puppy fat?......question.

can a puppy be too fat? i have been making sure my 2 pup (4mo) and (5mo) have food in front of them all the time. they have a bit of a pot belly. is this harmful?

 

i wouldn't feed them 24/7!! i think they're supposed to get like two-three cups per day at that age. do a search or check your feed bag. but get them on a schedule of eating and taking them out(if they are inside) i split mine into three servings a day. same time every day. then waited an half hour to an hour then carried her out. and make sure you're not feeding the pups garbage food.

 

just looked at my canadae bag. up to 25 lbs give em about 2 cups a day. 25-50 lbs up to 4 cups a day. depending on the energy level of the dog.

 

Has he seen the vet? been checked for parasites? (worms) that will give them a round belly.

 

If the dogs are wormed and healthy let em eat. I like to keep a full bowl in front of all pups unless there is a real problem. Most will eat sensibly, of course they get fat and round, but as a pup they get all the nutrients they need. If anyone gets TOO fat, then I take the bowl away and feed them what I feel is right until they get to a good weight. I start cutting the weight back around 9-10 months.

 

i agree totally,,, it gives them a good jump start and helps they're immune system to be nice and healthy,, let them eat, if they're gittin round probroly cause by worms,,, fleas can cause worms so it's a good probrability that that may be the case, fly's and so on, but i'de feed them

 

Biggest cause of stomach bloat is worms just like everyone here said. You need to use a quality wormer (not the stuff you buy at the grocery store) like Nemex-2 or a generic equivelant like Strongid or an allwormer like Drontal+. Fleas will just reinfect the same dog over and over unless you treat the dog for fleas also. Advantage is a great flea preventative given once a month. You can get both wormers and Advantage from www.petshed.com As far as feeding pups, give them as much as they will eat. When they are pups they need food and nutrients to grow to their genetic potential. You should start monitoring and cutting feed after 10 months old. Some people wait until after a year to start cutting feed.

Regards,

B

 

the pups get de wormed every 2 weeks. and vet check up, just wondering how everyone else deals with weight and when to start conditioning.

 

If you read my post... you will find your answer. You shouldn't be conditioning any dog until they are 10-12 months old and even then you start with basic simple exercise. I think you were told this in another post already.

B

 

i know i got it B, just letting everyone know. everyones answers are slightly different. but i got the idea. thanks for the info.

i only walk my pups a short distance everyday. mainly cuz of its really really cold out. but i wont start basic conditioning til 11 mo.

 

Just make sure your feeding them the right diet and have their vaccinations on time. Make the as much as possible parasite free.