Pup is too skinny - Brittany

[KFhunter]

any ideas to put some more weight on the pup?

Feeding taste of the wild puppy,  2/3 cup 2-3 times a day. 
It's enough food that her stools will change from a nice dark hard stool to a softer brown in trying to make her look healthier.

wormed 3 times, no visible indicators of worms in the stools.  Vet suggested a feed change and listed off some lower quality feed than what I was already giving 

ribs easily visible, hip bone knobs visible.  Her spine isn't protruding ridges like an emaciated animals will.   


energy wise she's good but does get cold easy, everything else looks good eyes, gums, coat

[AspenBud]

One of my Pointers had a hard time keeping weight on with TOW. I switched to Fromm Gold and have not looked back.

Depending on your dog's activity levels I have heard REALLY good things about this feed...

http://drtims.com/

I know of several field trial oriented guys whose dogs really burn the calories who use the stuff and are very happy with the results now.

[BULLBLASTER]

When our shorthair was little we needed to freefeed him to keep his weight on. What we did is fill a bowl twice a day and if ue was still hngry we would add more. Now he is older and we feed less.

[quadrafire]

KF
Doubt there is anything wrong, Just up the calories a bit, like Bullblaster said. Maybe not free feed, but up the rations per feeding.
Skinny is not a bad thing. Don't want to start off a dogs life obese 

[vandeman17]

What kind of dog? I fed, at the recommendation of my uncle who is a trainer and also breeder on this litter, my black lab pup 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups at night. I was feeding her 2 and 2 but she also was pretty skinny so I upped the food amount and she looks much better. I eat a lot of eggs throughout the week so I will also add some eggs to her food here and there to get her some more protein and calories.

[KFhunter]

really leery of free feeding, she gulps the feed down and I'm not sure she'd stop filling her belly until it was jam full packed...then go lap up some water and swell it all up.

I'll look into some different feed, I landed on TOW as it was one of the highest rated feeds I had local access too.  Choice is limited when you live rural.


Here is the review I was going by: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-dry/

[vandeman17]

really leery of free feeding, she gulps the feed down and I'm not sure she'd stop filling her belly until it was jam full packed...then go lap up some water and swell it all up.

I'll look into some different feed, I landed on TOW as it was one of the highest rated feeds I had local access too.  Choice is limited when you live rural.

My uncle doesn't recommend free feeding either. Do you put water on her food? He also prefers doing that because it helps them digest it a bit, or that is his theory.

[KFhunter]

What kind of dog? I fed, at the recommendation of my uncle who is a trainer and also breeder on this litter, my black lab pup 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups at night. I was feeding her 2 and 2 but she also was pretty skinny so I upped the food amount and she looks much better. I eat a lot of eggs throughout the week so I will also add some eggs to her food here and there to get her some more protein and calories.

Brittany,  I added the breed to the thread title thanks for asking.

[jetjockey]

Skip the puppy food and go buy a bag of Purina Pro Plan Performance 30/20 All life stages food.  There is no reason to feed them puppy food, and many Pros feed Performance food right from the start.  My 3 month old brittany, and her entire litter are all on it, and they all look great.

[AspenBud]

really leery of free feeding, she gulps the feed down and I'm not sure she'd stop filling her belly until it was jam full packed...then go lap up some water and swell it all up.

I'll look into some different feed, I landed on TOW as it was one of the highest rated feeds I had local access too.  Choice is limited when you live rural.


Here is the review I was going by: Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-dry/

Thanks to the internet your choices are not as limited as they used to be. You can order via these guys and their shipping isn't that bad...

http://www.chewy.com

Dr Tims rates higher than TOW

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dr-tims-dog-food/

[BULLBLASTER]

If your worried of overfeeding you can let the pup rest after eating for a hour or so the. Place more food out. If the pup is full it shouldnt want to eat more. I hear  ya on worries of overeating. Ours ate so much his belly looked real big but after a nap and abathroom run outside he was playing amd running crazy!

[ctwiggs1]

Our Brittany breeder told us to we would never over-feed these puppies.  She was right.  We've never had an indigestion issue or a weight issue.  We walk our dogs almost daily and they exercise all the time while playing together outside and (much to my frustration sometimes) inside.

If you're exercising your Brittany, it won't get fat.  I would slowly start upping the calories until you get to the point where you just keep food in bowl. 

I know I don't hunt my dogs or work my dogs nearly as hard as other people on here, but they are never fat.

Curtis

[Happy Gilmore]

need some carbs in the food. grain free and high protein isn't always the best road for all animals. My dogs have never looked better since opting away from TOTW/Natures Domain. They did well on it, I was happy with it... But, since feeding ProPlan Performance 30/20 I've never seen better stools, eating, and their coats look better than they ever have.

[constructeur]

I'm a fan of Dr. Tims as well, if you buy it off chewy.com they'll ship for free on orders over $50.

You may want to do a little research on TOTW, it's made by Diamond Pet Foods, a company that has had a number of recalls in the last few years. Salmonella, that kind of fun stuff...

Before you feed your puppy adult food, research panosteitis, essentially growing pains in the joints and ligaments. Some vets believe adult chow is tied into all that.

One of the cool things about Dr. Tims is that if you e-mail the company with a question, you'll probably get a response from Tim himself...

[scottr]

Your dog sounds like she's in good shape. Too many people over feed their bird dogs and they get portly.

My setter was on the same food and was getting bored with it so I bought some Taste of the Wild soft food and mix it in with the kibble. This keeps him interested in it.

