Growing Too Fast

[JustGran]

I have a 16wk old doberman puppy who is quite simply growing too fast. He weighs 22kgs at 16weeks, have had him checked by his personal trainer and my vet...both say he has a good shape although he could not be called lean:)) His parents are std size. The problem is that he is growing too quickly, the vet has concerns about the rate of growth because of his bone development etc.

He developed hygroma's 2 weeks ago and was weighed at the vets prior to the consult. He weighed 19kg at 14wks. I was unaware of his weight until that moment, was obviously concerned so discussed it with the vet and we agreed to cut back his food quantity and monitor the situation for a couple of weeks. He developed a UTI today and was again at the vet, today he weighed 22kg at 16wks. Vet said he is too young to reduce to 2meals a day, continue with 3 for a bit longer. He also disagreed about changing from a puppy based quality kibble to an adults formula. Instead the vet suggested I find a suitable GIANT puppy kibble such as Artemis.

My puppy is currently being fed LESS than the recommended amount of kibble for his age/weight. I do NOT leave food down so he does not get the opportunity to graze. He is not fed treats except for training when he gets diced frozen carrot pieces. He gets 2-3hrs exercise per day, he plays with his doggy friends each morning for 60-75 mins depending on his energy level then 5 min training bursts throughout the day followed by a 15min walk early evening. Depending on the weather we go to the beach most afternoons for a swim etc. He is only just 16wks old so is getting plenty of exercise for his age.

I am hoping someone here has experienced something similar and can offer suggestions on how to slow my pups growth down. Thankyou.

[kelpiecuddles]

I wouldn't have though 22kg was massive for a dobe puppy of that age.

[kelpiecuddles]

Just an idea but is it possible to get in touch with his breeder and see if the breeder has been chatting to any of the other owners of pups from that litter and can compare weights. Given he's going to come in at a weight somewhere in the vicinity of 35-40kg it doesn't seem like an unreasonable weight to me.

[Dame Aussie]

That does sound quite big. My Anatolian x was only about 15kg at 16 weeks (50kg now), I don't know that much about Dobes but to me 16 weeks is still a baby.

Sorry I don't really have any advice OP, I everything goes well with your pup.

[Salukifan]

I would suggest you take this question to the Dobermann thread but switching to adult kibble may assist.

[Dory the Doted One]

Seems big to me too. Willow's weight (rottie) seemed to be on par with her age in weeks. eg. 10 weeks, she was about 10kg.

As for slowing growth, I have no idea.

Pictures would be helpful, bit hard to say if a dog is truly growing abnormally without actually seeing it.

[JessicaM]

What are you feeding your puppy? I have a GSD who grow at a fast rate and her breeder absolutely insists I do not feed her certain kibbles, because they can cause pups to grow faster and throw them out of proportion. I would DEFFINANTLY chat to the breeder right away, I stay away from hills science which is terrible for fast growing puppies.

[raineth]

You may simply be feeding him too much. Don't go off what the packet tells you. The last of his ribs should be clearly visible to you if he's a good weight. You want him lean, lean, lean. Protruding hips and spine is too lean, but visible ribs are fine.

[JustGran]

Just an idea but is it possible to get in touch with his breeder and see if the breeder has been chatting to any of the other owners of pups from that litter and can compare weights. Given he's going to come in at a weight somewhere in the vicinity of 35-40kg it doesn't seem like an unreasonable weight to me.

Unfortunately he was the only surviving pup in litter of 3. Have arranged to take the pup to the breeder for an assessment.

[JustGran]

Rule of thumb is 1kg per week...so he should be 16-17kg...not 22kg. His ribs are still visible, he does not look 'fat', still has a good shape and tuck in. But he IS heavy for his age.

[Gretel]

Yes I was going to say the same about not going by the feeding guide on the food. I'd be switching to adult food if he was my pup. Talking to the breeder is a good idea :) a photo would be good ( just cause I love Dobes :laugh: :laugh: )

[wuffles]

I have an Aussie, so smaller than a dobe, but he's on the large side and grew very quickly. The food makes a difference. We noticed a big difference in his growth when we switched to a different kibble on breeder's advice. FWIW we feed adult kibble. He looks like a stringbean by the way, but with big bone to grow into!

[OSoSwift]

Speak to his breeder, and yes changing dry foods may help.

I had a Dobe pup who grew two inches in a matter of weeks, he looked like a spider and got panosteitis. It didn't matter what i did he grew, but he was his full adult height at 8 months and from there filled out over a few years.

You want him lean but not skinny and what sort of exercise is he doing for two to three hours per day?? Over exercise is not good for a young growing Dobe.

Oh and rules of thumb are just that, some bloodlines grow more quickly than otehrs, and some individuals do also.

Edited January 18, 2014 by OSoSwift

[dragonwoman]

Speak to his breeder, and yes changing dry foods may help.

I had a Dobe pup who grew two inches in a matter of weeks, he looked like a spider and got panosteitis. It didn't matter what i did he grew, but he was his full adult height at 8 months and from there filled out over a few years.

You want him lean but not skinny and what sort of exercise is he doing for two to three hours per day?? Over exercise is not good for a young growing Dobe.

Oh and rules of thumb are just that, some bloodlines grow more quickly than otehrs, and some individuals do also.

Many breeders don't feed puppy kibble at all. weaned onto adult - and with all due respect, ask the breeder to suggest a "Breeder's" vet you might see

[Bjelkier]

I had an issue with my Samoyed puppies growing way too fast.

Switched them to Pro Plan adult and haven't had an issue since. My puppies don't get puppy kibble from the time their 8 weeks. It's straight onto adult.

