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Mary4 · 06-08-2010, 02:37 AM

Charlie is about 5 months old now. When we got him as 12 weeks, I kept him on the food he came with, which is Wellness brand for puppies. The vet said to give him a 1/4 cup of food three times a day.

He seemed okay with it, both the taste and the amount he was getting. Now that's getting bigger, I've sometimes given him a little treat here or there, maybe a bit of chicken, or cheese as a treat.

I can't remember when it was but at some point he'd leave his food. He might leave two feedings alone and then pick a bit. (Now I did ask the vet about this a while ago and he said they're like kids and they won't starve themselves.)

But, of course, like my kids, I worried when he wasn't eating much so if he didn't eat much over a day or two, I'd add some chicken or vegetables to his dinner. (I know, I know, probably a bad idea.) Then he started to get a bit picky.

The vet had given me a bag of Science Diet food and I was running low and I mixed the the two and he's ate every bit for all three meals for the past three or four days with no side effects and without me having to add anything to his food.

But I started thinking this morning, how do I know if he's getting enough? If he finishes everything at every meal, should I give him more. (The vet had said when he was a bit older I could reduce three feedings a day to two, but I haven't done it as he seems to need his lunch.)

But he's growing and active and I worry that he's not getting enough. (But I don't want him to get overweight and have problems from that either.) I just wonder if they're like kids when they're having a growth spurt, that they eat more and sleep more? He's definitely growing. At 14 weeks he was 7.5 pounds, and the vet thinks he'll grow to about 15 pounds; so he's on the bigger side.

Should I give him a little more at each meal? (He's getting 1/4 cup of dry dog food for each meal. He also gets a few treats a day (though not many) like a baby carrot, a milk-bone type thing and/or a little cheese.

06-08-2010, 02:37 AM	#1
Mary4 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 139	Increasing food? Charlie is about 5 months old now. When we got him as 12 weeks, I kept him on the food he came with, which is Wellness brand for puppies. The vet said to give him a 1/4 cup of food three times a day. He seemed okay with it, both the taste and the amount he was getting. Now that's getting bigger, I've sometimes given him a little treat here or there, maybe a bit of chicken, or cheese as a treat. I can't remember when it was but at some point he'd leave his food. He might leave two feedings alone and then pick a bit. (Now I did ask the vet about this a while ago and he said they're like kids and they won't starve themselves.) But, of course, like my kids, I worried when he wasn't eating much so if he didn't eat much over a day or two, I'd add some chicken or vegetables to his dinner. (I know, I know, probably a bad idea.) Then he started to get a bit picky. The vet had given me a bag of Science Diet food and I was running low and I mixed the the two and he's ate every bit for all three meals for the past three or four days with no side effects and without me having to add anything to his food. But I started thinking this morning, how do I know if he's getting enough? If he finishes everything at every meal, should I give him more. (The vet had said when he was a bit older I could reduce three feedings a day to two, but I haven't done it as he seems to need his lunch.) But he's growing and active and I worry that he's not getting enough. (But I don't want him to get overweight and have problems from that either.) I just wonder if they're like kids when they're having a growth spurt, that they eat more and sleep more? He's definitely growing. At 14 weeks he was 7.5 pounds, and the vet thinks he'll grow to about 15 pounds; so he's on the bigger side. Should I give him a little more at each meal? (He's getting 1/4 cup of dry dog food for each meal. He also gets a few treats a day (though not many) like a baby carrot, a milk-bone type thing and/or a little cheese.