Diet For My 5 Month Old Puppy?
I have a 5 month old Boston, Rat terrier mix and he is getting chunky. He is 75% Boston and 25% Rat terrier. He is in puppy school right now so he gets many treats in training and I work with him alot. I try to use low calorie treats. He eats 2 meals a day. 1 2/3 c. Eukanuba puppy lamb and rice daily. He will be neutered in about 2 weeks and I think its time for a diet. Will he gain weight after neutering? And can you help me set up a diet for him like how many treats he should be getting along with food? I know I should ask my vet this but I am a little embarrassed that I let it get this far when she told me to watch his weight. No bad comments please.
Ask the Vet (Heck…she’s not your mother or someone you need to impress — YOU pay her for her advice. She is – in effect – your employee!!!!!)
Ask your vet what your dog’s ideal weight should be. Get her advice on your pup’s food (is it a good food or a bad food)? What does she think his serving size should be? Always use a measuring scoop – it makes it so much easier!! A friend’s dog was getting fat but she swore that they only fed a cup 2x a day. Then I saw her husband dish up the food (a huge soup bowl which he filled to the brim…A big Duh Moment!!)
I feed twice a day – My dog is 18 lbs and has very little activity now due to a medical condition. He gets a 1 and 1/2 cups a day — so that’s 3/4 of a cup morning and night. When we were in training class — I just use my dog’s own kibble as his training treats. I measure out the daily food and then take out a large portion for training. He is not fed the evening of his class as he gets treats and then the remainder when we get home.
It is possible that he could gain even more weight once he is neutered. If it makes you feel any better, Bostons are usually a “chunkier” breed Ask you vet what his “ideal weight” (if you don’t know already), Then feed him the dog food based on directions on the bag for his “ideal weight”. Cutting back on the treats is always a good idea, even if they are a “Lean Treat”.
good luck
Cut the food down to 1 1/2 cups and try to make your walks a bit longer.
When you are feeding a lot treats in class, cut the food back that day to 1 cup. That brand is junk so try something high quality like wellness, innova, eagle pack, timberwolf, etc.
A puppy eats a lot of food. From birth up to six months of age, he’ll need to eat two to four times as much as an adult dog to support all that growth. Here’s some puppy feeding tips,http://dogtime.com/feeding-puppy-aspca.h…
First, Eukanuba isn’t a very good food and contain a lot of fillers. You should look for a dog food with at least the first two ingredients as meat and try to stay away from corn, other fillers, by-products and any ingredient you’ve never heard of. Any dog food sold at wal-mart is generally not good quality. I would recommend Canidea, Innova, Orijen, Chicken Soup for the Puppy/ Dog Lover’s Soul, Wellness etc.
If your puppy is getting alot of treats maybe try replacing the treats with just puppy food, maybe a different brand so your pup thinks its a treat. Try to follow the feeding instruction on the back of the bag.
Anyways, don’t be embarrassed about talking to your vet about this, that’s what vets are for.
Metabolism changes after neutering, as the hormone levels drop, and pets often do gain weight without diet changes after spaying/neutering.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask your vet! Most pets are overweight these days, and your doctor will be impressed (and relieved) that you’re concerned about the issue! He/she will be glad you asked, believe me.
If he’s getting chunky, decrease his food intake by about 25%, and weigh him regularly. A dog of an ideal weight has a defined waist, a nice abdominal tuck (that “streamlined” look from the side), and easily palpable ribs – you shouldn’t be able to *see* them, but feel them easily like a washboard when you run your fingers across his sides.
When it comes to training – don’t give him his reward *every* time he does what you ask. Tease him just a little. Hold the treat in your hand, give him a command, another, and after he performs what you requested, give him a *piece* of the treat. This is beneficial in that not only will he get less caloric intake, he won’t expect a reward every single time he does what you ask.
If you are feeding numerous treats you have purchased STOP! A reward is important in training but it doesn’t have to be high-calorie. Boil a bit of chicken breast and cut into small pieces. Or you could buy a food dehydrator and make jerky (this is what I did for mine two Goldens and they looooove their treats). The meat also lasts longer this way just cut into small pieces once it’s dehydrated. Save these special treats for training only. He should remain on the puppy food until he is a year old and then gradually switched to adult. yes, neutered dogs often put on the pounds. The most important schedule you can set up is not a feeding schedule but one for exercise. If you don’t do anything but play a vigorous game of fetch with him a couple of times a day do it EVERY day. Exercise will be his best weapon against the pudge monster.