Certainly have your breeder look him over and I'd be switching kibble.

[Nekhbet]

both say he has a good shape although he could not be called lean:)

I think you answered your own question. If he's not 'lean' and you cannot see a few ribs easily then your puppy is too fat. Feed him twice a day, make one meal something he has to work for like a half lamb neck or chicken carcass. He's plenty old enough to go to two meals a day, he doesn't need three.

Another thing is too, don't look at numbers. Yes, sounds bizarre but you're already getting caught up in numbers at this stage and you will go certifiably insane because numbers are not a true reflection of your dogs body condition. Is he 22kg of lean muscle and bone or 22kg of over weight, high body fat puppy? See what I mean on that? It's why I honestly do not bother weighing my dogs at all (well unless they need a vaccine etc). Run your hands down the dogs body. Does he have good muscle over his shoulder, neck, spine and hind legs? Or is there a lot of body fat that wibble wobbles? Can you feel ribs easily when you slide your hands over or you have to apply pressure to make out the individual ribs.'

If my dogs start getting a bit lean, I up the meal, if they get chubby, I decrease it or change the food. Two of them get more then the others by a lot because they find it hard to keep weight on, whereas the other two live off the smell of an oily rag.

Oh and another thing about the kibble, it's always WAAAAAAAAY above average on the packet. I mean horribly. I used to feed my 60kg Dogue de Bordeaux about 2 cups a day when the packet said 6, and the vet had no problems with his condition, very well muscled. Remember too kibble is about a third of the size/weight of a raw meal because it's a dehydrated product. 1 cup of kibble is an equivalent 3 cup portion size once it swells up, which is will when it rehydrates in the digestive tract of the dog. Every dog is different, just like people. Some people can eat like pigs and stay thin (I wish), whereas some people look at food and put on another pound. Dogs are the same.

Learn to see your dogs body shape, condition and growth. Leave the packets and the vets and fiddle faddle, and don't get caught up in numbers! One of my clients was the same with her dobermann bitch, the dog was huge when she got her as a pup and grew like a weed! Now at 18 months the dog looks AMAZING!!! (I'll have to get some photos) and has filled out evenly. She too went onto the numbers watch and when she dropped it and just learned to read her dog properly, no stress, fine growth.

As for the hygromas, where did he get those?

[Wundahoo]

Even with my medium sized breed I like to "grow them slow". My puppies are never chubby babies unless they are still in the nest and being fed by their mums.... intake at that stage is almost impossible to control as far as quantity and quality of food !

I assess each litter individually and tailor the feeding plan accordingly. Once they are a bit older and getting ready for independant living, ie away from their mum, I then assess each puppy individually and adjust their diet as needed. I dont like high protein rations and change them to a good quality adult dry food as soon as I feel it's appropriate. New owners are warned strongly about the chubby-bubby syndrome. It's cute but it sets a pattern for life, especially in my breed and over-nutrition is even more of a problem these days than under-nutrition. More damage is done to rapidly growing joints, ligaments and bones by too much protein coupled with too much exercise at the wrong time.

I think that the best thing you can do is to take your pup to the breeder for an assessment and advice regarding feeding.

Nekhbet, I agree with absolutely everything that you have said..... great post !

[RiverStar-Aura]

Nek's post is full of awesome!! I agree with EVERYTHING she's said and my own two dogs are the perfect example of the grossly excessive feeding guide on dog food packets. My medium size dog should be given 2 cups a day, he gets 1/4 cup twice daily and astonishingly, my small breed terrier who should get around 3/4 cup daily gets 1 TABLESPOON twice daily.

I do weigh my guys monthly because I like to know but with the exception of 200g gain/loss every so often, they've both been the same weight for years.

Definitely try switching to adult food and cut back to 2 meals and see how you go.

[JustGran]

MANY THANKS for the advice. Think you have hit it on the nail about stressing about numbers:))

I took my pup to the breeder today, she was concerned about his weight right up until she saw the puppy...then she wasnt worried anymore. He is NOT fat, apparently he is the image of his great grandsire and should reach his adult height at about 6-8mths old. He is going to be a decent sized dobe, about 42-44kg, 28". The only thing the breeder would change would be putting him on adult kibble immediately and adding more vegetables to his diet. Other than that he is absolutely fine.

SUCH a weight of my mind, cos it has been really doing my head in knowing he is big for his age, reading everywhere that fat puppies make fat adult dogs which causes probs etc.

So now Im just going to enjoy my boy, and yes the breeder also agreed with the comments here about not necessarily feeding him to the pkt recommendation, but reading his body and feeding him accordingly. THANKS again from a very grateful novice owner:))

[JustGran]

Nezhbit he got the hygromas cos he refuses to sleep on his nice soft bedding. Its so damn hot that he prefers sprawling on the cool tiles which unfortunately caused the hygromas. He has a daybed and a crate for night time. In his crate he pushes all the bedding up one end, puts his head on it and sleeps on the bare base. We have a fan on the crate to keep him cool...but its just the way he sleeps. Ive just ordered a different type of bedding for his crate - foam rubber mattress style, something he wont be able to bunch up one end. His day bed he totally ignores, its simply a place he keeps his toys....he prefers to sleep on the tiles/concrete at my feet. I have a pillow I am dragging around at the moment and try and slip it under his legs but he just pushes it away.

I looked into Dogglegs from US but because he is growing so fast it is hard to size him. We tried thick socks, he chewed them to shreds.

If anyone has suggestions or has dealt with these before Im all ears! Our vet is monitoring them.