# underweight puppy



## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Hi,

My Chocolate Lab pup is underweight (8.6 lbs at 10 weeks), we give him more food than he will eat. sometimes I'll mix in a broken up treat or a little peanut butter or carrot or something to get him to eat, sometime it seems he isn't interested in eating. I think I'm going to grab a different kind of food on my way home tonight and see if he will like it better. currently he's eating maybe 2 cups a day if I can get him to eat it, we also give him chicken liver treats and a few other treats, he also seems to like carrots. 

what else can I do to get him to start eating? I'm thinking he should be around 3 cups a day at this age but he's still pretty small and not always interested in eating. 

He had a first check up this last saturday, and has a follow up next sunday (for shots and stool sample), the vet was concerned about his weight. 


here is a picture of Hunter at 8 weeks, this was the day after we got him from the breeder.



thanks,
Garrett


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

It doesn't matter how much you feed him, you're not going to make him bigger than he is meant to be. You might make him HEAVIER, but not actually bigger. If he's actually underweight (as in his body condition is bad/he's emaciated, rather than just being small) he needs a vet visit to check for things like parasites or health issues that are killing off his appetite OR stealing his calories. What he probably doesn't need is more calories. **ETA:** so, yeah, your vet visit is likely going to be the answer there.

...and also my freaking 120lb crazy active adult dog eats less than 4 cups of food a day. You feed puppies according to their adult size, only split up into more meals. So, to me at least, 3 cups of any decently calorie dense food sounds like a TON to try to get him to eat.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

CptJack said:


> It doesn't matter how much you feed him, you're not going to make him bigger than he is meant to be. You might make him HEAVIER, but not actually bigger. If he's actually underweight (as in his body condition is bad/he's emaciated, rather than just being small) he needs a vet visit to check for things like parasites or health issues that are killing off his appetite OR stealing his calories. What he probably doesn't need is more calories. **ETA:** so, yeah, your vet visit is likely going to be the answer there.
> 
> ...and also my freaking 120lb crazy active adult dog eats less than 4 cups of food a day. You feed puppies according to their adult size, only split up into more meals. So, to me at least, 3 cups of any decently calorie dense food sounds like a TON to try to get him to eat.


thanks for the reply. 

that's the vet's concern, she thinks he might have worms so we're taking a stool sample next weekend. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have worms, but we'll see. 

_according to the food's directions _he should be eating between 2 and 3 cups, I have difficulty getting him to eat 2 cups. and from everything I've read on lab pups his weight is definitely on the low end for his age. comparing to an adult dog is like apples and oranges, puppies need the calories to grow, an adult only needs to maintain and have energy.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Food bags often push high and honestly? Saying 'labs should weigh x' is kind of like saying 30 year olds should weigh x. If your 10 year old kid is 6 feet tall they're going to eat more than a 10 year old who is 4 feet tall, you know? Add in activity level, build, etc. 

Well, the average size for a lab is average based on outliers in both directions.

All you can go on is body condition. Ie: Bones that are sticking out too far. Otherwise you just get a small, FAT, lab.

*ETA:** Since your vet is concerned, that's not something to worry about now - or at least directly related to your situation. Get the fecal done, maybe some blood work if it's clear. I'm just saying you can't feed the dog more and make it overall bigger and that's important to know.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

GHill762 said:


> thanks for the reply.
> 
> that's the vet's concern, she thinks he might have worms so we're taking a stool sample next weekend. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have worms, but we'll see.
> 
> _according to the food's directions _he should be eating between 2 and 3 cups, I have difficulty getting him to eat 2 cups. and from everything I've read on lab pups his weight is definitely on the low end for his age. comparing to an adult dog is like apples and oranges, puppies need the calories to grow, an adult only needs to maintain and have energy.


Its not apples and oranges to compare to an adlt dog. That's exactly how the recommended amounts work anyways. Basically, feeding a puppy about the amount of food he would eat as a full grown adult means he has plenty of food to grow on and then as an adult, that amount of food is used to maintain a much larger body. If the guidelines are 2 to 3 cups, if the puppy checks out as healthy at the vet's office, then I wouldn't stress out about the pup eating 2 cups as long as his body condition looks good as he grows. The food guidelines on the bags are for intact dogs by the way, I don't think it matters as far as immature puppies go but its something to keep in mind for adult feeding.

