feeding to much?

K

KarenW

Forums Regular
Prancer is now 9 months old. I was shocked today when
I weighed him . He is 30 lbs....I measured him at the shoulder he stands 17.5 inches. I feed him 2/3 cups twice a day of Fromm. I didn't think tht was to much ...maybe it is?..what is everyone's opinion ...is he chubby....I also feed him 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter as a snack at noon ....do I need to change dog food? Feed less? I don't want him to get fat he is unalterated.
 
You definitely don't want your nine-month-old puppy to be overweight, because it will impact his bones, health and joints for the rest of his life. He is tall, but 30 pounds does sound a bit heavy. Has your vet seen him? S/he can tell you if he weighs too much.

This article might also help you determine if your pup is porky.
http://www.ehow.com/info_12310926_can-tell-much-dog-supposed-weigh.html

Fromm is a great food and what I feed my dogs too, but 2/3 cup twice a day might be a lot. I give puppies 1/2 cup twice daily until they're 6 months old, and then gradually lower it depending on activity level and weight to 1/4 or 1/3 cup twice daily. I would definitely eliminate the peanut butter! It's almost pure fat and will pack on the pounds. If you want to give him a snack, try using low-fat cottage cheese or organic yogurt (make sure it has no artificial sweetener in it though) instead.
 
That is too heavy for a 9mth old. On the Sheltie Forum height/weight chart (a spreadsheet with stats from dogs on the forum) for an adult dog you're looking at about 24 to 26lbs and a young dog should weigh less. I'd say he is more than chubby.

As Ann mentioned, being overweight at that age can cause damage to his joints, and overweight puppies have a much higher risk of developing dysplasia.

Cut back the amount of food and replace it with vegetables to keep him satisfied. 2 Tbs of peanut butter for a small dog is the equivalent to you eating half a jar! It's a huge amount, about a quarter of his daily energy requirements. If you want to add fat to his diet try something that has a benefit - like oily fish for the Omegas for coat. But while he is that fat I'd cut out snacks all together. If you really want to give him a snack buy some chicken necks and give him one to chew on. Or even better, a carrot or some apple - something healthy.

I also suggest you visit your vet and discuss a program for getting his weight down.
 
Green beans with no salt added for lunch. No calories to speak of. Frozen ones are great for teeth and make a super "treat" for them too.
 
With mine, they are on a low fat food (8%-Blue fish & sweet potato) because Liam needs to be. I have found they are all a good weight, Emma losing about 3 pounds, which she had to. I actually had to increase her food to what the others have - 1/2 cup twice a day. They also get small cookies (low in caloric count).

You may need to cut back the food, but talk to your vet first. Make sure you include all the treats in the calorie count for the day and cut back the kibble as needed to maintain/lose weight.
 
Dickens was 27 pounds when he hit that height, although that was at six months. If you think he's a bit heavy, I might consider cutting back the dog food and substituting some raw meat; chicken or beef, to ensure he gets adequate protein for growth and immunity. I'm not big on the belief that fat causes weight gain, so unless you're giving him "tons" of peanut butter, I'd continue to let him have it.
 
Sheltiemama said:
Green beans with no salt added for lunch. No calories to speak of. Frozen ones are great for teeth and make a super "treat" for them too.
Click to expand...

I agree with the green beans, you can also add some canned mushrooms to help fill up. They are very low in calorie content, only about 20 calories for 1/2 cup. My Bambi loved the mushrooms, especially after she saw me eat them and realized she was getting "people" food.
 
Cookie is 1.5 years and about 15" at the shoulder. He is 19 lbs. I feed him 1/3 cup twice a day. We go for long walks every day and play frisbee often. He gets a bully stick every other day as a snack.
 
Can you feel his ribs? My 11 month old boy is 15 3/4 and 22 pounds, but his ribs are very palpable, so he is not fat.....
 
Fromm's is great! Don't deviate from that brand, instead try reducing the amount to 1/2 cup twice a day, as people have suggested above.

Furthermore, if your furbaby is on the puppy food, then it might be time to switch over to adult, which has less fat content. In fact, 9 months seems like a good time to switch. We didn't switch ours until he was 1yr, but the vet said that we could have done it a couple months sooner, so 9 months seems appropriate.

Also, you could try the Fromm's weight management line, I'm sure he won't mind. Honestly, our furbaby loves everything from Fromm's. We like to switch things up and give him 1/2 c. Fromm's Small Breed (or other-non weight management kibble) in the morning, and 1/2 c. Fromm's Weight Management at night.

Good luck!
Anna
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top