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  1. #1
    House Broken Murrisha's Avatar
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    How much food should he be getting?

    So we recently adopted Teller from the local humane society. They had him listed as a lab mix based on his legginess, thinner coat/tail, and generally lithe appearance. However, from research and talking to people who have been around labs, he could just be from field-bred lines. Anyways, that's not the concern here...

    We got him at 13 months and he just turned 14 months. He was twice returned and when he went to his previous home at 10 months, he weighed around 55 lbs (which is still on the small side). When he was returned the most recent time, he had dropped 10 lbs in just 2 1/2 months. He's definitely not a petite dog, he's 24" at the withers and has decent muscle development, especially in his chest. But I think he is just TOO skinny. We took him to the vet the other week and he had gained 5 lbs back (putting him at 50 lbs) and she said he looked "ideal," however from looking at the body rating charts for dogs online, T is underweight. His waist is incredibly small, and his ribs/pelvis visible. The shelter had him on Purina One, which doesn't bother him and that's what we've stuck with. I know there are much better foods out there, but if he tolerates it, why change it? We've continued feeding him puppy food because of the higher caloric content. He hasn't had any loose stools, excessive gas, vomiting, lethargy, or anything that would indicate any underlying health problems. He's incredibly active though, like most lab puppies. He will run around at full-tilt for hours, swim, walk miles, and still come home wanting to run/play. We've been feeding him 2 cups of the Purina One Large Breed Puppy twice a day, but he always seems hungry. I know many labs are walking garbage disposals so I am confused as to whether he is just looking for morsels because that's what dogs do, or if he's actually hungry. I was wondering if anybody could shed some light on the situation and provide advice? I don't want to starve him but I also don't want to overfeed him and end up 6 months down the road with an overweight dog. I've asked the vet and they said 3 cups a day was a good amount to feed him, but I disagree with that and think he should gain at least 10-15 lbs more.
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  2. #2
    Senior Dog Abulafia's Avatar
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    Hm.

    First, I think he looks all lab to me. He might be a mix—he is tall, but within breed standard for a male—but to me has the look of a field lab.

    However, he does seem a bit thin to me, and at that height, 50 lbs is indeed pretty slim (low end for males is about 65 lbs). You should be able to feel the ribs but not see them—and if you are seeing both ribs (which I see in your photo) and the pelvis, then I think he could probably stand to gain a bit.

    I don't think my dog is a good comparison, but: I have a female English lab puppy (4.5 months) from a show line that is bred for very full substance. Her father is probably in the range of 90-something lbs, and her mother up around 90 (though the breeder does think that the mother is a bit overweight). I expect my dog's final weight to be somewhere in the 80s. But English labs have very different body types than field labs.

    Our pup is on Purina ProPlan Sport 26/16. She came home on ProPlan Focus large breed puppy food, but we switched her to her current kibble, on breeder's recommendation, at about 10.5 weeks. She is not on puppy food. I add fresh fruit / veg (blueberries, apple, carrot, sweet potato—a T or so of a couple of these) and a dollop of plain yoghurt in the morning, and a T or two of chicken boiled w/ rice and veggies at night. She is fed 3 cups total (ie. including the fresh fruit, etc.), 2x a day (that is, about 6 cups per day). At this rate of intake, she is gaining about 2 lbs a week (it had been 3 lbs a week, but she recently slowed down). She is eating at exactly the level the breeder's dogs eat, but she is also eating more than most lab puppies. We are following the breeder's instructions on this, and I monitor her substance daily, as when she gets older, we'll reduce her intake so she doesn't become overweight. At about 4.5 months she is around 18 - 19" at the withers (very hard to measure her, as she's so wiggly) and probably about your dog's weight.

    But. That's for my dog and her line. Your dog seems to be eating a total of 4 cups a day (right?), but is still hungry. And is a bit thin. Obviously you don't want an overweight dog—but with his body type and activity level that doesn't sound like an immediate danger. Is he on a puppy food for large breed dogs?

    If he were my dog, I would probably increase his intake a bit (or add some fresh vegetables, a little boiled chicken) and he how he responds.

    At his weight, I would not reduce his food to 3 cups. That would be fine, I think, if he were at his mature weight, but he does seem slim to me—in part due to his past abuse—and I would not reduce food now. Others here may well have other advice.

  3. #3
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    Young male Labradors can burn through a lot of calories, the females too, but males more so, especially if they are active like Teller. Males in the midst of their rapid growth can eat as much as 6-7 cups of a high calorie food. I would switch him to a 30/20 performance food, since you are already in the Purina line, you could switch him to Pro Plan 30/20 Sport. Teller needs a lot of calories to support his continued growth, and to repair whatever has happened to him before you got him.

    You should not be able to see his ribs, shoulders, and hip/pelvis bones, he should have a small layer of protective fat over his ribs, and you should be able to feel his ribs with gentle pressure. I would feed him more food, unless he develops lose stools, (so maybe add a 1 cup snack during the middle of the day instead of adding it to his two meals). Once he is at a weight you like, you can adjust his food amount up or down for maintenance as he matures. I would also be sure he has had a stool sample analyzed just to rule out parasites, and maybe a full blood panel so he has a baseline.

    I am thrilled Teller has found his forever home, I dislike seeing these loving dogs bounced around from home to home.

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  5. #4
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    I would move to Pro Plan Performance 30/20 and aim for about 3 cups a day to start and then gauge on poops. You may have to go up.

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  7. #5
    House Broken Murrisha's Avatar
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    Thanks for the advice! Yeah, we got concerned when we saw him finish his food in like a minute flat and lick the bowl. Then we caught him pigging out on cat food. Based on what I've read, a lot of his lankiness could also be the result of extremely early neutering. He was found at 12 weeks and neutered at just 4 months old before he was first adopted--which was pointless considering he stayed at that woman's home for just 3 days before she brought him back because "she became homeless." I am familiar with falling on hard times, my father lost his high-paying job during the recession, however it just baffles me as to why you would adopt an animal, much less a puppy, if you couldn't afford to pay your own bills. I doubt it was a surprise that she lost her home, since it happened just 2 days after adopting him. I will finish this bag of food and then switch him over, but I will definitely feed him 1 cup of snack during the day. He seems to take a few hours for the food to work through him and there is someone always home to keep him company.

    I should have mentioned it but the vet did a stool test a couple of weeks ago when we saw her and ruled out any parasites and the shelter did one before we took him home to completely clear him for adoption. The vet was adamant that a lot of labs are fat (true, especially near me) and that he was ideal, but I am glad I trusted my gut and sought advice elsewhere. I've only had one appointment with this vet and Teller doesn't have any health problems (knock on wood) or anything that would merit me going to another vet for a second opinion. I will revise my choice of vet when he has his next checkup or if anything happens in between then and now.

    Side note: We are glad to welcome him into our home. My family loves animals and we have a LOT of them (6 cats, 1 other dog) and my parents aren't really dog people to begin with. But even they have fallen in love with our new sweet boy and my father commented (rare) on how well-behaved and smart he is. My dad has even claimed him as "his" dog, lol. I have a soft spot for all creatures (even baby bats) and I can't stand it when irresponsible people adopt and abandon animals just because of something stupid.

  8. #6
    Senior Dog Abulafia's Avatar
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    Sounds good. Please post photos as he grows!

 



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