I'm just posting a quick question as I'm a bit worried. Basically, I got a Staffie puppy two weeks ago now, he's 3 months old, and whenever I feed him his tummy gets really bloated and goes rock hard!!! Is this normal?!
(He eats really fast and tends to swallow his dry food without even chewing it :/ )
Thanks in advance!
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He’s scoffing his food too quickly and maybe eating too much in one go. To slow down his eating, if he’s a bit of a greedy guts, you can use tricks like putting a large, hard object in his bowl so he has to pick the dry food out almost one by one (there are even special slow-feeder bowls for this).
As for the amount, are you sure you’re giving him the right portion? Is it perhaps too much? How many meals a day is he having? If they aren't spread out, he might be starving and just bolting his food.
At this age, it should be 3 meals a day, or even 4 if he’s a fast eater. He’ll take in less food at once, so his tummy won't stretch as much. Then you can move to 2 meals a day from 6 months old.
Be careful, puppies can also suffer from bloat (gastric torsion). It doesn’t just happen to adults, so really make sure to manage the quantity, the speed at which he eats, and his activity levels before and after meals...
Hi, so, I got a little Pitbull Terrier puppy who was 2 weeks old on 19/06/16 and I’m only giving him milk. I noticed today (21/06/16) that his belly is really bloated and I’m so worried. I’d like to know if this is normal or not? Just to let you know, I fed him 4 times yesterday. Please get back to me, thanks in advance ☺
Hi everyone, so I got a little 2-week-old Pitbull Terrier puppy on 19/06/16. I’ve only been giving him milk and I’ve noticed today (21/06/16) that his tummy is all bloated. I’m really worried and want to know if this is normal or not? Just to let you know, I fed him 4 times yesterday. Please get back to me, and thanks in advance ☺
Oh definitely, I can't even pick him up now for fear his belly might pop lol.
When I bought him, the breeder forgot to give me any dry food to transition him over slowly. So on the first night he had my Spitz's "Purina" dry food, then we bought him some Pedigree and he ended up with really runny poo and then some blood in his stools. We went to see the vet who gave him a jab and prescribed some meds (antibiotics etc.) and recommended Pro Plan Puppy Medium, which the breeder suggested too! Since then his stools have been nice and firm, no more problems on that front, just a bit of wind every now and then but it’s very rare.
I’m not familiar with the breed, so I don’t have a precise idea of the growth rate. However, looking at the standards shown on this site, if we assume he’s got a frame that will reach about 33 lbs as an adult, the Pro Plan Puppy Medium guide already suggests 145g a day at 3 months. And right now, you’re giving him less than that.
Pro Plan is a poor brand and very pricey, it’s true—price isn’t necessarily a guarantee of quality. I tried it for my own dog from 2 to 4 months old, but she went off her food herself; to make sure she grew and put on weight properly and so she wasn't hungry anymore, I was already giving her 30% to 50% more than the stated amount.
If you’d prefer to try another brand, look for grain-free dry food; Orijen is really good, as are Farmina, Carnilove, Purizon, and Nutrivet. Just be sure to do a transition over three weeks or more.
