HELP...Question about feeding amount?
 

Hey there, I've been feeding my 14 week old, purebred Yorkshire Terrier puppy "Performatrin Ultra, grain free, small bite recipe". The breeder started him on this and recommended I stick with it, so I have.

My question is what is the appropriate amount of food to feed him each day? The breeder told me he feed him a 1/3 cup twice a day. I stuck with that regiment every 12 hours or so. I was at the vet yesterday and asked him the same question. He told me to check the food bag for feeding guidelines. It says on the bag to give a puppy at 3-4 months old, 1 cup of food a day. This seems like a lot to me. I looked at the weight history of my dog.

May 29th (2 days after I picked him up) 1.43kg
June 1st 1.60kg
June 12th 1.90kg
June 24th (yesterday) 2.30kg

He seems to be putting on a lot of weight in such a short amount of time. I just don't want to over feed him. Should I continue to stick with the 1/3 cup twice a day or switch to the 1/2 cup of food twice a day? I've heard some amazing reviews about this food. The only negative thing I've read is there is some salt content in the recipe. My other question is water consumption. Is it completely okay to give your dog tap water? Or would bottled water be better? Not sure which has a higher salt content. The bottled water has a mineral salt content of 552 PPM and a fluoride ion content of 0.4 PPM, it's also ozonated. Wouldn't have a clue what is the PPM of tap water in Ontario, Canada.

Thanks in advance! :)

HELP...Question about feeding amount?
 

Hey there, I've been feeding my 14 week old, purebred Yorkshire Terrier puppy "Performatrin Ultra, grain free, small bite recipe". The breeder started him on this and recommended I stick with it, so I have.

My question is what is the appropriate amount of food to feed him each day? The breeder told me he feed him a 1/3 cup twice a day. I stuck with that regiment every 12 hours or so. I was at the vet yesterday and asked him the same question. He told me to check the food bag for feeding guidelines. It says on the bag to give a puppy at 3-4 months old, 1 cup of food a day. This seems like a lot to me. I looked at the weight history of my dog.

May 29th (2 days after I picked him up) 1.43kg
June 1st 1.60kg
June 12th 1.90kg
June 24th (yesterday) 2.30kg

He seems to be putting on a lot of weight in such a short amount of time. I just don't want to over feed him. Should I continue to stick with the 1/3 cup twice a day or switch to the 1/2 cup of food twice a day? I've heard some amazing reviews about this food. The only negative thing I've read is there is some salt content in the recipe. My other question is water consumption. Is it completely okay to give your dog tap water? Or would bottled water be better? Not sure which has a higher salt content. The bottled water has a mineral salt content of 552 PPM and a fluoride ion content of 0.4 PPM, it's also ozonated. Wouldn't have a clue what is the PPM of tap water in Ontario, Canada.

Thanks in advance! :)

At 14 weeks of age, a Yorkie puppy is still actively growing and you don't need to worry about them getting obese. I would up the amount to 1/2 cup twice a day if that is what the bag says. If it's too much, then your dog will regulate itself and leave some of the food uneaten.

A lot of people on Yorkietalk "free feed" their Yorkie puppies. That means leaving food out continually during the day so they can eat all they want to. This helps reduce the incidence of hypoglycemia. You shouldn't need to worry about switching to adult food and limiting food amounts until one year of age, unless otherwise directed by the veterinarian.

If you can drink the tap water yourself, it should be safe for the dog. If you're concerned, you can filter it or use bottled water. Where I live, the tap water is perfectly fine.

I would free feed a puppy they can not get fat as a puppy they are going to hit growth spurts. If its safe for you to drink the tap water it is fine for your dog.

He does seem to be gaining quickly, 2 pounds in 4 weeks is a lot. Mine are only gaining 2 oz. A week at that age and slow to 1 oz some weeks at about 16 weeks, but mine mature smaller than yours already weighs. I would not restrict food and would go by bag recommendations at the least. I believe in open feeding and they eat as much dry as they want and I have never had any weight issues but I do take on walks after fully vaccinated. I use tap water, but I'm sure bottled water is probably healthier.

How big were the parents? I think yours will mature over standards, but oversize doesn't mean overweight.