2 cups of a good food isn't unreasonable for a moderately active smaller Lab. My 65 lbs spayed moderately active pit bull maintains a nice muscled and lean body on just over 2 cups per day. 

Puppy may also eat more as he settles into your house and starts to play more and be quite active.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

I missed that thing entirely, but yeah, dogs don't eat more or less as they grow by much, really. Puppies eat MORE BY CURRENT WEIGHT, but they don't eat more or less *in a day*. Like shell said, the extra comparative calories give puppies what they need to grow, and adults what they need to maintain. that rough guideline has held true for every puppy I've raised - and in the past 3 years alone that's been 3


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## 5 s corral (Dec 31, 2007)

mix some wet food in 
he is a cutie


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## Kritter (Jan 28, 2015)

He is extremely cute! You did not say what brand you are feeding him. The only thing I can add is if the vet thinks he's healthy and he is not displaying any problems he might just need some time. My dog is almost 2 years old and is finally filling out. She looked anorexic for a long while, and still eats more than her older, heavier sister dog. The amount I feed is based upon physique, feeding guidelines are just that, "guidelines". If you want to add more calories maybe try some coconut oil.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the replies, and yes we think he is adorable. He is currently on Iams Smart Puppy, but he doesn't really care for it unless I doctor it up a bit. probably going to get a different food soon and see if he'll eat better on that, I'm thinking probably Purina Pro Plan. He's plenty active and seems pretty healthy to me, we'll see what the vet says after this visit. After that I'm finding a new vet because the lady we're seeing is a.. well.. she's not very nice. 

Also, we will be starting puppy classes and obedience next month, really looking forward to that. All of our dogs have always been "shock-collar" trained, never any formal training, I'm wanting to go a different route with this dog and invest a lot of time in him. We'll likely do obedience 1, 2, & 3, then maybe go for the "tricks" class, we don't really have any interest in agility but that may change when we get into classes.


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## Kritter (Jan 28, 2015)

I've had luck using satin balls to put weight on my dog. I did a modified version with just 80/20 ground beef, peanut butter and oatmeal. I'm not sure about using it for a puppy though, you'd have to research it. I gave it as a mid-day snack for about 10 days at a time. Just a thought.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Kritter said:


> I've had luck using satin balls to put weight on my dog. I did a modified version with just 80/20 ground beef, peanut butter and oatmeal. I'm not sure about using it for a puppy though, you'd have to research it. I gave it as a mid-day snack for about 10 days at a time. Just a thought.


I think he's actually growing just fine, just a little behind the curve. I think the vet just kind of freaked me out a bit when she said he was in "rough shape" and told us he was under weight. and then peroceeded to lecture me on how he shouldn't be biting (he's 10 weeks, he's a land shark) and telling us never give him any human food (like meat, carrots, etc.). I think she was having a bad day and taking it out on us. 

never heard of a satin ball.. he loves peanut butter though. also really digs those lean treats the vet sells, they're chewy and tasty, full of lean protein..


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## CobbersMom (Jul 30, 2013)

I do think sometimes a puppy's appetite will wax and wane based on growth spurts. My pup is almost 5 months old -- some days, she eats the full amount I put down for her, other days she picks at it and eats maybe half. In retrospect, these changes seem to correspond with her growth spurts, and she's in one right now  

If you want to be overwhelmed by puppy food recommendations, check out dog food advisor dot com and click on the 4- and 5-star puppy food lists. Makes my head spin, but we've finally found a winner with Fromm Gold puppy.

Good luck -- I think lab puppies are some of the cutest puppies in the universe (it makes up for that whole land shark thing they tend to go through)!


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

A 10 week old puppy shouldn't bite?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Get a new vet. That really is my recommendation, your vet is absurd.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Amaryllis said:


> A 10 week old puppy shouldn't bite?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
> 
> Get a new vet. That really is my recommendation, your vet is absurd.


that was my first thought when she was lecturing me on not having him broken of that within the 1.5-2 weeks that we'd had him...


