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Puppy Feeding Help 1 Attachment(s) I recently brought home my third baby! Her name is Lily and she is currently 12wks and 2.3lbs. When should I put her on a feeding schedule rather than free feeding? I’ve had her since she was 6wks old and she has consistently gained weight well. No bashing on how old she was when I brought her home please, this is a feeding question... Thank you! |
I’m far from the most experienced person here, but I think it depends on your pup’s eating habits, growth rate, and eventual adult size. My Jax was only 26 ounces at 12 weeks. He’s never been a big eater or food motivated. At first, I offered him small amounts of canned food three times a day and free fed kibble. When he hit three pounds, I cut the canned food to twice a day, and at around eight months, I cut the canned food to once a day. He’s just over a year old now, and not quite five pounds. He still gets the canned food once a day and I still free feed the kibble. I’ve read that some yorkies tend to be little pigs, eating everything you put down as soon as you put it down, so free feeding isn’t really an option once they’re adults. However, I don’t have that issue with Jax. |
Don't do this, but tell me this. What you are basically doing is pushing buttons because IF it was only about feeding, that is ALL you would post. I think after all these weeks, whatever you are feeding will be just fine. If you free fed her and she gained, I am sure if you schedule the same amount she will be fine. I personally have never free fed any pup. I choose to k now what they eat and when they eat it. |
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To be fair, and no offense to you intended as I know you’re a very experienced yorkie owner who advocates for the best possible care for our pups, I think there’s a reason she (?) added the request that we not discuss the age she brought home her new pup in this thread. When she posted a feeding question back in August, shortly after she brought Lily home, it resulted in two pages of discussion about backyard breeders and the proper age to bring home puppies. Those are important points, of course, but they don’t answer the current question. |
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My advice to her is to take what she can use and ignore the rest. Trying to moderate her own posts will only serve to bring more attention to it. The current question might best be answered by her "trusted vet" she mentioned in her previous posts as he knows the health of her puppy. |
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I have never scheduled fed any of my dogs. I free feed them as puppies and adults. I have never had any issues with this. Penny I don’t think was given much food with her previous owners so she seems to panic a bit if there is no food in the dish even if she isn’t hungry. If you are wanting schedule feeding I wouldn’t stop until closer to a year old or at least 8 months or maybe after she is spayed which generally is 6 months. |
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It sounds like this puppy is doing well in terms of eating and gaining weight. I have a foster pup who came to me at six weeks of age weighing .75 lb. She was in ICU for a few days before I could bring her home. She had to be fed around the clock, every two hours and often I felt like I was torturing her with syringe feeding. When she finally was eating on her own I would never have dreamed of free feeding her. I needed to know exactly when and what amount she was eating so I could observe any changes. Obviously, your puppy is in better shape than she was, but it is still worth mentioning the hazards. I am not a fan of free feeding, especially in multiple pet homes....some eat more and some eat less and if you don't watch like a hawk you don't know who isn't eating enough. The first sign a dog isn't doing well is a change in appetite. You get weight issues and sometimes can have wars over food .. just two more reasons. |
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