So, my 10.5 week old boy is back on solid food now(finally)! However, before, when he was on the chicken and rice mix for diarrhea, he was getting fed quite a bit, because rice is just a bland filler and I wanted him to get more nutrition with the chicken since he is underweight for his age. So, now that he is on solid dry food again, the portions, which are 1/4-2/3 cup a day for a pup of his weight, seem so small and don't seem to fill him up(compared to eating more of the chicken and rice diet). I have been feeding him 1/3 of a cup 4 times a day...which is double the amount that is recommended on the bag, but he doesn't seem satisfied with even that amount...I'm afraid to let him free feed, because I think he will gorge himself and then have diarrhea because he ate too much...Is feeding him the 1/3 cup 4 times a day ok? I am also trying to help him gain some weight, because with the diarrhea problems he was having the past couple of weeks he lost weight(he is currently about 9.5-10lbs at 10.5 weeks), so I'm trying to help him catch up a little bit, without feeding him too much and getting diarrhea again. I would like him to stay on a consistent diet, but also would like to see him gain some weight...any comments/suggestions/advice for a worried mother?

*Side note* I sent in a stool sample just to make sure any parasites are gone and should get the results back today...

For puppies, I always just fill up the bowl and leave it down for 15 mins, three times a day, and let them eat what they need, and then pick up the bowl after the 15 mins. Most puppies eat till they are full. When Kale was little I never measured out his food and he never over-ate to the point where he had diarrhea.

snoori wrote:

So, now that he is on solid dry food again, the portions, which are 1/4-2/3 cup a day for a pup of his weight, seem so small and don't seem to fill him up(compared to eating more of the chicken and rice diet).

1/4 - 2/3 cup a day seems way too little for a sibe pup that age. May I ask what food you are feeding so that we might be able to offer better advice?

Heck, my adult 6 lb Chihuahua eats more than 1/4 cup a day during the winter...I cannot fathom that being enough for a larger, growing puppy. Are you sure you read the feeding guidelines right? The only food I could fathom such a small amount with is perhaps Ziwipeak but I'm going to hazard a guess that the food is not Ziwipeak considering how much it costs.

I am feeding him Life's Abundance...it's supposed to be really good. It says to give him 1/4-2/3 cup a day according to his weight, which is approx 10 lbs...but I have been feeding him 1/3 cup 4 times a day...which is double of the daily recommendation for his weight etc.

Life's Abundance Dry Dog Food for Puppies and Dogs
http://www.lifesabundance.com/Pets/LifesAbundance/LifesAbundanceDog.aspx?realname=20077545&cat=0&hdr=&Ath=False

They don't have a tab that says "How much to feed my dog/puppy" on the site...but if you go to the food calculator and put in the pups weight it will tell you how much to feed your dog or pup a day based on weight and then it also says it on the bag. I guess since it is a quality food, you don't have to feed as much of the food as you would other brands of dog food.

The amount for a 10 lb puppy is going to be more than the amount for a 10 lb adult. The amount you're quoting is for maintaining a 10 lb adult which doesn't apply to a growing pup like you've got. I'm on my phone now, not my laptop, so I can't look up more info at the moment.

As I suspected, you are not feeding the proper amount for a puppy. The following is a direct quote from the information on Life's Abundance's website for their Life's Abundance Dry Dog Food for Puppies and Dogs which you indicated that you are feeding:

"FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUPPIES:
When ready to eat solid food, begin feeding moistened kibble and “free feed” until fully weaned, between 6-8 weeks old. After weaning, feed the “Suggested Daily Amount” of dry kibble according to weight and add at least 25% more. Individual Meal Feeding: From 8 weeks to 4 months, divide the daily amount and feed 3-4 meals in a 24 hour period. From 4-6 months, divide the daily amount and feed 2-3 meals in a 24 hour period. Free Feed: Measure the entire daily amount into a dish and allow your puppy to eat at will over the course of a 24 hour period. This method of feeding may lead to obesity. Food requirements may vary for individual puppies."

If you want to see it online for yourself, follow this link:
http://www.lifesabundance.com/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?realname=20077545&cat=0&hdr=&Ath=False&ProductID=401008%28Pet_Base%29
Then click "Serving Size" and a pop up window will come up.
Then in the pop up window, click the link that says "Click For Feeding Instructions For Puppies, Adults & Nursing or Pregnant Dogs".

You said your puppy is 10 lbs. So according to that chart, a 10-20 lb dog should get 2/3 to 1 cup per day. Let's pick an amount in between those two values like 3/4 cups per day. Add 25% to that and you should theoretically be feeding approximately 1 cup per day.

So if you're currently feeding 1 and 1/3 cups of food per day (as you said you feed 1/3 cup, 4 times a day) then I think you should be right about where you want to be feeding. Every individual is different so you'll have to keep an eye on your puppy and adjust his portions as necessary based on how he's doing. Hope that helps.

Thank you for that info! I didn't see that before. I think I will keep him where he is right now, because his poops are nice and solid and he is gaining weight and growing properly. He is about 11lbs now! Thank you!