Puppy cleaning every bowl - underfeeding or just a good eater?

[FuckingHateRats]

Our labradoodle puppy is 11 weeks old and 3kg.

She is on three meals a day - Gentle complete dry food with a little 'something' mixed through.

Sometimes it's a spoonful of unseasoned scrambled eggs in the morning, often she has a sardine through her meal, or she'll get a spoonful of beef mince or chopped roasted chicken meat.

I calculated the amount of dry food using the calculator on the manufacturer's website - she gets 70g spread throughout the day, plus the calories from the small amount of whatever the extra tasty is.

She is so excited when she gets fed, like she's been starved for days haha. She cleans her bowl completely and looks for more (she doesn't get more).

For a puppy, she's very active. Has already learned to fetch a ball and does a lot of pelting about in the large garden.

She goes for a pop once or twice a day - well formed, easy to pass.

But my grandmother (whose dog is a terrible eater!) says it's not normal for a puppy to eat all their food so well and she must be hungry / being underfed.

Do you think this sounds too much?

Any dogs I've had always scoffed their meals I wouldn't worry just go by the guidance you have for your pup and it will be fine. My sisters dog is a "fussy" eater the bowl is never finished .

She's part lab so expect her never to be full.

70g per day seems very little for a labradoodle puppy.

What food are you feeding her?

She’s a lab cross, sometimes they’ll eat till they’re sick and then start again - so you’re not going to be able to gauge by her appetite.

but... 70g a day sounds very low to me - are you sure that’s right?

That seems a very small amount. Our Dachshund is raw fed and the recommended daily amount was 10% of this body weight at that age.

I agree 70g seems low. Most puppy food calculators I have seen take into account the expected size of the adult dog and not just current weight of the pup.

I'm presuming Labrador crossed with miniature poodle based on weight but even so 70g of kibble a day sounds like nothing. You're definitely feeding an amount based on adult expected weight not current weight?

I’m sure you should be feeding them to their projected adult weight and not their current weight. 70g is not a lot of food for a 11 week old pup. I would double check the feeding guide.

lab= never full!
my part lab is the same, she’s gets less excited now she’s been spayed but any food is the highlight of her day.
however 70g does seem a very small amount for a 3kg pup, I’d be expecting nearer 100g.

Read the title and thought ‘is it a lab?’. Can’t comment on the amount of food you are giving her, but I’ve never met a lab that ever stops eating.

Lots of crossed posts there, I think we’re all in agreement 🐶

70 g doesn't sound much atall. I would ask your vet for advice

It does sound a little low on the amount so I’d definitely double check that

My pup is nearly 8 months and inhales everything given to him and always has. He’s still on 3 meals a day as I have no idea how to make him go longer between meals as an hour before he’s pacing desperately looking at me to feed him!

I've just looked on the gentle website and their feeding calculator is useless, if you have a an 8 week old 3kg puppy you would be given the same amount as an 5 month old 3kg puppy. It's highly unlikely they'd have the same requirements. Most puppy food looks at expected adult weight for feeding requirements.

Despite the stereotype, our lab isn't constantly hungry. She'll never say no to a bit of chicken, but if she's looking for more dry kibble she's definitely hungry and we adjust her food accordingly.

OP - you need to feed based on their expected adult weight, not their current puppy weight.

70g is a tiny, tiny amount of food. My beagle probably got triple that amount at that age.

Labradors and golden retrievers will eat and eat, which is why you see so many overweight ones. I have an elderly GR, my third, so speaking from experience.

We currently have a dachshund. As a pup he would literally suck his food down - whoosh and it was gone, like he'd never been fed. He's now nearly 2 and food doesn't bother him. He'd much rather be playing with a squeaky ball.

As long as you're feeding your pup the recommended amount, he's healthy and thriving, he'll be ok. They'll fool you into thinking they're starving though!

I'd give her a bit more, is she thin? Our last crossbreed puppy turned out not to be as described, sold as a terrier/spaniel, turns out hes pointer/spaniel and has always been a good eater. When he started looking ribby we'd up his feed.

www.gentledogfood.co.uk/dog-food-calculator.php

This is the calculator from Gentle. My understanding was due to its composition, they need less as it's got far less 'filler'.

You need to feed her at her expected adult weight, not current weight. She should probably be having 200-300g spread throughout the day.

My understanding was due to its composition, they need less as it's got far less 'filler'.

Even so, their feeding guide doesn't make sense. A 3kg pup that's under 6 months that's going to grow into a 15kg adult is not going to have the same requirements as a 3kg pup under 6 months who is going to be 8 kg as an adult yet their feeding guide would suggest the same amount.

We see the vet next week so I can ask him them? I'll up the quantity a little each feed in the meantime.

Thanks all - that's so annoying if their calculator isn't appropriate.

The feeding calculator is bollocks. It doesn’t ask what breed/expected size of dog. I’d use another one if you can.

It's a very basic calculator.

It doesn't ask the breed, or the expected adult weight of the dog. While it's true that "better" foods can be fed in smaller portions, 70g is a very small amount for a dog like a labradoodle.

Thanks all, I'm so glad I checked.

So annoying that I thought we were doing the right thing by her and it turns out the poor wee thing is probably hungry :( thank god we've been adding extra bits in too.

My dog has always scarfed down all his food. He will only leave something if he doesn't like the taste.

The best way really is to base it on your puppy's body condition. Tricky with a labradoodle if she's curly; but have a feel and make sure you can feel her ribs, but she's not too bony.

I looked on the Gentle website and it does say 75g daily as a guide, though this sounds low to me. But I feed my dog raw, so maybe this is why it feels low.

I would just keep weighing her and make sure she's gradually gaining weight over the weeks, in line with what you expect for her breed. :)