2 meals a day with a bone for the third meal in the middle of the day. this has worked well for us for quite a while. Good quality kibble with yoghurt, sardines, grated cheese or a few vegies is fine - just alternate the additives. As previously stated most labradors will vaccum their food up and pretend they are hungry immediately.....don' get sucked in by those "feed me eyes" being overweight is a definate no no for all large breed dogs........I usually keep puppies on two feeds until they are about 6months old, depending on the puppy their growth rate and development.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) What to feed and how much is endlessly debatable. Whatever you do, remember that most labs are gutsers and skilled at begging, and feeding too much is a more common problem than feeding too little. Also learn to LOOK AT YOUR DOG. You want to be aware of a rib cage, but you don't want a dog that permanently shows a concave belly and ribs sticking out -- the concentration camp image. I like to see pups looking a bit round (gourdo) after they've eaten, and a bit concave when it's feeding time. As they get older, I try to get them a bit less round. The amount they need is dynamic. In growth spurts they may need more food. But if you concentrate on what the dog looks like, on a week to week basis, you should get the balance right. If it's not extreme and doesn't last for weeks, runny poohs can be ignored. Edited March 16, 2009 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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