# Large puppy & unsure food amount



## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

I have a large pup (I think) and am unsure if I'm feeding her enough.

She seems to eat about 2 cups (total) a day. I give her food 3-4 times a day but worry the schedule is not providing enough food for her. 

For some context:
At 10 weeks she was 20lbs, about 18" withers/21" head and at 12 weeks, 24lbs, ~21" withers, ~25" head.

I appreciate any insight.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

What does your vet say?

It's one of those situations where being hands-on and in person is going to be more valuable to evaluate then over a forum.

On that note, if your furparent instincts say she needs more food, then feed her more. She'll consume more as each week goes by, like a human teenager going through a growth spurt. So, you'll need give more. Same idea.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Is she eating a large breed puppy kibble? The serving size should be on the side of the bag, and it will increase with her age and weight before eventually leveling off.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

Feeding 3-4 times per day is certainly frequent enough, don't forget you are probably feeding treats as well for training, those calories can add up quite a bit extra!
Gaining 4 lbs in two weeks is a pretty significant weight gain as well, so that seems to be on track.
The cups of food is not really a useful comparison, since energy content can vary wildly between brands. Best to look at the kcal per day (don't forget to include additional sources) and compare that to a feeding guide.
Here is an example of how to calculate energy requirements, but as you can see it still is a rough guideline





Basic Calorie Calculator | Veterinary Medical Center







vet.osu.edu


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> What does your vet say?
> 
> It's one of those situations where being hands-on and in person is going to be more valuable to evaluate then over a forum.
> 
> On that note, if your furparent instincts say she needs more food, then feed her more. She'll consume more as each week goes by, like a human teenager going through a growth spurt. So, you'll need give more. Same idea.


Thanks for your response! We're taking her to the vet this week and will definitely ask!

That logic makes sense!


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Is she eating a large breed puppy kibble? The serving size should be on the side of the bag, and it will increase with her age and weight before eventually leveling off.


Yes! Large puppy kibble. My concern is some guidelines feed based on projected weight. I'm unsure how much her parents weigh but the mom is about 3' and the dad around 50” (head not withers)... Which isn't helpful, I know haha.


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

Starvt said:


> Feeding 3-4 times per day is certainly frequent enough, don't forget you are probably feeding treats as well for training, those calories can add up quite a bit extra!
> Gaining 4 lbs in two weeks is a pretty significant weight gain as well, so that seems to be on track.
> The cups of food is not really a useful comparison, since energy content can vary wildly between brands. Best to look at the kcal per day (don't forget to include additional sources) and compare that to a feeding guide.
> Here is an example of how to calculate energy requirements, but as you can see it still is a rough guideline
> ...


This excellent! I'll keep (and use) this resource and your comments in mind. Thanks so much!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Just confirming that your pup is a standard poodle? The feeding advice will hold for any breed but that growth you listed is pretty ambitious for a standard poodle .

She's at 6m height by 12 weeks? Wowza!


*HEIGHT CHART FOR STANDARD POODLES (GUIDELINE)*
* 


 
AGE IN MONTHS 
HEIGHT IN INCHES 
8 WEEKS 
12 - 13 INCHES 
3 MONTHS 
14 INCHES 
4 MONTHS 
18-19 INCHES 
6 MONTHS 
21+ INCHES 
FULL GROWN (USUALLY 24 MONTHS) 
24-27 INCHES
 

Standard poodles can take up to 2 years to finish growing and filling out.*


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Robinsonkin said:


> Yes! Large puppy kibble. My concern is some guidelines feed based on projected weight. I'm unsure how much her parents weigh but the mom is about 3' and the dad around 50” (head not withers)... Which isn't helpful, I know haha.


Yeah, the height of their heads isn’t very helpful. Can you ask the breeder for their weight? You can also use this calculator, which was quite accurate for Peggy:






Find Out Your Puppy's Adult Weight | Puppy Chart







www.puppychart.com


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Found a great height and weight chart for puppies


I had been concerned that my puppy was going to be too small, so I searched for a height and weight puppy chart. I found this great one! According to this my spoo female will be approximately 23.3 inches tall and 44.5 pounds, which is perfectly average for a female standard poodle. :) I am much...




www.poodleforum.com





This was an accurate calculator for my pup. Standard poodles can have a huge range - I recently learned my poodles siblings range from about 40- 90 lbs!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Found a great height and weight chart for puppies
> 
> 
> I had been concerned that my puppy was going to be too small, so I searched for a height and weight puppy chart. I found this great one! According to this my spoo female will be approximately 23.3 inches tall and 44.5 pounds, which is perfectly average for a female standard poodle. :) I am much...
> ...


Ohmigosh. How much do her dam and sire weigh??


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

Rose n Poos said:


> Just confirming that your pup is a standard poodle? The feeding advice will hold for any breed but that growth you listed is pretty ambitious for a standard poodle .
> 
> She's at 6m height by 12 weeks? Wowza!
> 
> ...


We thought so, too. She's much larger than our other spoo at this age ( but he was small at first 12" at 3 months but ended up at 27-28"). Due to our shock at her size we had tested her DNA and she's 100% poodle.


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Yeah, the height of their heads isn’t very helpful. Can you ask the breeder for their weight? You can also use this calculator, which was quite accurate for Peggy:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I appreciate the calculator! We actually used it to project the size of our first boy, but he grew almost double the projected weight (40lbs projected > 75 actual lbs). That said, his case is more of an anecdote since it seems to have worked for Peggy. I'll be sure to use it and chart her growth as well. Thanks so much


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Found a great height and weight chart for puppies
> 
> 
> I had been concerned that my puppy was going to be too small, so I searched for a height and weight puppy chart. I found this great one! According to this my spoo female will be approximately 23.3 inches tall and 44.5 pounds, which is perfectly average for a female standard poodle. :) I am much...
> ...


Thanks so much! Wow! That's good diversity for siblings


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## Robinsonkin (Mar 10, 2021)

Thanks everyone for your responses. I found them very insightful! I have the parents info now and lots of resources to consult.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

2 lbs/week is a healthy growth rate for a poodle puppy. IIRC Mia's max growth rate was just over 2 lbs/week, and her rate slowed toward the 5 and 6 month marks.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Ohmigosh. How much do her dam and sire weigh??


Not sure... Her mom is shorter than Annie who is 25". Both mom and dad were Ckc champions so doubt the sire was huge, but Annie's litter had an 80 lb poodle and a 40 lb poodle. Annie's mom's second litter had the 90 lb poodle - the sire was an FCI champion so can't have had been that big! Annie's breeder also mentioned she breeds for less dainty poodles/larger boned. 

So yes- crazy diversity in her siblings!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Not sure... Her mom is shorter than Annie who is 25". Both mom and dad were Ckc champions so doubt the sire was huge, but Annie's litter had an 80 lb poodle and a 40 lb poodle. Annie's mom's second litter had the 90 lb poodle - the sire was an FCI champion so can't have had been that big! Annie's breeder also mentioned she breeds for less dainty poodles/larger boned.
> 
> So yes- crazy diversity in her siblings!


Wow. This reinforces my belief that if you’re considering a spoo, but have an absolute max size limit in mind, you should probably go down to a mini to be safe.


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