rtaliaferro

I just brought home a 9 week old male dobe - named "Klaus" and the breeder had been feeding him 1 1/2 cups 3x/day (purina pro plan). I decided to transition him over to Canidae with 1 tblsp canned pumpkin (for digestion) and took him down to 1 cup 3x/day since I felt the breeder feeding amount was excessive after speaking to our vet.

Klaus is now crazy with his food - inhaling it within a few seconds. Did I screw up by reducing his food amount? Is is customary to feed an 8-9 week old puppy such a large quantity?

AlyssaN

Murphy has always been able to eat his food in a few seconds flat. In fact, this is common. I don't think you screwed up. I'm not familiar with Canidae, but what are their feeding guidelines for a puppy your age?

Also, three a day is alright for now. It took us a while to move to two a day, a little longer than most people but at about 5 months we switched to two.

Jonnyess09

A slow-feeder bowl is a must for these guys with their body type and the way they inhale! There are several selections on Amazon for under $10....

kpal4978

A great "slow feeding" bowl is a regular steel bowl, upside down... my aunt has had GSD's and dobes for 30 years, and she has always done this. Works wonders for our boy, really slows him down.

And at 9 weeks, when we got Mariano, he was eating 3/4 a cup 3 times a day.
Not at 20 weeks, he eats about 1 1/2 cups 3 times a day.

PatchworkRobot

I loved the slow-feeder bowl that Dreizehn had as a puppy. Another option is to put the food in a muffin tin or spread it out on a baking sheet or even just the kitchen floor. That will slow down his eating.

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rtaliaferro

thank you so much for the suggestions - I just watched him eat his lunch and he gulped it soooo fast that he backed up and started gagging. I had a slow feeder bowl for my weimaraner so will look for that. Thanks again!

rtaliaferro

Canidae was a top rated food by Dog Food Advisor - they have a grain free line. That said - he has had a bit of gas so not sure it will work for him. I have read in a few of these forums that alot have their pups on Innova??

AlyssaN

You're right, Canidae looks great! It has a five-star rating on Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble. I wouldn't be too concerned with the gas just yet, puppies need some time to adjust to the food. Did you transition him? If not, then that could also be the culprit.

I used Innova which is a (five-star rating) for a bit, and really liked it. However it wasn't sold in our area so we switched to Orijen (six-star rating).

Personally, I'd give the food some time before deciding whether or not to switch.

Edit to add: also, don't think that gas is uncommon. Dober-farts are deadly...

rtaliaferro

too funny - I almost forgot how deadly those farts can be I looked at Orijen too - just didn't know which food to give him and like you chose the one that was available at my local store. I did not use his old food to transition but used the canned pumpkin - this was a recommendation from a friend of mine who is a patrol officer at our local humane society. She said it works really well transitioning onto any new food. How long should I give it? A few weeks?

mmctaq

Was your pup overweight? I don't much care what the package directions say, I don't much care what the scale says, I don't much care what the vet says, I don't much care what I fed a different puppy... I care what THIS puppy's body condition is like. If the pup was not overweight, he did not (in my opinion) need to have his food reduced much less reduced by one third!

Puppies DO sometimes eat like vacuum cleaners, but if your pup says he is STARVING, I might consider increasing his portions. Also, to slow him down, you can feed him on a cookie sheet or even just on a piece of newspaper or the floor. When kibble is all spread out, it is not possible to take giant mouthfuls and choke.

lestat1978

I cannot vouch for this, but I was once told if you put a kong, or something similar, in the dog food bowl, the dog will not remove the kong, but eat around it. It's supposed to slow them down.

Ivan's issues with gas seem to be more a result of protein source than brand of food. Ivan's gas is virtually non-existent on fish based foods. He's currently eating Canidae Pure Sea.

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vivienne00

I just upped by 6 mth girl to 4 feeds from 3. She was outside eating "things" - she has settled down again. She is a gulper. You have to feed your dog what they need.

If you can't find the bowl, just use a baking pan and spread the kibble flat in the pan or use a cookie sheet or throw it on the ground outside - make him go chase each piece.

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MaryAndDobes

That sounds about right for Pro Plan and a 9 week old male, if he's a healthy, big puppy. That's about what mine were eating at that age although the smaller ones were probably eating a little less.

I also have experience with Canidae (I have one dog eating it now, and fed it to all of my dogs in the past) and my finding was that it was not a good food for weight gain. Personally, I probably wouldn't use it for a growing puppy. I think it's a great food, in general. I just wouldn't use it for a growing puppy.

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rtaliaferro

The Canidae is All Life Stages so want to see how he does on it for a few more weeks. I will certainly be getting a slow feeder or putting his kibble on a cookie sheet as alot of you recommended to slow his feeding. I am not sure about his weight. He was the biggest of the litter (of 10). I am not sure how to tell if he is overweight but I can still see his ribs when he is standing - he is under 10lbs.

rtaliaferro

Did you have Ivan on this food as a pup?

rtaliaferro

also just tried a large kong inside his food bowl and this did really help. thanks for the advice!

MaryAndDobes

Under 10 lbs at 9 weeks? Are you sure? He should weigh more like 20 lbs.

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AlyssaN

Have you taken him to the vet to ensure that he's healthy? Being less than ten pounds at nine weeks is on the smaller side.

OldDrumDobes

Puppy sounds small for his age. As well seeing ribs is a fine line of skinny and not. When you run your hand down his side you should feel the end of the rib cage without pressure. Personally I'd rather see a pup be a little chunky at that age then skinny. If your not sure if he's hungry offer another handful at the end of the feeding. Slowing down his eating is good but keep him encouraged and excited about eating.


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Old Drum Dobermans

rtaliaferro

as soon as he wakes up from his nap, I will weigh him and let you know. My vet appt is on Dec. 6 as he will be due for his second round of shots.

NINKOjIN

Riley has always been on Canidae ALS - he has been on 1 cup 3x a day his whole life and is doing fine. He, too, woofs it down quickly.

Sometimes I will put my hands in, block him, hand-feed him a little bit, pick up the bowl and have him sit again, etc., as this both helps to slow down his feeding as well as prevent him from developing food aggression. He does fine.

I do add treats throughout the day though. Since the "3 cups" is basically the minimum for his age and weight right now. I just didn't want him to get overweight while he was growing. But he isn't too thin either.

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lestat1978

No, Ivan was not on CANIDAE as a pup. I tried Innova Puppy and Innova Large Breed Puppy Food with Ivan and he didn't do well on either of them. I actually ended up feeding Ivan Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream.

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rtaliaferro

okay - so after weighing him he is at 21 lbs. sorry I must have hit the kg on the scale.