When to Increase Food Amount

[Pam & Trixie]

I am thinking it may be time to Increase how much I am feeding Trixie. (she is a Standard F1)
But how does one know?
Its so Vague on the bag as to how much to feed. (1 1/2 to 3cups a day)

She is almost 10 weeks...She weighs about 13# on our home scale.
At 8 weeks at the vet she was 11.1#
I can easily feel her ribs. Shes all fur. : )

She did have an upset tummy just a couple days ago..with the runs & I did only feed her small amounts of a Bland diet with some pumpkin.
But 2 days before this I was thinking she seems hungry alot.

She currently gets 1/2 c 3 times a day.
She is still on part bland with her dry kibble (not a good kibble -Diamond- but it is what she was fed when we got her) I dont want to switch her yet...As I will let her tummy settle more...Maybe in a week or 2... I will slowly switch.

She Is extra excited when its time to eat...Barks & runs over to her dinner spot & sits.
She Gobbles her food down...Which prevously she didnt.
During the day she is always going to the door where her food is stored.

Thanks,

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Pam, I need to know the exact food she's getting so I can access the feeding guidelines.

When there is a range of amounts like 1.5 to 3 cups, you have to look at the range of weights and/or ages and find the corresponding amounts. For example, Jack is an adult dog who weighs about 80 lbs. The Orijen guidelines for less active adult dogs weighing 77-110 lbs is 2.25 to 3.5 cups per day. Jack is near the bottom of the weight range, so I would choose an amount also near the bottom of the weight range...2.5 cups. For active dogs, the recommended feeding amount is 3.25 to 4.25 cups...so if he were an active dog, I would choose to feed 3.5 cups.
For puppies, it's a bit more complicated, because while the amounts increase with weight, they decrease with age...the younger the puppy, the more calories they need per lb. of body weight.
I hope that helps. If you give me the exact formula your puppy's eating, I may be able to recommend an amount based on the package guidelines.

[Pam & Trixie]

Thank you Karen,

Here is a Link to the Food & its Chart.

Diamond Puppy Food

 

I see it does say 1 3/4 to 3cups for her age and weight.  I was feedign her 1 1/2c

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, she definitely should be getting more than that, although at 12 weeks she goes to a different bracket.

I'd try giving her 3/4 cups three times a day for now and see if that satisfies her more.

But I'd really like to see you switch her food as soon as possible. It's really a dreadful food, filled with by-products, corn, wheat, and chicken fat...those are the first four ingredients.  I understand you want her tummy to settle down first, and I agree, but hopefully you'll be able to switch her in a week or two.

 

[Pam & Trixie]

Ok, Thanks Karen!

I will increase her food & see how it goes.

And will plan on switching over soon. 

Yes, the list of Ingredients I know is terrible.

[Pam & Trixie]

Trixie is not feeling good again. Her Wednesday diarrhea only lasted one day...I switched her to a bland diet that evening with some pumpkin.  By Thursday night I added in a little of her regular food with that...And gradually added in more.  With some bland & pumpkin also. (her poops were good Thurs & Fri)

Yesterday in the afternoon she had diarrhea again & dh told me she threw up once in the middle of the night : (

(her food)

 

Do I go back to an all Bland diet?  Should I just start switching over to her new food now...And get her off this bad Diamond Puppy food?

I am  sad  & worried that she is not feeling good

[Pam & Trixie]

Thanks Lisa,

  I brought in a stool sample Wed - the day she 1st was sick.  They did not find anything.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have to agree with Lisa...I'd run another fecal. Try to get a couple of different samples.

Vomiting doesn't usually go along with things like giardia, though. Is it possible she ingested something other than her food, outdoors perhaps?

As long as her stomach is still upset, stay with the bland diet alone. The Diamond food is not what's causing the problem, because if it were, she'd have been like this all along, since that's what she's been eating. But it isn't helping, either.

No food is going to make a difference if she has a bug or has eaten something she shouldn't have. If diarrhea and/or vomiting are symptoms of something, food won't make whatever it is go away. So the first order of business is to find out what's causing the problem. But after that's resolved, I'd switch to a new food. Expect a few days of loose stools when you switch.

[Pam & Trixie]

I posted this on my Puppy Thread yesterday...But did not get replies...Since It was also talked about here I am posting it here too.

 

 I brought Trixie to the Vet Yesterday.  I was worried about her.  I just felt she wasnt feeling good (not acting like a Puppy)

Monday all seemed good.  her stools were normal- Although only 2 that day.  She played alot & slept a normal amount.

 

Tuesday...Only 1 small poop the whole day & she did not play muchl.  She slept alot. 

She also didnt drink as much  water...its like she doesnt want to drink it out of the bowl it has been in since we got her.  I put water in a different bowl & still she doesnt want it.

 

This morning after she ate...She slept for hours.

 

Last night I got her to drink water if I cup my fingers in the bowl...She will drink from my hand...if I move my hand out..She will not drink the water.  Anyone have this happen?

She was not interested in an ice cube either.

 

Her stool was rechecked.  Also for Coccidia- which was negative.  I did not have them run blood tests yet.

I came home with Metronidazole & Proviable to give her (Good & Bad Bacteria)

Also some Puppy Kaopectate.  Although I dont really feel she has Diarrhea anymore.  Vet says differently (not my normal vet) The sample I brought in was 1/2 solid 1/2 soft...2 times a day - Diarrhea?

I am hoping her unsettled stomach is causing her lethargy.

 

She is still on Hamb/rice diet.  She is eating that very good.  Picks up any rice she might drop & licks the bowl.  I did add some water to that this afternoon to get more water in her.

She has peed much more Wed. then Tues.

 

This Morning she is still up & playing.  I have gotten her to drink alot of water last night & this morning.

We also added a Little pedialyte(sp)

 

Any thoughts?

[Sharon & Monty]

I had a golden that would not drink from a stainless steel bowl.  It took me awhile to figure out it was because she seen her reflection!  Bought her a ceramic bowl and she drank just fine.  goofy dog!  Just a guess.  Hope your baby feels better soon.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If you need to get fluids into a dog, and she won't drink water, you can try adding a little sodium free chicken broth to her food. You can also try giving her frozen fruit juice bars...some dogs love them. Buy the ones that are 100% juice, not sugar water.

Water bowls should be either ceramic or stsinless steel, never plastic, and they need to be washed with soap and hot water regularly. If you're suing a stainless steel bowl, that may be the reason she only drinks when your hand is there...the reflection bothers her otherwise. Try ceramic.

But this sounds like more than a food issue to me. I would keep pressing the vet for answers as to what it could be. I hope she's better soon.