Puppy still hungry.....

[jake8]

Hello,

I am feeding my 10 week old lab mix pup Nutro max puppy food........ I am feeding 2x a day at the max recommended amount for his age and weight(3/4-1 1/2 c), but he just scarfs it down and still acts starving......sniffing all over, hoping a kibble or 2 escaped the bowl
Should I be giving him more??

TIA

 

[Gempress]

It sounds like you have a greedy puppy! Some puppies are like that. It seems like no matter how much you feed them, there's always room for more.

Keep in mind that the instructions on the bag are just guidelines. Some dogs need more, some need less. Just keep track of your pup's weight. If he's maintaining a healthy weight, he's getting plenty to eat. If he's getting too chubby or starting to get slim, adjust the food accordingly.

For a pup this young, I would also recommend dividing the food into three meals a day. That way, he won't feel so hungry all the time.

 

[Roxy's CD]

Pupppies need way more meals than 2 a day!

More like 4 or 5 meals a day. Divide what he's supposed to get into 4 or 5. Puppies are much smaller, and their metabolisims are super fast. So, pretty much right after he's done eating, he's pooped and is hungry again.

I wouldn't feed too much over the guideline, but a little bit here and there won't hurt.

 

[Fran27]

Well my boys had two meals when puppies, and it was never a problem. Boris was picky and would not have eaten three times a day, plus we trained and used treats a lot so I don't think they were starving meanwhile.

But Tips has always been the greedy type too... and you need to watch those dogs carefully, or they will get fat.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

Normal

I thought it was normal for dogs to be super starving all the time! LOL! Wrigley gets 1/2 cup twice daily and generally a treat or two total generally before bed. He always acts like he is STARVING! He will lick the bowl clean--then an hour late lick it again--he stares at you while you eat. He will try to eat fuzz, bugs, spots on the sidewalk. I have been tempted to put down a huge bowl of food and see how much he actually would eat--but I tend to think he would eat until he explodes! (and I know this is not good for them and they can get sick).

One thing that has helped with the craziness at food time (hyper activity ect) is making him sit and stay and put the food bowl down and he is not aloud to eat until I say--I make him sit there and stare at it a good long while.....it has made him more calm!

 

[Bailey+Ralph]

Bailey would eat everytime food was offered............but he would get sick
I would recommend giving 3-4 meals a day of No or at least little more than the required ammount.
This way he is eating small and often and shouldn't really feel hunger in between.

 

[Mach1girl]

They will eat until they make themselves sick. I hear over eating to an extreme will cause bloat as well. I had a post here, my pup got into the grown up dogs food, and ate until he puked forever! It was horrid, the day before a dog show he was to compete in. He is 5 months old and was as wide as he is long, his stomache gooshed as he walked, he was so ill, I could have sworn he was green!

However, I read on the puppy food, Nutro Large breed puppy, he is supp to get 5 to 6 cups a day............I do not feed them that much. If I did they would be sooooooooooooooooooo fat and poo everywhere, they get half that a day. approx about 3 cups a day.

 

[cowgurl6254]

I leave food out all the time for my pup and let him eat whenever he feels like it. He eats well within the amount suggested and the vet says he is gaining weight perfectly. I tried to feed him several small meals, but with my crazy work schedule, it has just worked out better to do it this way.

 

[Roxy's CD]

cowgurl - you can free feed some dogs and others would just eat all day! I free feed both of my guys and neither of them are overweight, but if my parents free fed Brutus he'd be a huge sausage with tooth picks for legs. It's like people, some people can say enough and others just want more and more and more... LOL

With young puppies though, it's nice to know exactly how much food they're getting.

 

[cowgurl6254]

Yeah, i know what you mean. Andy is the first dog I've ever been able to feed like this. I do keep track of how much he eats though by measuring what I put in his dish. He just seems to do better if he can pick what times he chooses to eat. So he's a little spoiled..... oh well

 

[Mordy]

Jake, not only feeding 3 instead of 2 meals per day would be better for a puppy that young, but also feeding a better quality food. Nutro Max is a popular brand, but not particularly nutritious.

 

[jake8]

What kind would you suggest?
Thanks!

 

[juliefurry]

My lab is the same way. She's a year old and always acts like she is starving! She scarfs down her meals and then begs for more. She is constantly trying to eat fuzz and bugs and sticks! I just think, as many people have already said, some dogs are just greedy .

 

[cowgurl6254]

I switched my puppy from Nutro to Royal Canin, and it's made a huge difference. There are lots of great brands out there, but for me, Royal Canin is the only one that is really accessible. Mordy should have some better advice....

 

[tinksmama]

I was just coming here to ask a puppy food question ...how convenient! Tink is 15 weeks,and 4 1/2 pounds, chi mix- I've been feeding her 3x a day, but it gets kind of busy sometimes, so I figured this is a good age,almost 4 months, to cut down to 2x a day....well, she doesn't finish everything in her bowl, unless it's mixed with treat stuff,like a little canned- and this week she lost weight! she's down to 4 pounds 6 oz,form the 4/8 oz- (my scale is not 100% accurate)she's also looking rangier,her legs got long,etc...is this a stage? is she too young to NOT gain any weight in a week? or do small dogs start to level off in their gain at this age?
Is she too young to eat only 2x a day? Her 2 meals are bigger than the 3 were...

 

[julieandchili]

LOL...IM just having a giggle over here at the mental image of your pup snooping all over hoping a kibble or two escaped the bowl!
From time to time mine does that too.....no idea other than a growth spurt, so maybe they are extra hungry?
I know puppies are not the same as kids, but I do remember with my kids that from time to time they scarfed their supper down and asked for more and you just couldnt seem to fill them. In a day or two, they were back to eating their regualr amount of food and not hanging out at the refrigerator.
I dunno if its the same with puppies, but it seems that way with mine. Some days he just seems to need a little extra.