Puppy food and daily feed questions

[BrooklynStar]

I am sorry if I am posting so much, but there are a lot of knowledgeable members on this forum so I trust you guys over what any other website might tell me.

Dozer just turned 3 months old today. We have been feeding him 3/4ths of a cup of Fromm Puppy Gold Chiot with some boiled carrots on top three times a day...should we be doing 1 cup twice a day with carrots (morning and night)?

Also, when is a good time to switch from a puppy formulated dry food to a regular dog food?

Any other feeding tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

I think he's still good for 3 meals a day. At about 6 months old is a great time to cut out the middle feeding..and then increase his serving to a cup each time. I don't know about the carrots?? My understanding is dogs don't really digest them! But I'm not sure! At about 6 months..you could also transition him to an all stage food..which Fromm is. Jake actually was on an all stage food from 10 weeks on..maybe @Davidh can give more specifics...

Ohhh and you can NEVER post too much!! :D

 

[cali~jenn]

Not too much help, I think 3 feedings is still good. Also the carrots are a good healthy snack/filler but for a small puppy I wouldnt give too many cuz it might take away from the food he should be eating? I just use them mostly in place of other "cookies". Yes there is no such thing as posting too much so do not apologize. There would be no forum without postings.

 

[Davidh]

Good advise above, and yes continue the 3 times a day feeding for a few more months, you may even increase his food a little, just don't want to make him too fat. At about 7 to 8 months switch him to adult food 2 times a day at about a cup or so each feeding. You can cut back a little if he gets too fat or give more if he starts to get skinny. My Buddy boy we feed him about 1 1/2 cup twice a day, but sometimes he does not eat it all. He is a picky eater and sometimes will skip a meal.

 

[BrooklynStar]

I think he's still good for 3 meals a day. At about 6 months old is a great time to cut out the middle feeding..and then increase his serving to a cup each time. I don't know about the carrots?? My understanding is dogs don't really digest them! But I'm not sure! At about 6 months..you could also transition him to an all stage food..which Fromm is. Jake actually was on an all stage food from 10 weeks on..maybe @Davidh can give more specifics...

Ohhh and you can NEVER post too much!! :D

Well when we first took him to the vet he suggested we boil some carrots and mix it in with his food. Very small pieces though, sliced very thin.

Really, at 10 weeks you transitioned your dog to all stage food and have no problems? How did it work out? Any complaints?

Not too much help, I think 3 feedings is still good. Also the carrots are a good healthy snack/filler but for a small puppy I wouldnt give too many cuz it might take away from the food he should be eating? I just use them mostly in place of other "cookies". Yes there is no such thing as posting too much so do not apologize. There would be no forum without postings.

Ah, so you use the carrots as more of a snack or treat instead of adding it to one of the main meals, correct?

Good advise above, and yes continue the 3 times a day feeding for a few more months, you may even increase his food a little, just don't want to make him too fat. At about 7 to 8 months switch him to adult food 2 times a day at about a cup or so each feeding. You can cut back a little if he gets too fat or give more if he starts to get skinny. My Buddy boy we feed him about 1 1/2 cup twice a day, but sometimes he does not eat it all. He is a picky eater and sometimes will skip a meal.

Will do, I want to make sure my little buddy is as healthy and happy as he could possibly be.


Thanks everyone!

 

[cali~jenn]

Yes as a healthy snack. Or green beans, peas banana etc. Little bits here and there are good for them but not so much needed as part of their food unless you are trying to get your baby to diet which as a pup you arent. Only once they are big the fat seems to set in a little. haha

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

[MENTION=4363]BrooklynStar[/MENTION].. Yes! My vet has a lot of Bully's in her practice..and has one herself. This is what she recommended because she felt puppy food was too many of the wrong calories and thinks they do best on all stages..but she totally left it up to us! We were changing him anyway..because he came from the breeder on crappy Iams puppy! so we decided to try and not have to change too much! He has done great...just had to figure out what wasn't agreeing and making soft !!!

 

[anatess]

Did the vet tell you why she needs carrots? A quality dog food like Fromm is already loaded with vitamins and minerals that adding carrots to his meal is not really necessary unless she's having health issues that necessitate it. Okay, disclaimer, I don't trust any vet with dog nutrition. I don't know what it is about ALL the vets I've been to (and they are all good vets) but they are just not well-informed about nutrition.

In any case, there's nothing wrong with feeding a puppy (especially English Bulldogs) a high-quality all stages food right out of the gate. The main difference between an adult food and the puppy food is the protein, fat, and calcium content. Puppy food is higher in protein, fat, and calcium than adult food. But slow-growing dogs like EBs will be okay without the extra 2% protein, fat, and calcium present in puppy food if you would rather just go ahead and give her the high quality high-protein all stages food as they tend to bulk up in a gradual manner to match their bone growth. If you have a doberman, on the other hand, I highly suggest giving him the puppy food because those babies grow like weeds within the first 4 months that their bones tend to grow really fast with their muscle growth lagging behind.

I have a bichon frise and he didn't go through puppy food. We went straight to the high-protein all stages food as bichons are tiny dogs with that yippity high energy that they really don't grow out of. I just fed him the higher end of the "half the estimated adult weight serving" to match his energy level. I adopted Bullie when she was already 3 years old, so we didn't go through the puppy years with her.

EBs don't really mature until they're about 18 months old, so I've met some "dog whisperer" kinda guy who kept his EB on puppy food until about 16 months - feeding the lower end of the feeding guideline. But most people do the "standard" 6-8month old transition to all stages food. If I get an EB puppy, I'm going to go straight to all stages for him just like I did my bichon.

So, as confusing as this sounds... all I really wanted to say is - it's all up to you and your dog!

 

[RiiSi]

I've also heard that carrots, bananas and other sweet veggies and fruits should be given in moderation because of their quite high sugar content. I also don't trust vets with nutrition. They get their "knowledge" mainly from the dog food companies. I read from your earlier thread that she was itching, too much sugar can cause yeast. Maybe you should try doing at least a few days without carrots and see if theres any difference.

 

[BrooklynStar]

I've also heard that carrots, bananas and other sweet veggies and fruits should be given in moderation because of their quite high sugar content. I also don't trust vets with nutrition. They get their "knowledge" mainly from the dog food companies. I read from your earlier thread that she was itching, too much sugar can cause yeast. Maybe you should try doing at least a few days without carrots and see if theres any difference.

You just blew my mind! He wasnt itchy at all until we started with the carrots now that I think about it! I will take him off the carrots for now and see where that leads us, I hope he stops scratching!


Everyone else: Thanks for your feedback. It seems like were are split with when to stop/end the puppy food. I just picked up Nature's Variety Instinct Beef Meal and Lamb Meal without grain dog food. I will keep Dozer on his current diet for now and maybe next month ween him into the Nature's Variety.