Pawfect Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Hi Guys, I'm currently fostering a litter of 8 week old Shih tzu puppies. I have puppy dry and wet food to feed then (optimum). How much should I be feeding the 5 little rascals across 3 meals a day? (they LOVE their food - will eat any amount I put down. They're not underweight, so don't need much bulking up)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 It would be more easily determined if we had photos I wouldnt know exact amounts I just make up what I think and when they've finished the feeding frenzy I take the food away and you can gauge each feed from what they've eaten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 - will eat any amount I put down. oops sorry, I didn't read this. Perhaps PM a breeder and ask them for more precise amounts. Have they been wormed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 not my breed or cross but when feeding a litter at that age, you really can't over feed them. They will walk away when they are full. If you are preparing them for their new homes, they can be cut back to two meals a day ( that what working owners will be doing ) and chuck them a lunch time snack of some chicken wings or necks, just to give them a little something. as long as they aren't dropping weight they'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbreedlover Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I know of alot of puppies that dont walk away even when they are full, but will continue to gorge themselves. As a general rule with our Bulldog puppies, we try to keep to a formula of they get an amount equivilant to the size of what their brain would be given that the stomach is around the same size. we also watch our puppies carefully and when their tummies start to get nice and rounded but not excessive they have had enough. And we take their food away of there is any left. Dont forget to worm regularly. 3 meals a day is good but dont give the meals to close together. Give them time to digest their first meal before offering the next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawfect Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 Thanks for the advice! Last night they ate so much I thought they may send me broke if I had to keep up that feeding rate...however today they aren't gorging themselves so i've taken the leftovers away. They haven't been wormed yet but will be wormed, deflead and bathed by the weekend. They're very cute!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 They should also be having their nails cut and also their feet , face and bums trimmed too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawfect Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 They should also be having their nails cut and also their feet , face and bums trimmed too. Very true! Bums were trimmed last night, but the rest I'll tackle asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elsha_UK_AU Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 When I got my 10 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, my breeder told me to feed him a small amount of kibble (I think I did a quarter cup) and a palm sized ball (so cup your hand) of raw beef mince (we fed them premium grade, not the pet stuff). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Pawfect are they purebred ? I had a little supposed to be Shi, that unsurpisingly turned out not to be, given MIL paid a BYBer for it. Anyway that aside, they are lovely little dogs to have around, quite delightful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawfect Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 Apparently they are purebred, but they were byb and handed to a pet shop...so who knows! (pet shop said they'd be PTS cause they had small umbilical hernias) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawfect Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 (edited) When I got my 10 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, my breeder told me to feed him a small amount of kibble (I think I did a quarter cup) and a palm sized ball (so cup your hand) of raw beef mince (we fed them premium grade, not the pet stuff). Good - sounds similar to the sized meals i'm giving them. I think i'll have to switch to premium food because the Optimum isn't really agreeing with them (I got them unexpectantly Wed night, so the best I could do was buy Optimum from supermarket at the time...and they only had the big bags of it!). Edited December 17, 2010 by Pawfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackenzie11 Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 When I got my 10 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, my breeder told me to feed him a small amount of kibble (I think I did a quarter cup) and a palm sized ball (so cup your hand) of raw beef mince (we fed them premium grade, not the pet stuff). Good - sounds similar to the sized meals i'm giving them. I think i'll have to switch to premium food because the Optimum isn't really agreeing with them (I got them unexpectantly Wed night, so the best I could do was buy Optimum from supermarket at the time...and they only had the big bags of it!). i had mollie on optimum but did not suit, changed her to pro plan and she is doing fine. but also remember that you have changed their feed completly and a complete change over will most likely result in runny tummies, so maybe give it a few more days before changing, as the change may be the reason, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 they remind me of this little BYB wonder. She now has a lovely home, after being purchased from a BYBer with no idea, by a person who has no idea and she ended up with me. Little Missy was powering through chicken necks at the same age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawfect Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 they remind me of this little BYB wonder. She now has a lovely home, after being purchased from a BYBer with no idea, by a person who has no idea and she ended up with me. Little Missy was powering through chicken necks at the same age. - what a cutie RSG!!! mackenzie - Their guts are getting better, so I think it WAS the change in diet upsetting them. I'll give them a little bit longer and see how the go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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