Too Skinny ?

[Lemonpointer]

At 8 1/2 weeks my pointer puppy was 8.5 lbs. He appears to be growing well and is a very happy energetic pup. He looks to me to be way too thin. Ribs and hips visable etc. I feed him a little over 1/2 cup of Purina Pro Plan 2x a day. I don't want to over feed him and I don't want a chubby pup, but how thin is too thin?

[birddogger]

How old is he now? How are his stools? Has he been checked for worms?

Charlie

[Brittguy]

I think 1 cup a day is probably not enough

[ezzy333]

a normal puppy of that age should be getting as much as he wants. Then if you see he is getting too heavy you could cut it back a little. Remember a dog needs what ever he needs. There is no right amount to feed any dog untill he shows you how much by his condition.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

Feed 3 times a day as much as he wants to eat. Looks for the tell-tale signs of a full belly like stretching, long pauses at the bowl, yawns, lots of licking around the lips, etc. You will know when the pup is full.

1 cup is definitley not enough food, even if it were the best food around.

Wet the food as well.

[ezzy333]

1 cup is definitley not enough food, even if it were the best food around.

Wet the food as well.

I would not wet any dry food for a dog. It just leads to other problems and the pup will eat what he needs without going through a lot of extra procedures. I have never seen any animal starve with food sitting in front of it.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

Puppies this age are noticably more comfortable eating kibble that has been moistened with either water, canned food, yogurt, goats milk, whatever, they will eat more, regurgitate less and digest the food easier..that's just the way it is.

sorry al

[ezzy333]

Puppies this age are noticably more comfortable eating kibble that has been moistened with either water, canned food, yogurt, goats milk, whatever, they will eat more, regurgitate less and digest the food easier..that's just the way it is.

sorry al

I agree for the first week or so but it isn't needed after that. All of those things are just another way to try and get a puppy to over eat. Plus I have never had a pup have any kind of digestive problems once they are on the dry food. What you are talking about are products of over eating and undesireable for a healthy puppy. I sure don't want them eating more, faster, or easier. The best that can happen is for the pup to eat slowly, and only what it needs to maintain a lean healthy body. Kind of what happened before man got involved and decided we knew more than nature.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

"Kind of what happened before man got involved and decided we knew more than nature"

Yes thats true, and a wild canine's food will have 60 - 80% water in it.....nature doesn't make kibble...moist food is entirely natural at any age...

[postoakshorthairs]

"Kind of what happened before man got involved and decided we knew more than nature"

Yes thats true, and a wild canine's food will have 60 - 80% water in it.....nature doesn't make kibble...moist food is entirely natural at any age...

----I usually sit back and read you two arguing but Ezzy kind of stept in a pile with this comment. I don't know what you two look like or how old you are but everytime I read your back and forth threads i think of Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon.

[ezzy333]

"Kind of what happened before man got involved and decided we knew more than nature"

Yes thats true, and a wild canine's food will have 60 - 80% water in it.....nature doesn't make kibble...moist food is entirely natural at any age...

----I usually sit back and read you two arguing but Ezzy kind of stept in a pile with this comment. I don't know what you two look like or how old you are but everytime I read your back and forth threads i think of Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon.

Thank you. I must be Jack since I am the smart good looking one.

My comment about Mother Nature referred to the fact that pups were fed rather sparingly instead of being force fed like many people try to do with all of the appetisers that they use.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

I am 47..Ezzy sounds much younger and less experienced

I kinda thought Ezzy & Big Steve were like those two guys in The Muppet Show, the ones that sat in the balcony.

[A/C Guy]

"Kind of what happened before man got involved and decided we knew more than nature"

Yes thats true, and a wild canine's food will have 60 - 80% water in it.....nature doesn't make kibble...moist food is entirely natural at any age...

----I usually sit back and read you two arguing but Ezzy kind of stept in a pile with this comment. I don't know what you two look like or how old you are but everytime I read your back and forth threads i think of Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon.

Thank you. I must be Jack since I am the smart good looking one.

Yeah, but wasn't it Walter that always ended up with the pretty girl?

[A/C Guy]

At 8 1/2 weeks my pointer puppy was 8.5 lbs. He appears to be growing well and is a very happy energetic pup. He looks to me to be way too thin. Ribs and hips visable etc. I feed him a little over 1/2 cup of Purina Pro Plan 2x a day. I don't want to over feed him and I don't want a chubby pup, but how thin is too thin?

I agree with the others, you need to feed at least 3 times a day; 4 times would be even better. I would supplement with a hard boiled egg in the morning and some meat in the evening. A slightly fat puppy grows better than an under weight puppy. If he is getting enough exercise, he won't get over weight. You should be able to feel the ribs, but not see them through the skin.

[MikeB]

I think most pointers and pointing breeds like GSP, V's and others are naturaly lean and thin for most of their growth peroid no matter how much they eat. They blow out so much energy it is hard to keep weight on them. As long as this pup is getting enough to eat, he should be just fine with out trying to get him to over eat by adding extras.

[Lemonpointer]

Thank you all for the advice. It is greatly appreciated. I will continue to add a little more food every couple of days and keep an eye on his weight.

[smokinsam]

I would feed at least 3times a day.
probably let him eat until he decides he's had enough.
good luck

[Ron R]

----I usually sit back and read you two arguing but Ezzy kind of stept in a pile with this comment. I don't know what you two look like or how old you are but everytime I read your back and forth threads i think of Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon.

That is some pretty funny stuff.

I'm a little nervous about asking this question but what is wrong with a 8 1/2 week old puppy being fat or chubby. I say absolutly nothing and I am always amazed every time I read something like "my dog is too skinny or fat, what should I do". Worm it out if needed and give it more or less food. :roll:

Ron

[ezzy333]

----I usually sit back and read you two arguing but Ezzy kind of stept in a pile with this comment. I don't know what you two look like or how old you are but everytime I read your back and forth threads i think of Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon.

That is some pretty funny stuff.

I'm a little nervous about asking this question but what is wrong with a 8 1/2 week old puppy being fat or chubby. I say absolutly nothing and I am always amazed every time I read something like "my dog is too skinny or fat, what should I do". Worm it out if needed and give it more or less food. :roll:

Ron

Absolutely the best advice one could give.

Ezzy

[Birddogz]

I used to feed my DD what it said on the bag, and had to double it to get it right. At 6 months she was eating 6 cups of Purina Pro Plan puppy food, and still on the thin side. I started giving her deer meat to supplement. Just when I thought she was going to eat me out of house and home, she hit 1 year, and stopped eating so much. She eats 4 cups per day now. Thank God! Every dog is different. My Britts would have looked like bowling balls if I had fed them much.