My 1-month Golden puppy is obese from Cerelac. Diet & bathing?

You can start now. Buy a high-quality dry food and mix it in the ratio of 1/4 dry food to 3/4 of the cerelac. Feed three times/day. If the dog is tolerating the mixture after a day or so, increase the dog food to 1/2 the total and decrease the cerelac to 1/2 half the total. Then you can give 3/4 dog food to 1/4 cerelac, and finally switch over to the dog food exclusively. I am concerned that the cerelac may not have been giving the dog the nutrients he needs. It is best to get him onto dog food as soon as possible. Watch for signs of excessive weight gain, as the dog food may cause him to put on more weight than the cerleac has. After a few months you can decrease the frequency to twice/day. I am available for consultation if you have questions or need additional help.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Maggies is very cute! I think that 4 weeks is too young to be taken from the mother and siblings. At this stage I would mix puppy formula with canned puppy food. If she won't eat that then you can mix the cerelac in with the canned puppy food but I personally do not like animals eating human dairy foods. Gradually over the next week or so add less and less puppy formula and more canned puppy food. Then around 5-6 weeks add moistened dry food. Hopefully by 7 weeks she will be eating all canned or dry puppy food. Good luck!

At 6 weeks old, your pet should be well on puppy food with no milk. You should go ahead and go forward with Royal Canin regular puppy large breed food with no additives. If Arjun happens to be having a hard time eating the kibble, then you can certainly add in some canned food at this point, but most puppies this age can no longer digest milk or cerelac, so it should not be given to them anymore. If your puppy just seems to not like Royal Canin anymore, then some other suggested brands are Hill's Science Diet, Eukanuba, or Purina. The amount to feed should be based on the guideline on the back of the bag, but it isn't a perfect science. Pay attention to your pet and feed less than what is recommended if he seems to be leaving a good amount still in the bowl. A good rule of thumb here is that whatever is suggested on the bag is likely going to be an over-estimate of the amount of food he will likely consume. To help with the loose stools, you should add in a probiotic such as Fortiflora or over the counter Culturelle for the next 7-14 days. This should help resolve it, but if not, then a vet visit is recommended. I hope that this new formulation helps Arjun keep normal bowel movements moving forward. Best of luck and take care. : )

Determine how much to feed a puppy can certainly be quite confusing! I'm glad to hear that you are offering Bourbon food four times per day. In another month, you can decrease his feeding to three times a day, and eventually twice per day. The Royal Canin Maxi Starter food is great for growing puppies! By 2 months of age, Bourbon should be able to start chewing through dry kibble, so you can start to wean him off of the water soaked kibble over the next few weeks. Cerelac is not a necessary component of any dog's diet, so I would recommend stopping that and strictly feeding the balanced puppy food. Based upon the feeding guide for your puppy food, Bourbon should eat around 250 - 260 gm per day, meaning that he should eat around 60 - 65 gm per meal. Congratulations on adopting your new little puppy and I hope this helps!

It is very concerning that a puppy of Jackie's age isn't eating much food. Cerelac is not an appropriate diet for a dog, he needs a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of calcium, calories, and protein than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that for him. When he's 12 months old, he will need an adult dog food. I do not recommend feeding him anymore celerac, and put him straight onto a puppy food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. As for milk, it causes GI upset in dogs, so only give him water. You can add water to his dry dog food or feed him a canned puppy food to get more water into his diet. Finally, I'd have him seen by a vet for a health check. As I said above, it is concerning that he isn't eating much, and a check with the vet is always recommended. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ideal weight is based on more than age and breed. Skeletal frame is also important. Posting a picture of Luna would be helpful. On AVERAGE a 3 month female golden puppy should weigh around is between 16 and 22 lbs. It is hard to make puppies fat. I recommend using the bag label for feeding instructions. If she is too thin (see hip bones and can see and easily feel every rib) increase the amount of food and if she is too fat (can't easily feel ribs and no waist) then decrease it some. I wish you the best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!! It sounds like you are doing the right thing nutritionally with Buddy. I would make sure that the puppy Pedigree you are feeding is for larger breed dogs since he is a Lab. Boiled eggs are a great protein source and good fat source but I don't think you need to give that everyday. Maybe decrease the frequency of that to allow him to grow a slower rate like the larger breed puppy foods account for. Puppies get dirty and need to be bathed. It's ok to bathe him but just keep him warm and dry him off good once you are done. Use a good oatmeal shampoo, preferably one without soap or detergent especially if you are using topical flea and tick products. Soap/detergent shampoos will strip some of those products off, lessening their duration and effectiveness. Cooked chicken without the skin is a good treat or addition to a dogs diet. Just remember we don't want him to grow too fast so don't feed a lot at one time and spread out the frequency of giving extra protein to him. Good luck with Buddy. I hope this helps you provide the best life for him.