Re: [PyrNet-L] RE: CHAT gaining weight to fast?

["Mitzi Potter" <Pyrs@prodigy.net>]

On Fri, 21 Aug 1998 11:02:09 -0500, Rick Nygaard wrote:

>I have been lurking on this list for about 4 weeks since we got our first 
>pyr!  I love all the tales that are shared and advice with training etc. 
> Baby is now 13 weeks old today and already weighs 30 pounds.  Is this 
>normal?  When we brought her to the vet three weeks ago she weighed 15 
>pounds and the vet warned us about her gaining weight too quickly.  She 
>also suggested that we take her off of puppy chow at 5 - 6 months so she 
>won't continue to gain so much weight.  I would appreciate any thoughts on 
>this.

Linda, 30 lbs at 13 wks sounds just about right. However-gaining 5
lbs a wk the past 3 wks IS gaining too fast in my opinion. I try to
keep mine at about 2 1/2 lbs a wk (about 10 lbs/mo). I promise you,
they *will end up to their predetermined size as adults by allowing
them to gain at this rate. If she's gaining 5 lbs a wk I'd feed her a
little less to slow it down. And I *raise mine on adult food, I
by-pass puppy food altogether. (Although with my 5 mo old Newfie pup
he's been raised on Science Diet Canine Growth (8% fat) and he's
gaining at just about exactly the same 2.5 lbs/wk.)
It sounds like your puppy may've been a little on the small side when
you got him, but he's up to normal now so I'd back off just a little
with his weight gain.
Mitzi Potter   OKC  OK
Pyrs@prodigy.net
http://members.aol.com/pyrs/mit.html