# 9 week old GSD eating like a horse (long)



## jimj (May 30, 2012)

I'm new here so please bear with me. We picked up our Meika (female) at 7 weeks. She had just started eating kibble which was Nutro LB puppy. She started to itch a lot so we thought it might be a food issue and after doing a bunch of reading on this forum and a few others we switched her over to Kirkland ND Salmon and Sweet Potato to eliminate a bunch of allergy triggers. 
She definitely likes it but for the last couple of days she wants more and is not bashful in telling us (barking at her bowl, nipping at us and totally raising cain).
We were feeding 1 cup three times a day and if she gets full she always stops eating no matter if there's food left in the bowl or not. Now she's getting around 4 cups, sometimes a bit more,sometimes a bit less plus the odd frozen green bean or treat for training.

She doesn't look fat, using the methods described in many threads here and has plenty of energy and weighs about 14 lbs.
Since she doesn't gorge and walks away when full I'm thinking that we should just keep doing what we're doing. I have noticed her poop piles have increased in size by about 1/3 as well.
Suggestions?


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

At 9 weeks I would highly doubt a food allergy. 

Ruled out fleas? Has she had a bath yet? I would suggest a gentle shampoo with soothing oatmeal & aloe. I like the Earthbath line...Petsmart use to carry not sure if they still do?

Is her poop firm? 

All dogs are different my boy was fed Innova LB when we brought him home. He was fed 3 times a day around the sametime and no more than 3 cups.

To me 4 cups seems like alot...let's see what others say.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if you were feeding her 3 cups a day and she doesn't finish
her food why feed her 4 cups a day? i fed my pup ( 9 week old male) 1 cup in the am, 1 cup noonish and 1 cup in the pm. he had a snack throught the day plus training treats. you'll figure out what's healthy for her. don't let Meika fool you into thinking she's hungry.



jimj said:


> I'm new here so please bear with me. We picked up our Meika (female) at 7 weeks. She had just started eating kibble which was Nutro LB puppy. She started to itch a lot so we thought it might be a food issue and after doing a bunch of reading on this forum and a few others we switched her over to Kirkland ND Salmon and Sweet Potato to eliminate a bunch of allergy triggers.
> She definitely likes it but for the last couple of days she wants more and is not bashful in telling us (barking at her bowl, nipping at us and totally raising cain).
> 
> >>>> We were feeding 1 cup three times a day and if she gets full she always stops eating no matter if there's food left in the bowl or not. <<<<
> ...


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## jb_pwrstroke (Jul 9, 2007)

I was feeding two cups a day at 9 weeks thats all he would get no matter what.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Oh lord, I can't let Gretchen see this post or she'll REALLY be throwing a fit!! She screams at me for food, she tries to get into the food bin, she would NOT get out of my closet because she was so determined to eat the HAMSTER food, she knows where I keep the treats and will try to get to them and howl/scream for them, she'll take her food bowl and slam it around, she'll go around licking the floor and her kennel, she will eat even the most disgusting tasting supplements plain (ie. vitamin C which is SUPER biter) as if they were steak, the other day she managed to grab and eat a whole mole in literally 3 seconds, ect. I literally got online and Googled to see if dogs can have Prader Willi Syndrome because it's so bad.

She eats 1 1/4 cup of one kibble which is 552 calories per cup so 690 calories from that, plus she gets canned food so that varies in calories, plus she gets about 1/4c of another kibble which I can't remember how many calories are in that, for kenneling up (Just a couple pieces each time but it equals to about 1/4c by the end of the day, sometimes more), PLUS she gets training treats. She ALWAYS finishes her food and looks for more. I figured I was feeding her enough because she LOOKS good. Maybe not. Idk but she's about to drive me up the wall with this screaming for food all the time!!!

On another note, I would never feed another Nutro product to your pup, allergies or not. Google "Nutro Reviews" to see how many animals are dying because of their food.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

why only 2 cups?



jb_pwrstroke said:


> I was feeding two cups a day at 9 weeks thats all he would get no matter what.


