# New puppy eating like crazy!



## djm899 (Jan 23, 2014)

Ivy is 11 weeks old. and she weighs 23 lbs. She looks very skinny to me. She is eating Blue Freedom for Puppies. She has had a recent minor bout of diarrhea, the vet suggested she stay on chicken and rice for a couple of days. She does not have worms. The diarrhea is gone. We are weaning her off now to the kibble again. 

My problem is that she eats 3 times a day and regardless of whether she eats the chicken and rice or the kibble, she licks the bowl clean, even if I give her 2 cups per meal. She seems to still be really hungry. That is way over what I have heard in terms of amount for her age. 

In that she is REALLY skinny, and both her parents were over 100 lbs, should I feed her until she is satiated or is that dangerous in terms of bloat? 

Thanks for any ideas on this...


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Hello! Be happy your girl eats with no pickiness! If I am correct, Blue Freedom LBP is 6+cups per day, so you are on schedule. Please don't overfeed her, as this would put stress on her joints which are developing as she grows. Good luck

PS, Bloat, from what I have heard, try to make her eat slowly and keep her calm after eating. Others will chime in!


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## djm899 (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi, she is on the Blue Freedom Puppy Grain Free, which says 4 1/2 as a maximum, which is why I was concerned.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

djm899 said:


> Hi, she is on the Blue Freedom Puppy Grain Free, which says 4 1/2 as a maximum, which is why I was concerned.


Ahh, I just assumed she was on Large Breed.... She should be on it.


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## djm899 (Jan 23, 2014)

Yes, I just ordered Fromm Large Breed Puppy. Thanks so much for your response! I appreciate it.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Great that she a good appetite! Don't go by the bag's ratios and do not let her eat as much as she wants. Kibble swells up big time in their stomach. Your own pup is the best indicator on how much to feed her. Try to give her 4 small meals a day if she is too skinny. It's OK to feel her ribs and backbones when you pet her. You can soak the kibble in warm water for about 10 minutes and also give her the broth from it so she won't inhale her food. Another thing you could do is to put a few large round rocks in the bowl so she has to eat around it and slow down. Make sure she can't swallow the rocks. I always keep them calm half an hour before and one hour after a meal for that danger of bloat to be on the cautious side. Good luck with your puppy! How's the biting?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

young puppies naturally should have high food drive. They compete with littermates during meal time and it is usually an instinctive behavior to eat quickly and beg for more. 
I don't think I've ever heard of a baby puppy bloating, but would never feed a pup extra portions just because they are begging to eat.

I feed raw, my pups meals are portioned according to his weight/growth and structure. He has the nickname 'goat' because he'll eat anything and is always hungry. 

Yesterday, he went out to the garden and picked a tomato, he actually brought this one inside instead of eating it on the vine. 
He's is not fond of the way I ration his meals, obviously.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Love it Dogs just don't seem to know what to do with a tomato. It looks so cool - like a ball kinda. It's funny though how much they like tomato sauce when cooked with other yummy stuff.

OP - My pup was 34lbs at 11 weeks. She would have eaten 6 cups a day if I had let her. The nutrient and calorie content of the dog food I was feeding said that 4 cups would be enough, so that's what she got. Just because they want it does not mean they need it. (see rapid growth - Pano) Training treats were enough to keep her from getting too hungry in between the two daily feedings. 

I have had too many experiences with feeding chicken/rice not to know there that will end up. They get that only if they are sick and have no appetite. Otherwise mine have always shunned their regular food and held out for the chicken/rice until they figured out that windfall was over.....


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

They can get diarrhea if over fed too.


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## djm899 (Jan 23, 2014)

Thanks everyone, and that picture of the tomato is hilarious...just yesterday my husband said she would go for the tomato plants, and I said no way! Guess I have to rethink that one!

She is a big biter, today i got bully sticks, which helped, plus she started to go to a small daycare for a couple of hours, and that helped too. 

She is so great, but I have to say I'm thrilled when I see she is taking a nap. Whew....


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Yes, naps are great Enjoy the journey - just when you think you've had enough, things will level out and you'll actually miss the chaos


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