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

Worms are VERY VERY common in young pups. Especially roundworm. I don't think it would be amiss to do a routine worming . . . not with the extreme wormers that do tapeworm too, just the normal mild over-the-counter puppy wormers you can buy all over the place . . . and you needn't do heartworm before 4 mo.

The 8 week pup picture -- and one can go very wrong from diagnosing from a picture so take this with a grain of salt -- looks like the skin is slightly hanging and the belly a little distended. Wonderful eye expression. I like to see more sense of muscle behind the skin. Not sure I'm making myself clear. A roundy look rather than a skin draped over bones look. That could be due to parasite infection. . . though, again, take with a grain of salt . . . could be my imagination. A vet check for a newly bought pup is always a good idea . . . and Hunter should be due for a booster vaccination soon anyway . . . so combine the lot. 

I don't think feeding more is going to resolve anything. My three adult Labs would happily eat 12 cups a day, but they need to be kept to not much over 2 cups a day to avoid weight gain.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

sandgrubber said:


> Worms are VERY VERY common in young pups. Especially roundworm. I don't think it would be amiss to do a routine worming . . . not with the extreme wormers that do tapeworm too, just the normal mild over-the-counter puppy wormers you can buy all over the place . . . and you needn't do heartworm before 4 mo.
> 
> The 8 week pup picture -- and one can go very wrong from diagnosing from a picture so take this with a grain of salt -- looks like the skin is slightly hanging and the belly a little distended. Wonderful eye expression. I like to see more sense of muscle behind the skin. Not sure I'm making myself clear. A roundy look rather than a skin draped over bones look. That could be due to parasite infection. . . though, again, take with a grain of salt . . . could be my imagination. A vet check for a newly bought pup is always a good idea . . . and Hunter should be due for a booster vaccination soon anyway . . . so combine the lot.
> 
> I don't think feeding more is going to resolve anything. My three adult Labs would happily eat 12 cups a day, but they need to be kept to not much over 2 cups a day to avoid weight gain.


thank you for your reply, we had a visit last saturday and a follow up this sunday with his last set of puppy shots (I'm pretty sure it's his last). I ran a stool sample to the vet this morning, I don't see anything in his stool but maybe they will. I'd like to be sure because he's got me a little worried. 

I was going to ask about getting on a heartworm pill when meeting with the vet this weekend, I was thinking heartgard plus. I'm fine with waiting until he's a little older, I never heard the 4 month thing before. 

that pic was the day after we got him, not a lot of muscle mass at that time, he's getting a little bigger/stronger but he still doesn't look right and i don't think he's growing as fast as previous lab pups we've had. the more I think about it the more I think roundworm, his little appetite, dryer than normal hair, big belly.. I should hear back from the vet this morning. in the event he needs wormed, will they give me a wormer or do I need to go somewhere like petco?


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

well, good news! vet found no sign of worms in his stool! how likely is it that they missed it or that maybe not every stool has worms/eggs?


I think I'll try switching foods, try to find something he is a little more interested in. he just has zero interest in this food unless we top it with something (carrots, or broken up treat, or milk, etc.). 

any other reason he'd have a dry coat? we washed him 2 or 3 times within the first 2 weeks we had him, I _hate _washing a dog that much but puppies get into messes and need to be cleaned.. or maybe he's just going through a faze?

I'll try to get a new pic at lunch time when I go home to let him out.


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## Chippawaguy (Apr 30, 2013)

My Puppy had a terrible time with his food but we finally got him on Acana large breed puppy food with no problems and he loved it. This is something you might want to try, now that he has grown up and is 2 1/2 years old he is still on Acana I love this product it is made here in Canada from ALL NATURAL FOODS and no grains. Here is their web page check it out and google the comparisons you will find it is one of the top dry foods on the market with GREAT reviews, let me know how you make out. 
http://www.acana.com/


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Chippawaguy said:


> My Puppy had a terrible time with his food but we finally got him on Acana large breed puppy food with no problems and he loved it. This is something you might want to try, now that he has grown up and is 2 1/2 years old he is still on Acana I love this product it is made here in Canada from ALL NATURAL FOODS and no grains. Here is their web page check it out and google the comparisons you will find it is one of the top dry foods on the market with GREAT reviews, let me know how you make out.
> http://www.acana.com/


I would love to try some of the different foods out there, and I've heard great things about acana, but I refuse to order dog food over the internet. We are going to stick with things we can get locally, and I don't know that any of the premium (high dollar) brands are available locally (at least not that I've seen). I'm planning on trying purina pro plan, and maybe get a couple cans of wet food to mix in for a litle variety from time to time. and I think purina pro plan is higher calorie so he wouldn't have to eat as much according to their website, which would be great.


