Too skinny? worried

[EPCO]

10 weeks old, 16 lbs. I am feeding him 1.5 cups a day of the Kirklands/Diamond chicken and rice adult.

http://www.diamondpet.com/products/diam ... g_formula/

He looks pretty skinny, should I feed him more? I don't want him to grow too fast though.



When I took him in for his 8 week exam the vet said he looks healthy, but wants me to put him on a puppy food. She likes Iams.

[EPCO]

side view

[daniel77]

Your side view pic didn't come through. Is he a Lab? I'll also ask when this pic was taken? Pups can look awfully different right before and after a meal.

**Nevermind, after my post came up, the pic was there. Looks okay to me. Some of the American field bred lines are somewhat long and lanky, especially compared with the English lines. 16lb's @ 10 wks doesn't sound small to me at all. What build were his sire and dam? There are labs that mature into a 50lb. dog, and labs that will go near or over 100 lbs. FWIW

I'm one of those who thinks it's hard to overfeed a puppy. Of course there are exceptions.

[mcbosco]

That dog is a little skinny. Those hip bones should be barely visible.

Wait from the side pic he doesn't look so skinny LOL, but I would feed him more anyway. Let him eat till he shows the first signs of being full. Probably 2.5 cups is enough per day.

[EPCO]

Thank you. More it is. At least for now. His parents are 75-80 lbs.

[mcbosco]

feed 2 or 3 times a day at each time till he just starts to act full...you will pick-up the body language..i bet the whole day's ration is about 2.5 cups.

[ezzy333]

If your pup is a little thinner than you like increase his feed SLIGHTLY. Make small adjustments as the pup grows or you see a difference in conditioning. Thats what they call animal husbandry. Let your dog tell you what or how much you need to feed and not the bag. No one can tell you how much to feed except your dog.' By the way, you can't tell much from pictures but the pup doesn't look bad I didn't think. Of course I like to see them on the slim side while growing.
'
Ezzy

[MikeB]

Costco has 20# bags of Kirkland Chicken/Rice Puppy food. I agree with the others feed more food but watch out for loose stools. If his stools get loose or soft then cut back on the food each meal by 1/4 cup. A thin pup is much healthier than a rolly polly pup. Much healthier on joints as they grow.

[Birddogz]

Feed him a handful of raw hamburger for a week. I bet you will be surprised how fast he ill look better.

[slistoe]

At about the age of your pup most pups get very lanky looking. There is more harm in overfeeding than underfeeding a pup. That is not to say that you can or should starve a pup. Gradually increase the food amount - by the time he is 5 mos. he may be eating 5 cups a day as the growth spurt is at the max. If he is looking a little "smooth" cut the feed back.

[Birddog3412]

I fed Diamond Natural Exteme Athlete about 2 years ago for a while. I could not get weight on my dogs with it.

[allaboutourdogs]

Skinny for me. Feed him more please. Also, consult your vet and ask if his built is normal. Your lab is cute, by the way.

[ezzy333]

Skinny for me. Feed him more please. Also, consult your vet and ask if his built is normal. Your lab is cute, by the way.

This thread dates back several months so I am sure the pup looks completely different today than when the picture was taken. I can't agree with taking a dog to the vet to see if his build is normal for several reasons. First the vet probably doesn't know. Second, I wouldn't take a pup into a vets office and expose it to everydisease that has walked through their door. And thirdly, the pup looks ok and I am assumong the person who bought it saw the parents and that will tell you pretty much what the pup will look like. No point in spending money for no good reason and probably do a lot more har than good.

JMO

Ezzy

[MikeB]

EPCO,

What does your dog look like today? Update please.

[fordman]

looks fine too me unlike most fat overfeed labs.

[allaboutourdogs]

EPCO,

What does your dog look like today? Update please.

I'm also interested on what the dog looks like now. I hope Epco can post the latest picture.

[EPCO]

6 mos old and doing great. I increased his feed a bit and still feeding Diamond. I like the food. Stools are normal and his coat is beautiful. Now if I can just get him to come to me with the birds...........

[MikeB]

Teach him to Come/Here with birds using a check cord on him. At this age it's all about YOU having control of him so he can't make a mistake.