how much food?

hi both nessa and smithy are both on dry food,but the last few days theyve both had runny poo,my hubby thinks im over feeding them,but i only give them a handfull each twice a day,weve only ever owned big dogs so ive been used to feeding big bowls full of food,i dont think they get much at all,they both always finish their meals and both of them look a good size ok maybe slightly round but i always thought puppies are supposed to have a bit of fat on them,could anyone just give me a rough guide as to how much i should be feeding them.

Have you recently changed their food? This could make them have an upset tummy. A Puppy should be fed small amounts four times a day. I feed my 3 times. They like ready break for breakfast then they have dry for dinner and meat for tea.

Also sometimes chews can make them have an upset tummy.

Its quite a bit for puppies then the amount comes down as they get older, if you are feeding dry it should say on packet.
Sandra

There is always a recommended amount on bags of dry food and I would suggest you weigh it to see just how much you are giving them. Is it specifically for puppies too (as puppies need a higher amount of energy and protein - I think too) but as a rule I have always found that my shih tzu do NOT eat anywhere near the recommended amount.

There should be a little amount of flesh on puppies but you should be able to feel the ribs (without having to dig) and they should not stick out behind the ribs (the area over the kidneys).

if you have always fed them the same and it is only the last few days they have had runny poo then it would suggest to me that they have an upset tummy which could be a bit of a bug either from something they have eaten or airborne. if they are otherwise healthy and showing no signs of illness (temperature, shivering, vomiting or serious diarrhoea) then you can purchase various things to help for example
kaogel but as with anything if you have any worries take them in to see your vet.

Hope this helps a bit

How are your puppies Debb?? Have their tums settled now??

hi lesley,they are fine thankyou for asking the runny poo lasted for about 3 days, everything is back to normal,except nessa has a runny nose now !!!,honestly i worry about them just like i did with my daughters when they were babies im terrible,its funny isnt it how you can love them so much after only having them such a short time

they have that effect on us Debb - I think we all worry and just like babies they cn't tell us can they? And just like babies they pick things up and then bounce back too. Glad they are ok Hmm runny nose? Might be something to do with the pollen.. has she been running around in any long grass with those dandelion clocks around or similar??

hi lesley funny you should say that,she has !!! so do you think it might be abit of hayfever ?

could well be - their little noses are so close to the ground too. Keep an eye on her and if it continues and looks a bit green then get the vet to have a look at her

Could it also be that she is teething, luy-lou always used to get the runs and a sniffly nose when she was teething

yep thats another thing

thanks lesley and adele,i will keep my eye on her,she seems fine in her self in general just abit of a runny nose its just clear though not green.

sounds fine to me... josh is a bit runny at the moment too