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## Chippawaguy (Apr 30, 2013)

I would stay away from Purina there have been some major problems with Purina bountiful not sure about any other ones but how about Merrick is it available where you are or Blue Buffalo or Nutro these are good also I did a search when I was having problems of top best dry dog foods you will see purina is NOT listed
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-...free-dog-foods/best-grain-free-dog-foods-dry/


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Chippawaguy said:


> I would stay away from Purina there have been some major problems with Purina bountiful not sure about any other ones but how about Merrick is it available where you are or Blue Buffalo or Nutro these are good also I did a search when I was having problems of top best dry dog foods you will see purina is NOT listed
> http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-...free-dog-foods/best-grain-free-dog-foods-dry/


I've seen people talk about issues with pretty much every brand I've looked at, and the vast majority of reviews on pro plan are 5/5 stars. I don't remember ever seeing merrick locally but the local petco ad has it listed as 10% off right now, so maybe I've just passed over it previously..?.. idk. taste of the wild was going to be my next choice but apparently it's making dogs sick right now and the company isn't responding to customers. 

he is growing, I've had to loosen his collar quite a bit since we brought him home 2.5 weeks ago, it feels like he's putting on muscle mass and he's super playful and active until he inevitably crashes out. He is weighing in at about 10lbs today although that's on a cheap digital/battery floor scale and I'm not sure how accurate it is. 

here is a photo from today


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## Chippawaguy (Apr 30, 2013)

What GREAT LOOKING DOG I like the lime green colar but I guess Im a little bias to lime green. Here is another list but hey its your puppy Im sure you will get the best you can once again he is adorable  http://betterfoodfordogs.com/top_ten_dog_foods/


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Chippawaguy said:


> What GREAT LOOKING DOG I like the lime green colar but I guess Im a little bias to lime green. Here is another list but hey its your puppy Im sure you will get the best you can once again he is adorable  http://betterfoodfordogs.com/top_ten_dog_foods/


thank you, he is super cute. he is smaller than he appears in the picture, weighing in at about 10lbs currently. 

blue buffalo is on that list and I've not really heard anything good about that (actually I've heard their mineral additives are making dogs sick). I might give merrick a try, maybe I'll do some searching and look for more reviews. growing up all we ever gave dogs was cheap tractor supply dog food or pedigree, and they all did fine.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

Too many baths will make a coat dry and fluffy and not proper Labrador 'hard' coat. But that's not a big deal unless you aim to show.
If you can't get excellent food locally, you might try occasionally treating him with cheap oily fish, eg., canned mackerel. Most Labs love it and it's loaded with Omega 3's. Tends to make the coat glossier. A few raw eggs a week is also good. Just put this over his ordinary dry stuff. I'd say it's better than canned dogfood.

Personally, I wish my Labs were less interested in food. I envy your problem.

p.s. just saw the 'today' picture you just posted. He looks great there. Coat looks good, muscle has picked up from the 8 wk picture. I wouldn't rush to put more weight on . . . IMO, proportions are more important than absolute size. Some pups are faster growing than others. Many people believe that slow growth is results in better joint health than fast growth, though the jury is still out on that, scientifically.

I like ProPlan. When I lived in Australia it was popular with Lab breeders. Croftsway (new zealand) was using it exclusively, and they had and still have some lovely dogs. As for manufacturers, Purina just bought Merrick.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

GHill762 said:


> thank you, he is super cute. he is smaller than he appears in the picture, weighing in at about 10lbs currently.
> 
> blue buffalo is on that list and I've not really heard anything good about that (actually I've heard their mineral additives are making dogs sick). I might give merrick a try, maybe I'll do some searching and look for more reviews. growing up all we ever gave dogs was cheap tractor supply dog food or pedigree, and they all did fine.