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## jimj (May 30, 2012)

Many questions (thank you) for me to answer so here goes. Her stool is firm, no issue with that (so far). Vet agreed to the idea of swapping out the food even though "usually" puppies don't react that way to food. Process of elimination. He then suggested removing her cotton blanket and going to a synthetic since there can be a wool/cotton allergy. There are no fleas and yes she's had 2 baths so far with quality shampoo plus she gets brushed regularly.
I guess I didn't explain too well, she came home eating 1 cup x3. After just short of 2 weeks at home she started eating all of at least one of her meals and go nuts if we didn't give some extra. This morning for example, I put down a cup which she ate then started yapping for more. I added a handful more which she ate about a quarter of and the rest is still sitting in her bowl.
I guess the biggest question that's not been answered clearly (to me) is do we put down a bowl of food and whatever she eats within 15-20 mins is what she gets or, do we measure out X amount per day? She doesn't dawdle when she eats, she eats, then may take a break for a minute or two then finishes up either leaving some in the bowl or wanting more.


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## _Crystal_ (Jun 28, 2011)

Do you give her flea meds?

I'm in the same position. My dog, Nour, eats like a pig. It is so annoying. Food is his life.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Feed to her condition, not to her apparent hunger, or according to some general recommendation about the number of cups your puppy "should" be eating per day. If her condition is good (not too skinny, not chubby), then she's eating the right amount _for her_. 

Keep in mind that at her age she'll still be growing rapidly for a while, as much as 10-12 pounds a month, so her nutritional needs will be changing too. I was doing a rib check pretty much daily when my puppies were young, running a hand down their side to see if they were still in optimum condition or I needed to adjust their food amount a little.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

If she doesn't eat it all, yes, pick it up. She gets it again at the next meal, adding some if you need to, to equal a full feeding.


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## Tim Connell (Nov 19, 2010)

I have always fed adult food right from the get-go, except when the puppies are very young, I use a mixture of puppy food and some other things tossed in for good measure. 

After the pups are about 10-12 weeks old, it's only adult food. Maybe it's old school, but keeping growth slow has seemed to work well for me.

I feed Holistic Select Lamb to a variety of GSD's and Mals, and all have done great on it. I've dabbled experimenting with some other foods, but across the board, I've had the best luck with Holistic Select Lamb. Occasionally I'll toss in another quality food for a little change in protein source.

I tend not to be an over feeder as the dogs age, and adjust the amount of food by how they look, based on their individual needs.


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## jimj (May 30, 2012)

Thanks for the replies! As for flea meds, no we don't have her on anything at the moment. Either we're real lucky or it's that she can't leave the yard/house yet due to shots (lack of) and we've got no other pets.

I think for now we'll stick with what we've been doing, give her an amount of food and if she stops eating just pick it up for the next meal. I check her ribs,hips and back bones daily as I play with her. Gotta think about getting a scale so we've got some idea of what she's doing weight wise.
As for feeding puppy vs adult, I read all the back and forth on this forum (thank goodness this forum is here btw) and changing off puppy made sense to me, surprised me when the vet agreed with the logic.

On a side note, she gets hiccups. Kind of funny to watch really but having dealt with those myself for years I know it can get real annoying. Anything to be concerned about?


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

jimj said:


> On a side note, she gets hiccups. Kind of funny to watch really but having dealt with those myself for years I know it can get real annoying. Anything to be concerned about?


Normal 

My boy got hiccups often as a pup. As an adult can't even remember the last time he had them.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Hiccups are pretty normal at this age. When my pup was going through the bottomless pit stage, I cooked whole green beans and cubed sweet potatoes and added that to the kibble to help fill him up.


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## silverbear (Jun 11, 2012)

Glad to know my 9 week old is not unique! He's at about 1/1/2 cup in the AM and same in PM.


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## Psychedelic Shepherd (Jun 11, 2012)

My boy eats Royal Canin. He's a gulper. If I gave him five cups at one time he would eat it all! But I don't. He gets two cups in the morning and three at night. During the day he gets some treats while traning which tide him over until 5:30-6ish. He's 6 months old in a few days. He's growing fast and he's very healthy. He still sits at the bathroom door (the extra bathroom where his food tub and bowl are) and waits to be fed. He'd wait for three hours if I let him! After he eats, I let him outside to potty, then he spends about an hour in his crate to digest. After that, it's play time! Set a feeding routine and stick to it. They start to look forward to it and will cooperate willingly! Hendrix likes to go smell the food tub, then I make him go sit out in the hall while I fill his bowl. If he gets up, I put the food back and he has to wait again. When I'm in the hall, where he eats, I make him sit and make eye contact and hold for a few seconds. I also stand next to him and even touch his back to help him realize that nobody is there to take his food from him. Like I said, he's a gulper and I don't want him to get possessive over his food. I have to feed him away from our four Dachshunds or he rushes to finish his food and starts trolling for theirs. :smirk:


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