# Not feeding enough???



## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

I've noticed a few others and what their pups were weighing here and there. I'm just wondering if perhaps I"m not feeding my girl enough.

She just turned 4 months old on Jan 2nd and when I weighed her she's just under 30 lbs! 

I've been feeding her Royal Canin for about 2 wks now, had to switch of the Innova, she decided she didn't want it anymore. However she goes nuts over the Royal Canin 32 Large Breed Puppy food!

I usually feed her twice a day. Now the bag says to feed 3 7/8 per day depending for a dog around 44 lbs. Well I feed my girl twice a day 2 cups per meal which is 4 cups a day. However In a month she's only packed on about 6-7 lbs. Does this seem normal for a 4 month to be weighing less than 30 lbs?

I'm wondering if I should bump up the amount she is eating or start adding something else in to her meals. Right now about once or twice a week I'll give her about 1/2 cup of raw ground chicken gizzards to her meal. Eventually I would like to switch over to a raw fed diet. However I need to learn alot more about how to actually do it and what amounts of what are needed et cetra.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank You!


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## SchDDR (Dec 29, 2010)

You can't base weight on anything but the dog's appearance. What is thin for one dog is overweight for another based on bone structure, size, etc.

At 4 months old, you can start to see a hint of the last couple of ribs, and a nice abdominal tuck.

Can you post a good side photo of her standing, and one from above looking down at her spine? That's a far better indicator of over/under feeding than weight.

My 3 year old GSD's perfect weight [where she appears as described above] is 58-60 lbs. For many GSDs, that would be severely underweight, but she's a small, compact GSD.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

How does she feel? You should be able to feel ribs, but not portruding bones. Pups vary so much in weight due to their lines, I wouldn't worry about how much she weighs. But be certain she is free of parasites. If she is going thru a growth spurt, up the portions, back down if she feels plump.
My pup was always much heavier than his female littermates and at maturity(well 22 mos) he is about 30# heavier than them. But he is not fat, just a male and bigger. He gained an average of 2# a week and was always in the range of his age(40# at 4 mos, 50# 5,etc.) He finally tapered off at about 9 mos. and is now 90# and 27"

Chicken gizzards aren't very nutritious, if you want to supplement with raw, give her something better than that!


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

SchDDR, I'll defefinately get some pics posted.

Onyx. Nutrient wise what would you suggest as a starter?

Also, I gave her a nucklebone or soup bone to gnaw on a few days ago. She has a complete blast with that! Thanfully I put her and it in her crate, because when she got fed up with it, she had stuff all over her! lol


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

Here are a few shots. Not the best. But what I could do atm.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Where is her cute puppy face?! Come on, you put up pics and all we get are body shots??
She looks like she could put on a couple. Her coat in the last pic looks dry. Do you supplement with oils? 
I would go on Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch for answers to your raw questions. Too much to learn and one post won't help as much as researching it.


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

She's had alot of dandruff. Also, her undercoat is really really thick fur and it's the color of a smokey gray. I don't know if it's the puppy coat trying to blow out or what it is. I've brushed her numerous times a wk and really get nothing coming out.

Also my house is really dry in the winter time, which probably doesn't help with her dandruff. We have a vet appt this Friday, so I will figure out more of what all she might be needing to help with the weight as well as the dryness.


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

Onxy I went to that site. However both times I have checked it, On switching puppies to raw, what to start with and how much is empty, therefore it doesn't really give me anything to go on atm.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I thought the site had been updated. There are numerous threads here in the BARF/RAW forums on switching pups over, I just did it "cold turkey" when I did. The balance of raw meaty bones, muscle meat and organ meat is important and overfeeding can cause runny poo's. If you have time, spend some in those threads, it isn't as hard or complex as it seems and you'll notice a difference within a month.
If you can get a humidifier, that will help, most pups do have flaky skin when getting that adult coat in, normal. Start giving some salmon oil gelcaps(1000mg) and vitamin e9400iu) daily(human grade), that will really help with your pups new coat coming in.
She is a gorgeous bi-color! Reminds me of Onyx, big knees and ears to go with! Thanks for adding those last shots Did I pm you once on where she came from? Onyx's breeder lives in IN and had a litter not that long ago...not many bi breeders around. Edit: I just looked at her site, her litter was born in June.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

You could try a higher quality grain free food, try Orijen LBP. My female weighed 32 pounds at 4 months. She is now 70 pounds. Your pup looks a little underweight but not a lot.


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

Onyx, no you never had pm'd me inquiring.  Does your friend have a website on her GSD's? I would like to take a look. (Possibly future addition down the road)

I will defiantely take your advice on that as well on the supplements. I've looked at them a few times, but there are so many out there with different mg's and doses etc, it gets bit over whelming not wanting to overdose or do her any dmg.

PaddyD. Well hopefully in the next few weeks we will get this weight thing under control.

A few wks back the store had a sale on their meat, so I went and picked up a big ole case of chicken quarters. However never having fed a dog a raw diet. I was a bit hesitant and therfore they've been in my freezer for about 2 wks now.

Having come from a family where they always stated not to give a dog chicken bones for the splintering. Definately confused.


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## SchDDR (Dec 29, 2010)

Cooked bones are at serious risk of splintering- cooking makes them brittle.
Raw bones don't share that risk.


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## HankGSD (Oct 28, 2010)

My pup, Hank, is one day younger than your girl since he just turned 4 months on January 3rd.  He weighs 46 lbs. and I feed him only 3 cups per day (grain free) although I am going to work up to four over the next few days.

My point is that it seems very true that each dog is an individual and what is underweight or overweight for one dog is not the same for another. We were just at the vet today, and she felt his weight was fine but that I may want to increase to get a little closer to what the bag suggests. She judges weight by ribs (should be able to be felt, but not protruding) and hips/backbone (should not feel bony.) 

I made a post today that my vet said I don't have to feed Hank three times a day as I have been doing since he was 8 weeks, but I think I'm going to keep him on three times a day until he's 6 months. I'm worried about him going up to 14 hours between meals depending on my work schedule. 

If your schedule allows, do you think your girl might benefit from three meals a day?


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

i dont think she looks too skinny. she may only reach 55-60 lbs, but that is within standard.


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## crboggs (Nov 13, 2010)

SouthernNdN said:


> She just turned 4 months old on Jan 2nd and when I weighed her she's just under 30 lbs!
> 
> I usually feed her twice a day. Now the bag says to feed 3 7/8 per day depending for a dog around 44 lbs. Well I feed my girl twice a day 2 cups per meal which is 4 cups a day. However In a month she's only packed on about 6-7 lbs. Does this seem normal for a 4 month to be weighing less than 30 lbs?


Keep in mind that you need to read the feeding chart with her "Target Adult Weight" in mind...not her "Current Puppy Weight".

My wife made that mistake the first few days we had our pup home and was feeding him.

Looking at the Royal Canin chart...with a female adult target weight around 66 lbs and a pup aged 4 months old, you should be feeding around 4.5 cups.

When she turns 5 months old you'll go up to 4.75 cups and stay there for awhile.

Our 5 month old male looked very skinny. We changed to Blue Buffalo LBP and raised his feeding amount slightly. Now he looks great and is filling out.


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