# Feeding confusion



## ShelleyDickison (12 mo ago)

Ok first a little rant…took Miss Shay to Lowes and a Lady walked up and said “oh I didn’t know Doodles came that small” reached back to my Grandmothers early manners training (wooden spoon involved 🤣) and said ”No Ma’am, she is a full Poodle”. Her response “what a shame, she’s beautiful”. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against Doodles, but come on. Ok rant over. Now to the question..I feed her Purina Pro Plan and am sort of confused about the amount. I’ve attached a picture of the amounts needed daily. I’ve been tracking her estimated weight since I got her in November and she is estimated to be 12-13 pounds. Which weight should I be going with? She is 6 months and one week old right now and 11.25 inches (give or take…squirmy puppy).

Edited to add. She just came from the groomers and has that poofy look. I can feel her ribs at the appropriate depth. I tied to find a side view for a better look but she hardly stays still to get one. It was mentioned she was fat and chunky


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

All my poodle puppies ate more than the package suggested. They went through spurts where they got chubby, and then they grew and lost all the weight. While she's still growing I would let her have a little bit more if she is finishing her bowl and looking around for more. Once she stops growing you can make adjustments if she seems to be too plump.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

My Standard ate way more than the recommended amount. He still does but not as much as when he was actively growing. I now attribute the more than recommended amount to his high activity level. He self regulates, so some days he eats more, some less. I usually give him more if he empties his bowl. He eats dry kibble, so that makes it easier to keep his bowl full.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I find those recommendations on the bag is just a suggestion. I listen to my dog. I prefer to keep my dogs in a more athletic shape - as long as my dog is healthy and not overweight, I let them eat as much as they want. They may be more active than the average dog. Puppies can have varying growth spurts that you want to support with good nutrition as needed.

I feel my dog's ribs regularly - there's vet charts explaining what a healthy dog should look and feel like.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

As you meet more dog friends and seasons of shaving hair off, then you will get a better idea of what an athletic physique looks like to make the judgment call to lower or increase your babies calories.

For your peace of mind, don't worry about until your baby is 1 year old. As mentioned, they go through growth spurts of thick then lanky then thick than lanky. When you have a 1-yead old check up with the vet, then you can create an action plan.

For what it's worth, my vet advised me to keep a puppy belly on Basil while she was growing up.

So, just don't worry about it for now. A chunky puppy is okay.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

ShelleyDickison said:


> feed her Purina Pro Plan and am sort of confused about the amount. I’ve attached a picture of the amounts needed daily. I’ve been tracking her estimated weight since I got her in November and she is estimated to be 12-13 pounds. Which weight should I be going with? She is 6 months and one week old right now and 11.25 inches (give or take…squirmy puppy).


The weight guide for feeding is for projected adult weight. I used my boys dam and sire's weights as my starting point then was able to project their eventual mature weight based on their own weight at about 6m.
Remo's 6m weight was 9lb +/-. He's matured to a stable 12.5-13lb.

The guidelines are also assuming that the kibble is the single source of food thru the day.
It's not just the amount, it's the calorie count in that amount, which varies with each variation and brand.
This means that I reduce the amount of kibble to account for treats and snacks as part of the calorie intake.

I happen to also feed Purina Pro Plan to my two mpoo boys so I can offer a somewhat comparable experience.

My smaller 4y old mini boy is around 12.5-13 lbs. He gets 1/4c PPP at his first meal of the day, and another 1/4c at dinner.

At his weight, I'm feeding 1/2 of the recommended amount. He gets additional toppers on his two meals and treats thru the day, bringing him to something closer to the kcal amount recommended for the day.

Here's the serving size guidelines from the bag:

*Feeding Guidelines

RECOMMENDED DAILY FEEDING AMOUNTS*
Using a standard 8 oz/250 ml measuring cup which contains approximately 97 g of Pro Plan.

Calorie Content (fed)
4034 kcal/kg
393 kcal/cup


WeightFeeding Amount(lbs)(kg)(cups)(grams)3 - 121.4 - 5.41/2 - 149 - 9713 - 205.9 - 9.11 - 1-1/297 - 146


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

In my opinion, a puppy should be fed as much as s/he wants to eat. It should be a high quality food designed for puppies. I do not change over to an adult food until at least a couple of months after the dog has achieved full growth. For a standard, that is at least a year. For a mini or toy, perhaps 9 months. Puppy food is higher protein to accommodate growth. I have never actually measured out food - but I do use a cup that holds about one measuring cup of food, so in that sense I do measure.


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