Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a ten week old German Shepherd puppy and I'm not sure if we are feeding her too much or not enough. At her last vet check (a week and a half ago) she was just under 12 lbs. Currently we feed her 1/2 cup of dry Iams Large Breed Puppy food, mixed with about a teaspoon and a half of wet Iams puppy food 3 times a day. (we are mixing with the wet because she won't eat the dry alone, we even tried putting broth on it, she only likes it with the wet!)

I looked on the bag of food and it says we should be feeding her 2 1/2 cups of food a day, but that just seems like a lot to me. Plus I'm not sure whether to trust what the bag says since obviously they want you to buy more food!

Thanks for advice!

Beth

P.S. She is a little on the "large" side, as in big boned, so it's hard for me to tell how heavy she is. She was the largest female in the litter, the others were quite sleek looking, she is built more like a male.

I suggest you phone and ask the veterinarian who examined her to give you a call. Chances are that you will need to wait for a return call as he/she is likely to be busy at the moment you call. Ask the veterinarian who actually examined her about this.

And be sure to ask specifically at each examination--you'll be going every 2-3 weeks, I believe, at least until the dog is 16 weeks--ask if the veterinarian thinks the dog's weight is right, too high or too low. And ask about food amount if weight is not just right.

The veterinarian often won't think to mention this unless you ask, so make it a habit to ask at EVERY veterinary examination of your dog. It really works well.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47