When to adjust puppy feeds

[ajandjjmum]

We've had our little black lab for nearly a week now - he's doing brilliantly, and I'm still pretty calm, so all's good! He's 8.5 weeks old and we've continued with the Royal Canin puppy food that the breeder used, with 85 gms four time a day. He is a chunky little thing! The advice from the breeder seems to vary from that on the packet, so I'm looking for advice.

When do we need to reduce his feeds from 4 to 3 times a day?
Do these quantities sound right?

We shall be taking him to the vet this week, but just wanted to get some advice beforehand.

Thanks in anticipation.

I'd knock him down to 3 meals in the next week or so - so that he ends up with a meal first thing, another at lunchtime and one at about 5 ish. Don't do it right on top of him coming to live with you or going to the vet - he's got a lot of change to cope with already.

He's likely to grow at the rate of about 1kg a week, so the quantity of food he's on will need to be adjusted accordingly. I've not fed RC to any of my dogs, so don't know the quantities advised, but if he grows at the 1kg a week rate, is managing solid poos and so on, I'd say you're feeding the right amount. Watch your puppy - if he looks to rotund, reduce his ration a little. If he seems distressed and hungry, increase it.

To drop a meal, start reducing the amount served at one of them - I'd suggest the late night meal and increase the amount offered at the other three meals until you've dropped the feed.