Breeder underfed puppies

[Tuptuptup]

I came to realise that the breeder of our puppy used the puppy current weight rather than the expected adult weight when working out food requirements.

I was very careful to check 100% that puppy came from home breeder with prior experience of puppies (not first time due to Covid) and all health tests were carried out. However this major error on her part came to light when I collected puppy and she told me the amount to feed. A few days later I checked the packet myself and realised the error. So damage done already, I decided to feed correct amount and everything would be fine physically she would be ok. She was otherwise healthy and vet checked.

We have had puppy a number of weeks now and I am beginning to worry about the pschological effects of this under feeding. She seems permanently hungry and looking for food even though I am now probably giving her more than she needs. I am worried this could develop in to resource guarding. She eats super fast almost choking on her food and does look around nervously. No growling at us though.

Not really sure what to do. I am first time puppy owner and inexperienced in handling any complex issues. Feeling quite stressed about it.

@Tuptuptup

I would love her to occasionally leave some in the bowl!

Um... that’s not likely.

Most dogs will eat whatever you give them.

I think it can be a really steep learning curve on a first dog. Almost no dogs leave food in the bowl. Most dogs are food obsessed. The guide on the back is in fact a guide in the same way that people need a huge range of calories depending on who they are, their lifestyle etc. You can't just apply a blanket formula. You need to look at the dog in front of you and judge from there if they need more or less. Border collies are a really intense high drive breed. The pup is going
to need lots and lots of training/stimulation/a job.

@Tuptuptup

One cup of kibble each meal aria20 ?

This is about what I'm feeding a 13 week old puppy of a breed with an expected adult growth of 12-14kg. Three meals a day.

FWIW, what I do is put it in the bowl, put the bowl down, and remove ten minutes later after she's done. Even though I have a breed who will eat themselves to death as adults, I find as puppies they will pretty well self regulate. Every pup I've had has grown at a different rate (this one's growing super fast young) so has eaten a different amount, but they seem to work it out. Then I tweak once the growth curve slows down.

If your pup is still starving and licking the bowl clean, I'd feed more, to be honest. They're basically machines for turning food into dog at that age and it all seems to go. If she ends up fat in adolescence then you can adjust then.

8 week old border collie here- he’s on just shy of 300g of food per day, also a grain free. I feed by hand and by eye. As he grows ill assess if he needs to go up or down from that. However, he’s a big pup and his adult weight is likely to be above 25kg or at the very least the top end of your range. I have working dogs so they are very active, once retired no way would I feed them as much as the pet food packet recommends! Most pet dogs are overweight tbh.

To add, there is a huge variation in border collie sizes, some smaller bitches only make 12kg where some of the bigger heavy coated boys will top 25kg easy. A dog like that working 2000 ewes over hills will take more kibble than a slim little pet collie who chases a frisbee on the park.

Most pet dogs are overweight tbh

Agree with this, sadly. My girls are very lean, and I get constant comments on it. Some complimentary, but often concerned. "Why are they so skinny?" I think, but don't say, "They're not - your dogs are fat."

Absolutely food packet guides are far too generous. But for a pup right in the peak growth phase, who has had an underfed couple of weeks, I'd be feeding generously.

BTW, since it came up, my vet advised monthly worming til six months, then every 3-6 months. I assume this is standard?

If I fed my dogs following the guidelines on the packaging they’d be way too fat! As others have said, learn to assess the dog by eye and feel, and take guidance from your vet whenever the dog goes for check ups. We weigh ours regularly as well, it helps with the visual assessment.

@RightioMalbec

8 week old border collie here- he’s on just shy of 300g of food per day, also a grain free. I feed by hand and by eye. As he grows ill assess if he needs to go up or down from that. However, he’s a big pup and his adult weight is likely to be above 25kg or at the very least the top end of your range. I have working dogs so they are very active, once retired no way would I feed them as much as the pet food packet recommends! Most pet dogs are overweight tbh.

Grain free diets are a fad, bulked out by legumes (how is that better than grains for dogs?) and potentially linked to heart disease Unless there's a good reason to feed grain free you might want to rethink

@Veterinari sorry, I meant a wheat free, so comparable to the OP which was a vague ‘fish and veg based’. It’s not padded out with legumes at all 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Veterinari what do you recommend as a good food out of interest? I have two border collies. Fed on a mix of Harrington's wet and dry and it seems to work ok for us but obviously if it's rubbish I'd review that

I would love her to occasionally leave some in the bowl!

Have you ever met a dog before?!

My rescue dog is a collie/huntaway/lab cross, used to be the same, obsessed with food when she was growing but now is a healthy weight and will just eat small amounts during the day, we leave her kibble out and she eats when she wants. She's pretty unusual from dogs I've had previously though!