[siandange]

We have a Chocolate puppy, who is four months old tomorrow and we're struggling to work out how much food we should be feeding him!
We feed him on Pro Plan for large breed puppies but it works the food weight out with the final average adult weight, which neither of us know!!
Can any one advise us on his adult weight?!!! Many thanks!!

 

[Kev]

Hi Siandange

Should be around 33/35 kilos

Kev

 

[Kev]

Hi Siandange

There are members who use Pro Plan so they should be able to tell you how much to feed your puppy ok.

What's his name ? Got any pics ?

Kev

 

[siandange]

;Hi Kev! Thanks for your help!! Its our first time using the forum so you'll have to bear with us!!
Our boys name is Alfie, he's a little superstar and a great pet!!!
Got pictures of him but not figured out how to put them in our profile....any tips??!!!

 

[anna]

Id go lighted than that, vogue is 27.5kg and richey is overweight at 39kg but his target weight is 33kg but he is crossed with a golden retriver which are larger, I would go for 30ish but also deduct 10% as companies always overestimate the food requirements.
Anna

 

[JohnW]

The UK breed standard does not list a weight but the US standard calls for a weight of a dog to be 65 to 80 Lbs (29.5 to 36.3 Kg), bitches 55 to 70 lbs (25 to 32 kg)

Personally I never talk weight because they are meaningless. My Anna is big for a bitch, in fact 2 inches over breed standard. There is not an ounce of fat on her but she is solid muscle and quite capable, and often does, clear a four foot fence at the run with a cock pheasant in her mouth and she turns the scales at 35kg. Muscle weighs heavier than fat! The only true guide is the finger test. Run your fingers over the ribs. The ribs should be easily felt, the outline blurred by a layer of flesh. If the ribs feel sharp and hard edged then the dog is too thin, if indistinct then the dog is too fat.

Judging the amount of food needed is a very individual thing and what one needs may well not suit another. My old Lucy was always on starvation rations and I still had trouble keeping the fat at bay whereas Bethany was on double that and always sylphlike!

Regards, John

 

[mommy]

Hi,

I agree with you Anna, although we have to accept that no two dogs shape, height and body mass are the same, let alone the amount of exercise they do or don't have, and these make it hard to work out a balance eh?

Tilly was 30k 6 months ago and vet said she must not go over that. Else go on diet !! Took the smile right of her face :wink:
Although she is not a tall dog she is stocky from her Dad's side.

Have had to work to keep her weight stable ( scavenging Lab, yeah right ! )

Weighed 4 weeks ago and 29.5k and looks good, but would look real porky if any bigger......noticed huge weight increase after spaying though....

Kev, I was told also that 33 - 35 was about right, but when she stopped growing in height and clearly wasn't going to be a big dog the vet amended her desired adult weight...and here we are.

 

[mommy]

John,

How did I know your excellent knowledge would appear ? ! lol :wink:

Tilly is same, real muscley back that looks wide ( and fat to the untrained eye ) but solid ! A right bruiser

I agree feeding is an individual thing based on your own dog, trial and error finds the medium you need.

 

[anna]

yes feeding does depend very much on the individual dog however I'd be more comfortable underfeeding and if enough weight wasnt put on to increase the allowence, its a lot easier for a lab (especially a pet lab) to put on weight than get it off. Also as a pup im sure he'll get extra training treats on top of regular food.
Anna

 

[JohnW]

You know what they say about empty barrels making the most noise Rhoni! I love the sound of my voice!!!!!! :wink:

Seriously though, I think Anna is far and away the hardest I've ever had to balance. I'm always tinkering with her food levels! Something I've never needed with other Labs. I accept that I'll need to up her food in the winter when she's working but it is far more than that. Again, she gets very lethargic when in season and for the 60 days after which again means a reduction of food needed but she really is a problem dog in that respect.

Regards, John

 

[mommy]

Anna,

I always used a percentage of her daily intake as treats for training, found it helped keeping the quantities correct. ( with a bit of liver cake thrown in for special tasks !)

.....and as for you John .....lol........ I had probs in the early days with quantities because the brand I was using seemed to change every month with different amounts. When I put her on adult everything calmed down a bit and we now have a routine.
As Tills has been spayed I don't have the highs and lows you experience.

 

[anna]

yes using food allowence for treats works quite well although sometimes you need something extra special (livercake or little bits of cheese) Vogue gets all sorts of things but the favourites have to be pro reward freeze dried liver and primula lite but then here daily dog food is drasticly lower than reccomended by the manufacturers.
Anna

 

[JohnW]

As Tills has been spayed I don't have the highs and lows you experience.

I can't even get her spayed Rhoni! Nearly five months after her season and she is still producing milk! She's back on milk suppressants for a week then back to the vet's next Monday. A very complex little girl my Anna! I just hope Amy will turn out to be easier in that respect when she arrives!

Regards, John

 

[mommy]

John,

I know, I read about your mobile call from the vets, and posted answer, weren't you paying attention

I do hope Anna ' dries up ' in time. Else as you say it will be another year. Hopefull?

Anna ( god this might get confusing ! ) yeah as I said I give liver cake and if you take a peek at Tilly's album and you will see her and 2 of her siblings sucking a primula tube dry...they lurve it

Wonder why dogs love cheese so much?

 

[anna]

could get confusing, im already confused!

 

[mommy]

LOL Anna, sorry, John posted that anna was going to vet to be spayed......call from vets still producing milk........take her home.....try again Monday.

If not then either have to wait till after next season which is shooting season so will have to be postponed till next summer !

Phew

 

[my4labs]

Confused, so am I


I always say, if a dog looks and acts healthy , then you must be doing okay

Dont always go by the manufacturers guild lines as they are not always right, just keep an eye on the dog and they will tell you.

You should also be able to tell by the dogs poo whether there being fed enough.

 

[JohnW]

I know, I read about your mobile call from the vets, and posted answer, weren't you paying attention

My teacher at school always said that too Rhoni, and I’m just as bad now!! :lol:

 

[Maddie]

I always go by the touch test and adjust food accordingly. In fact I probably give her half the amount recommeded but she has a lot of training treats during the day and cereal for breakfast! Coco weighs around 29 kilos and my French vet said that was too heavy! I can clearly feel her ribs and backbone. In fact she seems to have a lot of loose skin too, not sure if that's normal. It's easier for me to feed her extra if I think she's a bit skinny. She is pretty active and we do a lot of agility and on good days is outside for pretty much all of the day running and burning up calories. Also she damaged a hock joint when she was young so I prefer to err on the side of caution too - less is more and all that. :lol:

 

[GrecianExile]

Agree Nicola, after Shadow snapped his hip ligament it was all the more important to keep any excess weight off him. When he's out you can vaguely see the out line of his ribs and as you say, the touch test seems to be the best guide - I know he's fed a lot less than the 'recommended' amount- and he looks good for it (even if I say so myself!)