How much do you feed your puppy?

[delerium]

We have Pembroke Welsh Corgi and he is almost 11.5 weeks old now. Last we checked last week, he was about 6 lbs. I am concerned that we are underfeeding him. We are feeding him Science Diet Original Puppy food which recommends the following daily suggested amounts:

Weight of Dog Growth less than 4 months
5 lb (2,3 kg) 1 cup (100 g)
8 lb (3,6 kg) 1 1/2 cups (150 g)

We are currently feeding him from 3/8 cups - 1/2 cups of food per day over 3 meals. I know that the dog food manufacturers typically recommend overfeeding so that people buy more dog food and make more money. We have also read in this forum that Corgis have a tendancy to overeat and need to have a controlled diet. My fiance thinks this is the correct amount. I think we should be feeding him at least 3/4 cup per day. I am afraid he is being underfed by as much as 1 half which may cause him to be underdeveloped. This is our first dog ever and we've had him since he was 7.5 weeks. As far as we can tell, he is normal, but his face is rather thin looking.

My question to all of you is: Are we underfeeding him, overfeeding him, or are we feeding him the correct amount of food?

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by delerium

We have Pembroke Welsh Corgi and he is almost 11.5 weeks old now. Last we checked last week, he was about 6 lbs.

Oh, wow, at his age he should be about the same weight as his age in weeks. So he should be closer to 12 lbs. Does he look thin? Can you feel his ribs really easily? Can you see his ribs? If so, then he needs more food.

When did you get him from the breeder? What did he/she say about feeding him?

[quote] We are feeding him Science Diet Original Puppy food which recommends the following daily suggested amounts:

For get what the bag says. Right now I would be feeding him as much as he'll eat in 20 minutes time. Measure it so you know how much you're feeding. And you might consider soaking it as he's going to start teething soon and it's easier to eat that way. I'd start with a half cup every meal and then add water to make it soft. It takes about 15 min. to a half hour to soften. If he eats it all then increase his food slightly at the next meal.

This is our first dog ever and we've had him since he was 7.5 weeks.

Oh, ok, well, he left home a bit early, IMO. So the breeder didn't give you any feeding instructions?

IMO, you are underfeeding him and I suspect his size is due to not having enough nutrition. You don't want him fat, but he's about half the weight he should be for his age.

Peggy

[delerium]

I think that the majority of new owners typically overfeed their dogs rather than underfeed. So the breeder warned us about overfeeding our puppy and not listening to the bag.

[corgimom]

I will mention that I got Cody when he was 11 weeks old and he weighed 11.3 pounds at that time. I was feeding him about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups a day split into 3 meals; eventually I gave him about 1 cup a day(around 6 months old) with a few treats, but I adjust his meal portion to account for extra treats he may get on certain days. He is now almost 16 months old and 28 pounds.

I think 3/8 cup to 1/2 cup a day is way too little for such a young pup.

[maxandmollysmom]

I agree, he may be a little too thin. We made the mistake of overfeeding our first Corgi, he became way too heavy way too fast. Luckily with a lot of excercise, he lost it and is in perfect shape. With my newest Corgi, we fed her about 1 and 1/4 cup spread out over the day along with just one treat. Our vet said the same thing about the bag, never read it, they just want you to keep feeding and buying. Hope this helps, good luck with your new puppy!

[tandemgal]

I too agree with Peggy and Linda Corgimom on what apx weight of a puppy should be and amounts of food... don't worry right now about overfeeding - plenty of time to adjust the amounts after he has grown some...

we also have several past threads on what foods people like to feed their corgi if you want to check out the pros and cons of various brands

welcome aboard

[Dillydoodle]

I agree that this puppy is being way underfed.. I got dillon at 10 1/2 weeks and he was 11 lbs... he is not overweight and wasnt then... I would up the food quite a bit - I would be quite concerned with underfeeding, growing puppies need the nutrition... i see you have already gotten good advice..
I am confused though, why the poll to see if we think you are or aren't over feeding? I dont think a poll should be your deciding factor..
Emilie

[delerium]

Actually, after I read Taflar's post, I drove straight home and fed Max 3/4 cups and he gulped it all down and seemed ready for more. That will put him at about 1 cup for the day. I am very upset to hear that we have been grossly underfeeding him and I suspect that is why his ears have not stood up yet and why he seems too tired for walks around the block. Even after I fed him all that food, I weighed him again and he was still only 6 lbs.

What I am most interested in is how much you feed him at what age/weight and how much he weighed at the time. Information like what Corgimom provided tells me a lot. I have been looking all over online for a schedule of feeding your corgi and everybody says not to listen to the dog food bag. I would like to get more stats like that.

From what I am hearing, I am not sure if my vet is competent anymore. At least, it doesn't sound like he knows his Pembroke Corgis. My fiance has been asking the vet every visit whether the amount we are feeding Max is correct and he is always all thumbs up. There's been two visits already.

Regardless, I will be sure to feed Max more now to try to get him up to his proper weight for his age. And feed him extra when we go on hikes and such.

[darci]

You have been given some really good advice.
I just wanted to weigh in as well. At that age I was feeding Egan about 1 1/2 cups a day divided into two meals. He is almost a yr old and now have decreased him to 1 cup a day.
His weight is at 24 lbs.

There a lot of other threads on this board regarding ears, Hope you check them out. You may want to add vit c.

[Peggy]

[quote=delerium;25291]I am very upset to hear that we have been grossly underfeeding him and I suspect that is why his ears have not stood up yet and why he seems too tired for walks around the block.

His ears should be starting to come up. It's not unusual for them to not be up at this age. Don't panic yet, but if they're not standing soon, then you will need to tape them. I doubt it's the food that's keeping them from standing.

As for being too tired for walks, well, he's a baby and a whole block at his age is a bit much. Start out with shorter walks and as he grows you can increase the length.

Even after I fed him all that food, I weighed him again and he was still only 6 lbs.

Don't worry about weighing him right now. Just feed him like I suggested.

What I am most interested in is how much you feed him at what age/weight and how much he weighed at the time.

I don't keep records like that. I feed what I feel is right at the time and I go by how my puppies look or feel. If the puppy is not fat, then IMO, you can't over feed them. If they get fat then of course you cut back on the amount you're feeding.

For your guy right now, feed him three times a day for the next month at least. Feed him as much as he'll eat in 20 minutes time. Adjust as needed.

From what I am hearing, I am not sure if my vet is competent anymore. At least, it doesn't sound like he knows his Pembroke Corgis. My fiance has been asking the vet every visit whether the amount we are feeding Max is correct and he is always all thumbs up. There's been two visits already.

Vets don't always know all the breeds, and if they've not raised a puppy they might not know much about feeding one. (And yes, some vets don't own dogs.)

Vets don't get much education in college about nutrition so a vet isn't always the best person to advise about feeding a dog.

Also, I agree, that you should read the feeding threads. As there are better foods than Science Diet too.

Peggy

[darci]

I also wanted to add you may want to seek out another vet.
I am very disapointed that he advised you to feed so little to a growing pupper and didnt see that he was under weight.

Just my two cents.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by darci

I also wanted to add you may want to seek out another vet.
I am very disapointed that he advised you to feed so little to a growing pupper and didnt see that he was under weight.

Just my two cents.

I agree that the vet should have been able to tell if a puppy is underweight. But then again if they don't know the breed they might not know how big they should be at certain ages.

How big are his parents? If they're undersized corgis he might be a small puppy. Did you get to see the parents?

Peggy