Personally, I would feed Purina Pro Plan rather than Blue Buffalo although that's not exactly a vote for either. Mainly because I think Pro Plan is overpriced and has a couple mildly dubious ingredients, but I was really not impressed at all with Blue Buffalo.
I hear good things abou Merrick, but fyi it was just bought by Purina so for those people who have issues with Purina, it might not be on their lists anymore.

I've actually been most happy with some pretty simple foods that all my fosters liked and did well on as do my two dogs now. Fromm, Earthborn, Pro Pac, and Sportmix Wholesome are my go-to foods. 

It may be just a taste issue, some dogs like chicken and some prefer beef and some go nuts for fish.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

I was thinking of supplementing with small amounts of sardines every few days for omega-3.. Raw eggs make me nervous. 

I'm really considering pro plan but I don't think the ingredient list is too bad on the iams smart puppy either and if I can get him to be interested in it I might stick with it although the Purina pro is higher in calories and would require less eating.. I guess we'll see, maybe his next bag will be Purina if he doesn't start eating more. . 

His coat is definitely dry/dull in person but I think it'll be fine.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Chippawaguy said:


> What GREAT LOOKING DOG I like the lime green colar but I guess Im a little bias to lime green. Here is another list but hey its your puppy Im sure you will get the best you can once again he is adorable  http://betterfoodfordogs.com/top_ten_dog_foods/


I just got the "bias to lime" thing, that your lambo? looks like a fun car :wof:


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## sydneynicole (Apr 2, 2015)

I have a dog who is a lab mix but definitely has the lab coat. She has had maybe 4 proper baths in her entire lifetime and she is 6. Each time her coat is dull and dry for a few weeks after. If she didn't go swimming often and stay clean for the most part and needed baths often, it would be more of a concern of mine. But, your pup's coat is probably dry because of the baths. 2-3 baths in 2 weeks is a lot. I would try cleaning him up with a warm washcloth or baby wipes rather than bathing him that much. Messiness isn't limited to just puppies and you won't want to bathe a lab that often for it's whole life - my dogs get pretty muddy and filthy, they are outside a lot and love to swim, but usually a good brushing and wipe down is sufficient once they have dried.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

sydneynicole said:


> I have a dog who is a lab mix but definitely has the lab coat. She has had maybe 4 proper baths in her entire lifetime and she is 6. Each time her coat is dull and dry for a few weeks after. If she didn't go swimming often and stay clean for the most part and needed baths often, it would be more of a concern of mine. But, your pup's coat is probably dry because of the baths. 2-3 baths in 2 weeks is a lot. I would try cleaning him up with a warm washcloth or baby wipes rather than bathing him that much. Messiness isn't limited to just puppies and you won't want to bathe a lab that often for it's whole life - my dogs get pretty muddy and filthy, they are outside a lot and love to swim, but usually a good brushing and wipe down is sufficient once they have dried.


I completely agree, and I have never been big on baths for our labs (I grew up with several labs, so not new to labs or dogs in general), however sometimes baths are necessary and with the pup it seemed like in the first couple weeks he got into nasty mess after nasty mess. our previous labs would only get a bath if they were absolutely filthy, and many times even when filthy we'd just hose them off vs actually bathing them (unless they got into something stinky), and we lived on a lake so they swam and got muddy and everything else. 

breaking my fiance of the dog bathing habit will be harder though, she had her last dog go off for monthly baths at the groomer (and like 30 bucks a trip!!), convincing her he doesn't need regular bathing is going to be tough, lol.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

GHill762 said:


> I was thinking of supplementing with small amounts of sardines every few days for omega-3.. Raw eggs make me nervous.
> 
> I'm really considering pro plan but I don't think the ingredient list is too bad on the iams smart puppy either and if I can get him to be interested in it I might stick with it although the Purina pro is higher in calories and would require less eating.. I guess we'll see, maybe his next bag will be Purina if he doesn't start eating more. .
> 
> His coat is definitely dry/dull in person but I think it'll be fine.


try a search on raw eggs on this or any other dog forum. Many many many experienced dog people have been feeding raw eggs for many years with no bad consequences.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

you know, given his size and the fact that the litter had 10 pups, is it possible the litter was premature? is that common? 

anyway, I don't think I'm concerned much about his weight anymore, even if the vet wants to lecture me. he's growing, he's active, and he's filling out. 

