# Feeding 9 week old male puppy



## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Have you had him seen by a vet since bringing him home? It sounds small but not abnormally so, but he should be checked for worms and parasites if he hasn't already. If you search on this forum or on the internet for Golden retriever puppy growth chart you'll find a range of weights by age. That might help. 

Welcome to GRF! We would love to pics of your baby.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

It might be the blue buffalo is too rich for him. My pup is 10 weeks old and eats three time a day, 3/4 cup per feed.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

According to the chart I looked at (Genuine Goldens of Ohio) your pup is on the low end of normal. 6.8 to 18 pounds at 9 weeks old. Perhaps try a different food. When we got Max, he was on Puppy Chow. The vet recommended Science Diet, but he had very soft stools. We did some research and tried Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food. He did great on it with firm stools. By the way, at 12 weeks, when we got Max, he weighed close to 30 pounds.


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks! He has been seen by the vet twice so far and he has been dewormed with both set of shots (7 and 9 weeks). The vet did recommend trying science diet, but I don't want my dog on a food with the first ingredient as corn :/... I would say he probably only eats two cups on a good day :/... Would it be better to go away from a wholly natural rich food like that for now? And his dad was almost 100lbs and his mom 85, so I guess I expected him to be a little on the higher end for weight gain. Also, his stools are soft and sometimes formed and they have never been just water or anything like that


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## kimberly686 (May 25, 2012)

At almost 9 weeks my pup was 11.2 lb. but throughout the 9 wk period she seems to have a growth spurt. She was eating about 1.5-2 cups per day but now eats 2.5 at 10 weeks today.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Sounds like a normal amount of food to me. My pups will eat any where from 2 cups to 3 cups/day at that age. My pups at 8 weeks have been 8 to 14 lbs... Size really means nothing, look at the individual...


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## toliva (Nov 24, 2011)

I also think it might be the food. We had a similar issue with our pup being on a grain-free food (TOTW), and when we switched to wellness super 5 mix, the problem went away.


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

Is Blue Buffalo what the breeder was feeding him? 

If not, it's possible you made a switch too quickly and that is giving him soft stools.


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks! I'm glad to hear he is eating a healthy amount!  And Blue Buffalo's first ingredients are meat, but it does have rice, barely and oats so it isn't completely grain free. And we did switch him from Eukanuba and did so slowly by gradually mixing food. I might give it another week and switch him to something a little less rich if it keeps up. does anyone know of a good food that doesn't use corn as an ingredient? Are puppy stools usually solid or are they a little soft and formed?


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

JMME said:


> Thanks! I'm glad to hear he is eating a healthy amount!  And Blue Buffalo's first ingredients are meat, but it does have rice, barely and oats so it isn't completely grain free. And we did switch him from Eukanuba and did so slowly by gradually mixing food. I might give it another week and switch him to something a little less rich if it keeps up. does anyone know of a good food that doesn't use corn as an ingredient? Are puppy stools usually solid or are they a little soft and formed?


I would've personally left him on the Eukanuba for at least 6 months, if not longer. Usually breeders use the food they do because it works--and his world has already been rocked by leaving his mom/siblings--and now he has all of these tummy issues to deal with.  

Eukanuba is what I fed my dogs for years, with great results. I always say "if it's not broken.....".


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## kimberly686 (May 25, 2012)

I also tried to switch to BB right away and arya had severe diarrhea that went away when we cut out the bb. We're feeding Iams which is what the breeder fed but I want to switch to Fromm eventually. Arya's stools are now formed but soft.


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

Wagners Mom said:


> I would've personally left him on the Eukanuba for at least 6 months, if not longer. Usually breeders use the food they do because it works--and his world has already been rocked by leaving his mom/siblings--and now he has all of these tummy issues to deal with.
> 
> Eukanuba is what I fed my dogs for years, with great results. I always say "if it's not broken.....".


Thank you! Maybe I will just switch back to the Eukanuba for now and see if that helps and later down the road switch him to a more natural food  It does seem to have decent reviews


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

kimberly686 said:


> I also tried to switch to BB right away and arya had severe diarrhea that went away when we cut out the bb. We're feeding Iams which is what the breeder fed but I want to switch to Fromm eventually. Arya's stools are now formed but soft.


Thanks! Maybe it is just too rich of a food to switch them to at such a young age :/ I would love to try Fromm eventually too


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## cody and munsons mom (Jun 8, 2012)

When i got my golden Mr. Munson he weighted 12 lbs at 6 weeks. I started him on science diet puppy. Let me tell you for 2 1/2 years it was a twice daily fight to get him to eat enough, it did affect his growth he is now only at 72 lbs at almost 3 years old. I finally found food he will eat no problem I got him purina pro plan I got from the vet. He is slowly catching up to were the vet say he should be. Keep talking to the vet and I hope you find a food that works for him.


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

cody and munsons mom said:


> When i got my golden Mr. Munson he weighted 12 lbs at 6 weeks. I started him on science diet puppy. Let me tell you for 2 1/2 years it was a twice daily fight to get him to eat enough, it did affect his growth he is now only at 72 lbs at almost 3 years old. I finally found food he will eat no problem I got him purina pro plan I got from the vet. He is slowly catching up to were the vet say he should be. Keep talking to the vet and I hope you find a food that works for him.


Thank you! I will look into that as well... I maybe should have waited to switch his food. I'm glad you found something that is finally working for Mr. Munson


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

There are many foods out there that don't have corn. We feed Innova, which is corn-free.


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## JMME (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestion! I had never thought to try innova and in comparison to BB is is lower calorie and lower calcium, so I think it might be worth a try  I'm going to buy a small bag today and see how it goes! Thanks again


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## Hawks (Mar 19, 2012)

I have been feeding Finlay Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice All Life Stages. 

It is what the breeder fed him, and also feeds her other dogs. He does well on it; good solid poops, not itchy skin or other issues. I figured if it worked for her other dogs, and puppies and she recommends it, I will stick with it. 

He is 11 weeks old and has been eating three cups per day (B/L/D) for a little over a week now.


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