[jetjockey]

 I've seen plenty of fat Brittany's, even the ones who get exercised. If you have a good eater, they will plump right up , they are no different then any other breed. The nice thing about PPP All life stages, is it is exactly that, food made for All life stages, including puppies.  Do you have any pictures?  I agree with some of the other posters, bird dogs arent suppose to be fat, and may look too skinny to most people when they are in good shape.  75% of the hunting dogs I see are overweight.

[McCRIZZLEY]

Is taste of the wild the expensive ones in foil bags? We had issues with our pup being light weight on the recommended servings of that, switched food and she plumped right up. Everything I have heard about free feeding is not good, just builds bad habits.

As far as watering food goes, I was doing that for a while too until I noticed my dog was not chewing as much and would just swallow it, resulting in dirtier teeth and the occasional puke.

Just my experience, I wouldn't sweat it though, just keep an eye on it, I'm sure your pooch is just fine.

[McCRIZZLEY]

My apologies, Natural Evolution is the one we had issues with. No experience with taste of the wild. Advice holds true though, just keep an eye out and take a breath...

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/food/blue-wilderness-trade-grain-free-adult-dog-food-zid36-3290/cat-36-catid-100004;pgid=wGVgEzj3LslSRpUaXdJ1M_Jd00009BhMvpWN;sid=xSSLJaS5hFuAJfD_RpzJIZazrI0SXc0QXFxN9ghl?var_id=36-3290&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

[Bmcox86]

I feed the diamond extreme athlete, put the reccomended amount in the bowl every morning before work and he eats when he wants, usually in the evening. Never had a problem and vet said he's the perfect weight, mostly muscle though.

[hollymaster]

All three of my Brittany's stayed on the slim side till about 2 years old, even on 3 cups a day of nutrisource buffalo.

[scottr]

Some people (non hunters) think my pup is too skinny. IMO he's the Usain Bolt of bird dogs

[JODakota]

Some people (non hunters) think my pup is too skinny. IMO he's the Usain Bolt of bird dogs

That is a very fine looking setter!

[KFhunter]

at least the longer coat covers up the ribs 

I just been getting comments the pup looks too skinny, the vet said she was skinny too but then added it's hard to tell with the sporting dog breeds.

With all the feed I've been pushing through her she is looking a little better, but still folks think she's skinny

[scottr]

That is a very fine looking setter!

Thanks! he's almost 9 months and had his first real wild bird encounter last weekend on some grouse.

[deltaops]

I was worried about my Field Springer when I got him. He looked skinny and after the vet check up and updated shots, we now feed him 4 times a day. He is constantly active and will not slow down. 4 cups a day seems to be a good amount for him right now. I use Pedigree along with some Joint Health for Pets by Univera. you cannot buy the Univera Joint Health for Pets unless you know someone who sells Univera Products though. Vet says he is in great shape and very healthy.

[scottr]

at least the longer coat covers up the ribs 

I just been getting comments the pup looks too skinny, the vet said she was skinny too but then added it's hard to tell with the sporting dog breeds.

With all the feed I've been pushing through her she is looking a little better, but still folks think she's skinny

I get those comments too, even from the vet. You're the best judge on her weight. Unless you like your Britts like Ben O'Williams breeds which look more the size of setters IMO. She's an athlete so she's gonna run on the lean side, but like the book title, they are A Feisty Little Pointing Dog.

[jetjockey]

Don't listen to anything  David Web says about Brittany's.  He has no idea what he's talking about!

[AspenBud]

at least the longer coat covers up the ribs 

I just been getting comments the pup looks too skinny, the vet said she was skinny too but then added it's hard to tell with the sporting dog breeds.

With all the feed I've been pushing through her she is looking a little better, but still folks think she's skinny

Pointing dogs are not supposed to be flabby or fat. They are track athletes, their job is to run like hell and find birds, and just like a human track athlete they don't gain a lot of weight unless they aren't getting worked.

Weight leads to injuries. Weight causes problems with stamina. Weight causes a dog to worry more about catching its breath than what it is hunting.

I've seen some field trial Pointers that were literally nothing but bone and muscle. You could see their ribs, their spine, hips and shoulders, etc. Those dogs also looked like canine Arnold Schwarzeneggers. There is a vast difference between an in shape pointing dog that is thin because it's an athlete versus one that is emaciated.

A lot of people who don't know what an in shape dog should look like would say these dogs (not mine) are too skinny...at about 2:10 into the video you'll see why...

Pointers Pointing in the Back Yard

People who think that are dead wrong. That dog is a titled field trial dog, something an emaciated dog can not become.

Puppies also don't grow evenly. That can lead to the appearance of being "skinny" as well.

[AspenBud]

Sorry for ranting. I can't tell you how many times some joker has told me my dogs are skinny, or are asked why they are, often with a lab that has fat jiggling on it wandering not far off. My dogs have spent more time around vets, including at a teaching hospital, than most and all I ever hear out of them is how they look great and that they wish more dogs were that fit.

[KFhunter]

   She's checking out the bacon




I put that fence in to keep the dog in the yard, it's worked great with the electric along the bottom and top.  Gets lot's of exercise in there and I don't have to worry about her hunting the quail in the field without me there.   She don't come out the yard w/o a check cord on.  Got some pigeons too and a bunch of feral coming when I trap em.  Neighbor has a barn full. 

[KFhunter]

hard to take pictures of a pup

[jetjockey]

For a puppy, Id agree she is a little skinny, but DAMN good looking!  Nice pup.

[scottr]

Nice looking pup. She's a little skinny but I bet she'll fill out and be just fine. Maybe put a little extra fat in her diet like a scoop of cottage cheese.