I did find out last night that petco here does have better foods, like merrick, natural balance, canidae, royal canin, and a hole bunch of other stuff I've probably never heard of. I picked up some merrick canned puppy food to top his kibble and he goes nuts for it (and actually I thought about trying it, lol). I think maybe his next bag might be merrick, going to have to do some reading on it. I know they were just bought by purina but that honestly doesn't bother me at all, I don't understand peoples' hatred for purina.


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## Luxorien (Jun 11, 2014)

IMO, your feeding choices are fine. And nothing wrong with using toppers as long as you don't overdo it.

A vet that's surprised a puppy is biting, though. Huh. Maybe get a second opinion.

Also, his cuteness level is over 9000.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

GHill762 said:


> you know, given his size and the fact that the litter had 10 pups, is it possible the litter was premature? is that common?


In my 8 years breeding Labbies I had ~15 litters. Only one litter had fewer than 9 pups. So 10 pups is not exceptional and unlikely to mean premi's. My pups at 8 weeks were BIG, maybe 16 lbs. A lower weight could mean his mom didn't have a lot of milk or the breeder wasn't generous with food. Or simply that the bloodlines for your pup result in slow weight gain in younger months. A good discussion of this can be found at:
http://www.justlabradors.com/forum/lab-health-nutrition/89962-average-puppy-weight.html 
Bottom line is that there is a lot of variation in puppy weight gain, and no evidence that slow growth is a problem . . . unless it's coupled with other problems.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Luxorien said:


> IMO, your feeding choices are fine. And nothing wrong with using toppers as long as you don't overdo it.
> 
> A vet that's surprised a puppy is biting, though. Huh. Maybe get a second opinion.
> 
> Also, his cuteness level is over 9000.


yeah, he just keeps getting cuter too.. except when he eats the walls and carpet in the "puppy proof" room, lol. 

He's growing and he's healthy, I'm not concerned about his weight anymore, though I am curious if the litter was premature.

it honestly amazes me how good of a pup he is, behavior-wise. We got him doing sit, shake, and down (lay down) at about 11 weeks. and he already loves water, imagine that.. he apparently jumped in my fiance's cousin's pool last weekend so we went out and bought him a kiddie pool to play in


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## Luxorien (Jun 11, 2014)

That's awesome! My dog jumped in ponds when we were out so I thought he'd like a kiddie pool, but he apparently hates the feel of it under his feet, lol. I was so disappointed.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Luxorien said:


> That's awesome! My dog jumped in ponds when we were out so I thought he'd like a kiddie pool, but he apparently hates the feel of it under his feet, lol. I was so disappointed.


He's not crazy about the kiddie pool, but I think part of that is because it's not deep enough to swim in, only about belly deep. but he'll get in and cool off, when I was mowing the grass the other day I looked back and he was sitting down in it watching me.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

here he is today, no reason for photo other than to show off how dang cute he is


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

GHill762 said:


> I would love to try some of the different foods out there, and I've heard great things about acana, but *I refuse to order dog food over the internet*. We are going to stick with things we can get locally, and I don't know that any of the premium (high dollar) brands are available locally (at least not that I've seen). I'm planning on trying purina pro plan, and maybe get a couple cans of wet food to mix in for a litle variety from time to time. and I think purina pro plan is higher calorie so he wouldn't have to eat as much according to their website, which would be great.


Why? My dog has so much more energy on Acana and I've never had the slightest difficulty ordering from chewy.com. (I actually can get Acana locally, but then I'd have to carry it home because I don't have a car.) I'm not saying your dog needs Acana, but it seems odd to be opposed to ordering dog food online.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Amaryllis said:


> Why? My dog has so much more energy on Acana and I've never had the slightest difficulty ordering from chewy.com. (I actually can get Acana locally, but then I'd have to carry it home because I don't have a car.) I'm not saying your dog needs Acana, but it seems odd to be opposed to ordering dog food online.


I'm the same way with consumable fish supplies such as saltwater salt mix, if I can get what I need locally I'll do that rather than order online. 

that said, I actually found acana, wellness, merrick, etc here locally a few days ago. we'll likely switch to merrick in the future. he's doing great on iams right now though. and we've been using merrick puppy plate (canned) as a topper from time to time, usually one meal a day he'll get a topper. he's doing a lot better at eating his dry kibble.


