Feeding Your Puppy
WHY AND FOR HOW LONG DO I FEED PUPPY FOOD?
Genetics aside, scientific studies have led to the present conclusion that rapid growth of the long bones in medium/large breed puppies is a risk factor for developing poor joint and bone conditions. Rapid bone growth can be caused by 2 methods: overfeeding and calcium supplementation. Puppies allowed to free-feed or those fed liberal meal portions that exceed their daily calorie needs risk rapid bone growth.
Puppies of these breeds should constantly have their calorie intake adjusted during the growth period which can be as long as 12 – 16 months in larger breeds. The key is to keep puppies growing at a slow, steady rate during this extreme growth period.
Puppies under 6 months of age cannot regulate the amount of calcium that is absorbed from their intestines. Studies have shown that excessive calcium promotes rapid bone growth and increases the risk of joint disease and hip dysplasia. Feeding puppies adult food too early is the same as calcium supplementation. Feeding adult food can result in the consumption of 2 to 3 times the amount of calcium than would be ingested with puppy food.
When your dog is of adult size and build, only then it is time to switch to an adult formula. If your dog starts to put on too much weight and they are 12 to 16 months old, then you know your dog is getting too many calories and it is time to switch.
The bottom line is that medium /large breed puppies should be carefully fed a quality large breed puppy formula until the end of their growth period before being switched to an adult formula. Calcium supplementation should be avoided during that same time.
Monitor your dog’s weight during their entire life by feeling their ribs. You should be able to feel ribs but not see them. If you can see them, increase their food. If you can’t feel them at all, then decrease their food. If your dog gets a lot of exercise then it will need more food. If your dog is a couch potato, then it will need less food. It’s better to underfeed than overfeed, especially when feeding puppies.
A well researched article entitled "Hovan Slow Growth Plan" specifies how important it is to keep a puppy growing as slowly as possible from birth to 4 months old. So while part of the article may pertain to me, the other part pertains to you! I have included the link should you wish to read it: https://cvgrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Slow-Grow.current.pdf
Please visit the Weight Management tab for more info and images of overfed and underfed goldens.
HOW MUCH DO I FEED MY PUPPY?
If you have a puppy that doesn't have especially large parents and he/she is growing into what you think is going to be a large dog, first consider that you many be overfeeding your puppy (even if the puppy isn't fat). The growth of your puppy needs to be controlled. If you have a puppy from us, your puppy is not genetically wired to be especially big as all of our dogs are within the FCI standard with regards to size. An overfed puppy will use the food to grow faster before it grows fatter. You don't want to underfeed your dog either. You should be able to lightly feel your dog's ribs. A dog shouldn't be so thin that you can see his/her ribs, even when your dog is wet.
Here are some general guidelines on how much to feed puppies. Most dog food bags suggest feeding too much. It is in the dog food manufacturers best interest to sell you more dog food. On average I send our 8 week old puppies eating a ½ cup of food 3 times a day which is 1-1/2 cups total for the day. I would recommend feeding this same amount each day for the 1st two weeks. Every 2 weeks increase the daily feeding by ¼ cup for the next 2 week time period. So if during week 1 & 2, you are feeding 1-1/2 cups a day, then during weeks 3 & 4 feed 1-3/4 cups a day and during week 5 & 6 feed 2 cups a day, etc. As long as you cannot see ribs, he/she is not too thin. They should not have that "pudgy puppy tummy" after the first 3-4 months! Golden Retrievers around 4 months of age start to thin out and get much taller… they are supposed to look lanky and awkward so do not think they are too thin and begin to overfeed! Golden Retriever puppies act like they are starving when fed proper amounts so don’t fall for the puppy eyes… use your own eyes to adjust as needed.
If your puppy is too thin or just right, increase the daily amount by ¼ cup of food per day the following week. If your puppy starts to look fat with a pudgy tummy, stop increasing the weekly food amount until the puppy “grows into” their fat. Hold the puppy at whatever their daily amount is. Assess the puppy’s condition each week and change as needed. When the puppy no longer looks chubby start increasing the daily amount by ¼ cup each week again.
If your puppy suddenly develops diarrhea, (with no other symptoms),there is no need to panic unless the problem is very severe with bloody diarrhea. Just loose or very soft stools is very common for puppies after all the stress they have just gone through and it can also be a sign that your puppy is getting too much to eat. So if you are overfeeding, try cutting back. In this case, decrease the daily amount by ¼ cup. If this doesn’t cure the diarrhea, try adding canned pumpkin to its food. (not pumpkin pie filling - just plain pumpkin). Another food option to help with tummy upset is to feed white rice and chicken. If none of these work, and the puppy still has excessive diarrhea, consult your vet.
If your puppy does not finish his meal, this is also a sign they are getting too much to eat and you need to decrease the daily amount by ¼ cup. (This rarely happens with a golden though! 😂)
MONTHLY AMOUNTS AGE-WISE IF YOU FOLLOW THE "ADD 1/4c. EVERY 2 WEEKS" RULE: ***
2 months = 1-1/2 cups per day. Feed 3x day
3 months = 2 cups per day. Feed 3x day
4 months = 2-1/2 cups per day. Feed 3x day
5 months = 3 cups per day. Feed 3x day
6 months = 3-1/2 cups per day. Feed 2x per day
7 months and beyond = 4 cups per day. Feed 2x day
However, adjust food amounts according to your puppy as all puppies will vary.
Consult your vet with questions.
***Keep in mind… these are AVERAGE AMOUNTS only. They are meant to be a guideline to help assess your puppy’s growth rate. Smaller or larger framed Goldens could fall into different categories as well as more or less active puppies. Evaluate YOUR puppy’s body condition on a weekly basis because visually assessing your puppy’s growth is far more important than this chart.
When your puppy reaches about 12-14 months, their calorie needs begins to decrease. If you weight them monthly you may start to notice larger increases in weight each month and it may now be time to cut back a little on the food. They may also be at or very near their adult weight at this point. Our full grown females eat on average 3 to 3.5 cups of food per day and our full grown males eat 3.5 cups a day.... sometimes 4 cups but only if they are very active dogs. I do alter my adults food slightly between the summer more active season and the winter less active season.