Growth Rates

[alananddora]

Hi All,

As some may be aware I converted Jasmine to a BARF diet a couple of weeks ago and have just received my Dr Billingham books in the post regarding the feeding and maintenance of this large breed (GSD).

In the book it talks of slow growth i.e. lean and mean = low % of joint defects. What it is does not do is define what slow growth means. I am on the page regarding maintance - in that currently during her fear period we are keeping her housebound and the only exercise she gets is play time and chewing those RMBs. After this period her exercise will be maintained with short walks etc.

I have looked at some sources on the web defining how quickly a GSD grows, but again it does define whether this rate is slow/normal or fast. So at 16 weeks my limited research says females on average weight 16kg, Jasmine is 15.5kg at 4 months.

Can anyone assist me here on what is slow growth and how do I check if she is growing too fast and hence need to cut feed back a bit. Currently I am feeding her about 5% of her weight per day (about 650gms) - mixture of home made patties and RMB.

Thanks

A&D.

[Mushaka]

Hmm..cant answer,but thanx for posting. Will be watching with much interest!

[schnauzer_luv]

You'll have better luck asking this in the health/nutrition forum instead I think...

[Miranda]

The rate of growth is largely governed by genetics, some puppies grow and mature slower than others and although it's not a good idea to feed your dogs large amounts of high protein commercial foods, you would have to literally starve the dog to slow down its growth rate. You should be able to feel your puppy's ribs if you run your hands lightly over his body (if you have to press to feel them he's carrying too much weight) and he should have a clearly defined 'waist' behind the ribcage, sometimes the last couple of ribs may be visible and that's ok, but if all his ribs can be seen then he's underweight.

Slow growth will not guarantee that your dog won't have any joint problems, if he has a genetic predisposition to joint disease environmental factors may exacerbate it, but cutting down your dog's food and restricting exercise certainly won't stop the dog from developing problems. If your puppy comes from health tested parents who come from lines with normal hips and elbows there is a good chance that your puppy will be normal too, it's good sense not to overfeed your puppy, but you must ensure that he has adequate amounts of good quality food.

[alananddora]

Thanks Miranda.

Yes, I can touch her ribs and through her thick coat its hard for any to be visible and she has a good shape as you described.

The aforementioned author would argue that food/maintenance are far more important than genetic factors - and dogs with poor genetic scores have a very good chance of not developing these issues with the appropriate diet and maintenance. She is also fed raw food and bones as per the BARF guidelines.

Jasmine's parents both have very good scores for HD and elbow, just want to ensure we are doing everything in her interests to ensure she develops properly.

[Miranda]

Thanks Miranda.

The aforementioned author would argue that food/maintenance are far more important than genetic factors - and dogs with poor genetic scores have a very good chance of not developing these issues with the appropriate diet and maintenance. She is also fed raw food and bones as per the BARF guidelines.

Yes I do have his books and although he has a lot of interesting things to say and I agree with most of them I do not agree with him on this particular point. I think the exact opposite, that dogs with a genetic predisposition to joint disease will certainly have their problems exacerbated by overfeeding and excess or inappropriate exercise, but a dog carrying genes for normal hips and elbows is unlikely to develop problems when subjected to the same environmental factors. IMO breeding from dogs with good scores is of far more importance in the fight against joint disease than restricting food and exercise in a growing puppy. I am not saying that you should be taking your puppy jogging every night or feeding him five cups of 32% protein kibble twice daily, but normal activity and normal feeding will not cause your puppy to develop hip or elbow dysplasia. Moderation and common sense are the key.