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

I am not a fan of ordering food online. I will order almost anything but I have an issue with ordering dog food. I've just had issues with things arriving in a timely fashion and don't like to play the odds on pet food. I also have no issue getting the food I need locally. As much as I hate going shopping (and I hate going shopping) I go to the store to buy dog food. It also lets me get the dogs out to the pet shop without being as tempted to buy frivolous things. 

That said if I needed a food I absolutely couldn't get locally I would consider it, but so far have found my local shops can get almost anything and I am really happy with Sportmix and Muenster.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

Remaru said:


> As much as I hate going shopping (and I hate going shopping)


I thought I was the only one. I actually start get in a really bad/grumpy mood when we have to go into stores if it isn't an in-and-out trip for a thing or two, can't help it, I just cannot STAND shopping. there are a few exceptions to that but I'd say that's 95% of stores I get that way in. especially on the weekend, they are so short and you want to waste them SHOPPING!!!??!?!! 

lol.

my fiance on the other hand could shop every day and not get sick of it. she'll actually go shopping many times and buy a buch of stuff and take half of it back a few days later.. drives me batty.


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## DaveInChicago (Jan 27, 2015)

GHill762 said:


> never heard of a satin ball.. he loves peanut butter though. also really digs those lean treats the vet sells, they're chewy and tasty, full of lean protein..


You're feeding him treats and peanut butter and wondering why he doesn't like kibble?


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## DaveInChicago (Jan 27, 2015)

Chippawaguy said:


> I would stay away from Purina there have been some major problems with Purina bountiful not sure about any other ones but how about Merrick is it available where you are or Blue Buffalo or Nutro these are good also I did a search when I was having problems of top best dry dog foods you will see purina is NOT listed
> http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-...free-dog-foods/best-grain-free-dog-foods-dry/


No dog food is right for every dog. You have to find what is right for your dog (or cat). I had two cats that almost lived to 21 years old, were never overweight, great coats, playful, etc. and I fed them Iams for 15-ish years, Fancy Feast after. It was all they would eat. Tried designer brands like Blue Buffalo and they got sick on it. 

BTW, dogfoodadvisor doesn't have pet nutritionists doing analysis - it was founded by a retired dentist and all they do is read labels. 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/about/

Labels can be deceiving. "By product" can be healthy organ meat. like hearts and livers, or it can be feathers and beaks. The FDA requires both to be labeled as "by product" and reviewers like dogfoodadvisor that don't differentiate are doing you a disservice. We use a food that uses healthy by product, but DFA dinged it because it was "by product". 

Reach out to your dog food company via web or phone and ask the about what they put in their food and how they make it. i.e., do your own research.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

DaveInChicago said:


> You're feeding him treats and peanut butter and wondering why he doesn't like kibble?


he's gotta have treats!! lol

he's taken to it rather well over the last couple weeks. he still gets the occasional topper (maybe once a day), but he's doing pretty good on just the dry kibble now. 

also, he seems to be doing great on the Iams so far.


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## DaveInChicago (Jan 27, 2015)

I hear you. I try to reserve treats for training sessions and reward more with praise for good behavior (drop it, leave it, off, etc.) during daily activity, walks, etc. Have you tried the kibble itself as a treat? A hungry dog will eat just about any treat 

If your dog is healthy and happy with Iams, stick with it. Food and nutrition is the new first world religion, so you'll probably get some flak from the zealots, but the most important thing is your dog's health.


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## GHill762 (Jul 13, 2015)

DaveInChicago said:


> I hear you. I try to reserve treats for training sessions and reward more with praise for good behavior (drop it, leave it, off, etc.) during daily activity, walks, etc. Have you tried the kibble itself as a treat? A hungry dog will eat just about any treat
> 
> If your dog is healthy and happy with Iams, stick with it. Food and nutrition is the new first world religion, so you'll probably get some flak from the zealots, but the most important thing is your dog's health.


actually we only do treats for training as well, except carrots, we'll give him a carrot just to give him something to do.. 

I agree 100% about food, we had a lab live to 16 on the cheapest stuff we could find.


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