[Bethl]

We are not first time dog/puppy owners but with each dog we have had our vet tells us they are over weight. Our last fur son passed away this April due to untreated dibeties. So of course we are determinded to keep this fur son as healthy as possible.

We do not give our pets table food. Our vet does not believe us.

We are giving this pup (Romeo) raw & cooked vegs & fruits and organic non meat treats as our vet suggested.

Romeo is a mini schnauzer and is 4 months old. His 2ed vet visit he was 4 lbs, one month later vet visit he was a bit over 8 lbs. The vet then told us to give him 1/2 cup of food 2 times daily -we are feeding him Inova Puppy Bites.

Here is the issue. He BEGS for more food ALL the time. He has been cut back for over 3 weeks now and his behavior is getting worse. He won't stay out of the kitchen, if we open the frig he is right there, if we carry food or drink to the table he is jumping and carrying on. He drinks a lot of water and is always checking his food bowel to see if we put more in it. When he was first home with us, we free fed him within reason and never had these behaviors.

He is hungry!! In my opinion any ways. The vet and dog trainer (he will someday be my service dog as of my spine injury) says this is typical puppy behavior.

Opinions, tips, advice, experiences wanted please!

 

[kafkabeetle]

Well, I do think that most dogs will overeat if not given portion control. I am curious as to whether or not he is truly overweight though...I've certainly never seen a fat 4 month old puppy because they should be using all their food for growth. Do you have any pictures of him? It's possible that he gained too much from being free-fed and if that is the case, I would just continue with what you're doing. He will get used to the schedule. If you think he's hungry even though he's getting enough, I would consider adding some water to his food and/or some frozen thawed green beans. Both are low in calories (water of course has none, lol) but can help them feel fuller for longer. I suspect though that he's more just adjusting to no longer being free fed, since I assume he was used to eating whenever he wanted before. That will just take time.

 

[Bethl]

He does not look over weight - our vet is going by his age & breed average normal. I say free fed - kind of. We figured out what amount made him full. We knew he was getting the right amounts to be full as he was leaving bites of food in his bowl on a regular basis. That is when he gained 4 lbs in less then 1 month and the vet said to cut back.

He is drinking a lot of water and like you said I agree he is drinking to get full. But isn't that wrong to do to him? Should a puppy have enough food to eat till they are full from food?

If this is a n adjustment to the new amount it sure is taking awhile - it is been 3 weeks now and he is getting worse with hunger behaviors.

 

[kafkabeetle]

He is drinking a lot of water and like you said I agree he is drinking to get full. But isn't that wrong to do to him? Should a puppy have enough food to eat till they are full from food?

Not if they overeat, which is very common. But without a picture it's hard to say if he's been overeating or not. I do know that quick growth is NOT good for puppies and it can cause joint problems later in life.

As far as him adjusting, what do you do when he begs for food? Do you give him a little something (even just vegetables)? Many dogs beg, but it's not necessary because they need more food or are actually "hungry" in the sense that I think you mean. Think more the way you feel when you've just eaten at a really nice restaurant and decide to go for dessert even though you're already full. You want it, but would probably be better off without the extras at least most days.

 

[jench]

If he is a puppy, under 12 months old, he is still growing. His bones are developing, along with everything else. I would feed him more food if he is acting like he is starving. Would you consider going to a different vet to get a 2nd opinion? That is what I would do.

 

[Kathyy]

Or he is an extremely intelligent and bored pup. I would be hand feeding him every single scrap of food during the extensive training sessions I am sure you are doing as he is a service dog in training. A nice settle down cue sounds like a good idea as well. Just staying put takes a whole lot of brain power for a busy pup!

 

[Bethl]

My Thanks to each of you who have responded - I truly appreciate all of the input.

No, we do not give him food when he begs or has poor eating/food behaviors.

I think I am going to combine several ideas posted here & some thoughts of my own that these posts have brought up in my mind all together and see how he does.

1. Give him more vegs IN with his food - thinking "bulk" will fill him up on less calories.

2. Exercise him more - he is very smart & I bet he IS bored and well I know when I am bored I think I am hungry lol

3. AND give him part of his normal dry dog food daily portions in with his training. I am hoping by doing this he does not relate the dog food to just feeding times.

I will be sure to come back & share how this all goes and/or let you all know if I hit a wall and need some more help.

Again - my thanks

 

[Gina_1978]

At 4 months old,it´s pretty normal for a miniature Schnauzer to weigh 8 to 10lbs (just checked a few growth charts).It doesnt sound like your puppy is fat to me at all,infact,at 4 months old,they´re still growing and have that baby look about them,meaning they´re still pretty chunky looking
It´s quite hard for a puppy to get "fat",because their food intake is used for growth and they burn off any excess with that crazy puppy behaviour .
Maybe you could get a second opinion? Do you have a picture? When I was in doubt of where my pups should be in their growth/weight and what I wanted was to "see" how they should be,I´d go to youtube and look up videos.You could go and check out "4 month old Mini shnauzers" and see what they all look like (thgere are alot,I just checked).It doesnt seem like a lot,but it helped me stopped being so paranoid

 

[Willowy]

I'm sort of suspicious of a vet that says a puppy is overweight based on what weight a pup of his breed "should" be. Maybe he's larger than normal, or big-boned. A vet should go by body condition, not weight.

 

[Gina_1978]

I'm sort of suspicious of a vet that says a puppy is overweight based on what weight a pup of his breed "should" be. Maybe he's larger than normal, or big-boned. A vet should go by body condition, not weight.

I agree with this ^

 

[Bethl]

I will try to take a pic but the little bum does not like to sit even with us holding him to get a good one

The vet also that 4 lbs in 1 month was too much for any small breed dog, not just his breed - sorry I explained the incorrectly.

She also said that when she feels around his rib area she can feel fat and that is how she tells if a dog is over weight.

 

[Hambonez]

My puppy was about 4 lbs at 8 wks, and was gaining a pound a week for a while in the beginning there. He's now 6.5 months old, about 14 lbs, and is really rather thin. He's a stocky, "thick" dog, but you can see his ribs when he's laying down, and easily feel them (you can't see or feel his spine, so the vet says he isn't TOO thin, though he is thin). No one said anything to me about him growing too fast or being too heavy - but he's also a mixed breed so I got a lot of "Who knows how big he'll get!!"

 

[Bethl]

Ham - that is pretty much what my vet told me. She said we don't want to see his ribs but we also don't want him to be heavy around his ribs - and he is, so that was in part of what she based his weight issue on. You described it much better then I did - the rib part

 

[CptJack]

Watch his condition yourself. You should be able to feel his ribs without a lot of pressure. If you can't do that then, yes, the dog is overweight. And no, you should definitely not feed most puppies (or dogs) until they no longer want food. Dogs don't exactly exercise portion control and will eat until there is NO MORE ROOM. That's not good for most dogs.

Also, watch the fruit (WTF, vet) and most vegetables. They contain LOADS of sugar.

(And yes. Puppies beg. He'll learn)

(Edited since you replied in the interm and it sounds like your vet is, in fact, basing it on your pup's body condition and he is at least a bit overweight).

 

[Bethl]

CptJack - Thank you for your help. Is there a specific amount of sugar per serving I should watch for? I am a diabetic and am told to keep it 10 grams per serving and under.