[Regulusmaximus]

Hello everyone I have a 20 week old puppy who at his vet check in last week weighed 46.6 pounds and he's doing great in all areas except I'm worried he's not eating enough. I have him on eukanuba large breed puppy kibble and according to the bag he should be getting 4 cups a day and he might eat between 2 and 2 1/2 cups. I've tried splitting up the meals into 4 and then 3 and now we are at 2 times a day, two cups in the morning and two cups in the evening but there is always food left over no matter how I feed him. I get conflicting information on websites one will say 2-2 1/2 is what he should be getting but then will say follow the manufacturers guidelines on their product. When he is standing I can feel his ribs easily and back around his hips are somewhat boney. I'm used to bigger dogs I grew up with GSDs but I don't ever remember them feeling this gaunt for lack of a better word.

My questions are is this normal for this breed to kinda go through a lanky period when their growing? Would adding an egg to his meals help any? The vet seemed to think he was fine but I worry anyway of course lol so if anyone has experience please let me know what it was like for your own pups at around this age.

Here's some pics!

First day home, he was 16 weeks old

This is from two weeks ago down by the lake by our house

 

[Oceanside]

There is definitely a lanky period, and he looks normal to me from what I can tell in the photos. Don’t get hung up on what the bag says (it’s usually wrong). Let him eat what he’s eating becuase that’s apparently all he needs right now.

 

[nolefan]

If the vet thinks he was fine, that is a definite sign that you can relax. You're giving him a good quality large breed puppy food and by leaving some behind at each meal, he's letting you know that you're over feeding him by following the package directions. I'm guessing that he's also getting plenty of training treats when you work on obedience every day.

The best thing you can do for a Golden Retriever puppy is to keep him at a proper weight and a bit on the lean side is better than a bit on the heavy side. It's best for his joints. Absolutely do NOT put eggs in his food, you will end up creating a picky eater this way.

Start keeping a weight track on the calendar, he should be gaining on a slow, steady trajectory. You do not want to see him gain 2 or 3 pounds a week. I would keep feeding him twice a day and give him a cup and about a third. He should eat it all. If notice he's looking thinner, bump it up to a cup and a half. He probably won't ever really need more than that unless he's training for agility or hunt tests. Keep him lean. If you feel concerned, pop into the vet's office for a weight check a couple of times a month. They should be ok with that if you don't mind waiting for a tech to weigh him. Here's some reading to make you feel better: Purina Study

 

[ArkansasGold]

He looks fine to me. He’s probably just self-regulating. I’ve never fed as much as the bag says. They don’t need as much as the bag says. 2.5 cups/day at 20 weeks is fine.

Just to do some due diligence, are you using a standard measuring cup?

 

[Regulusmaximus]

He looks fine to me. He’s probably just self-regulating. I’ve never fed as much as the bag says. They don’t need as much as the bag says. 2.5 cups/day at 20 weeks is fine.

Just to do some due diligence, are you using a standard measuring cup?

Thank you for the reassurance, I'm using a standard baking measuring cup and when I get the food out of the bag I level it off to make sure it's a true cup. I'll start giving him 1 1/4 cup twice daily. Thanks!

 

[Regulusmaximus]

If the vet thinks he was fine, that is a definite sign that you can relax. You're giving him a good quality large breed puppy food and by leaving some behind at each meal, he's letting you know that you're over feeding him by following the package directions. I'm guessing that he's also getting plenty of training treats when you work on obedience every day.

The best thing you can do for a Golden Retriever puppy is to keep him at a proper weight and a bit on the lean side is better than a bit on the heavy side. It's best for his joints. Absolutely do NOT put eggs in his food, you will end up creating a picky eater this way.

Start keeping a weight track on the calendar, he should be gaining on a slow, steady trajectory. You do not want to see him gain 2 or 3 pounds a week. I would keep feeding him twice a day and give him a cup and about a third. He should eat it all. If notice he's looking thinner, bump it up to a cup and a half. He probably won't ever really need more than that unless he's training for agility or hunt tests. Keep him lean. If you feel concerned, pop into the vet's office for a weight check a couple of times a month. They should be ok with that if you don't mind waiting for a tech to weigh him. Here's some reading to make you feel better: Purina Study

He definitely loves his treats during our training sessions! I will not do the egg thing, it was suggested by a family friend but I just my misgivings about it so I'm glad to know I was right on that at least. He will not be training for agility or hunt but will be trained for therapy once his trainer deems is appropriate to begin his more formal training. Right now he just wants to focus on the basics and socializing to a high degree.

Thank you for your reassurance and tips this forum is great!

 

[Regulusmaximus]

There is definitely a lanky period, and he looks normal to me from what I can tell in the photos. Don’t get hung up on what the bag says (it’s usually wrong). Let him eat what he’s eating becuase that’s apparently all he needs right now.

I'm going to definitely not worry so much after everyone's responses, I'm going to cut back to 1 1/4 cup at each meal and see how that goes for a couple weeks and see how he responds to that, thank you for the reassurance and response!

 

[NaughtyNala]

My girl definitely went through a lanky period around 5 months

 

[GoldenRetieverL0ver08]

My puppy is going through the lanky stage right now. He is skinny, and active, growing taller. But he is a lot smaller than your pup.