# Hovan's SLow Growth Plan? too little food?



## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

i have been following the slow growth plan.. oakley is almost 12 weeks and im feeding him 3/4-1 cup 3x's a day. it says on Monday which is 12week mark to feed only 1 cup 2x's a day?? i dont think this sounds like enough food? basically he's getting 1 cup less a day. He is lean and can afford alittle bit of weight on him. i dont think i can follow this and with my lab i went down to 2 feedings at like 5 months old not 3 months old. i feel i would be restricting too much. any thoughts?


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

oakleysmommy said:


> i have been following the slow growth plan.. oakley is almost 12 weeks and im feeding him 3/4-1 cup 3x's a day. it says on Monday which is 12week mark to feed only 1 cup 2x's a day?? i dont think this sounds like enough food? basically he's getting 1 cup less a day. He is lean and can afford alittle bit of weight on him. i dont think i can follow this and with my lab i went down to 2 feedings at like 5 months old not 3 months old. i feel i would be restricting too much. any thoughts?


My guy has been on 2 cups a day since he was 5 months or so. Before that he was mainly getting 1/2 a cup three times a day. So essentially, by the time he was 5 months old, we started feeding him a half cup more. 

He still managed to look stocky in all of his puppy/young dog pics. I'll never forget our vet getting ready to scold us for letting our 12 month old get up to 70 pounds and then she saw and felt him.  

 <- This is him between 4 and 5 months. He went with to the vet for socialization every time his brother went in for his checkups. And if he was too thin, our vet would have said something. Our breeder recommended keeping him thin, especially the first year. 

The measurements were recommended by our former instructor and seconded by our vet.


----------



## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

ok well possibly when he is 5 months his eating will slow down to 2 cups a day. but right now i cant see him eating only 2 cups total a day, he is just so hungry all the time, typical of a golden but to cut out his lunch not just yet!!  i will keep on 3 cups total a day til about 5 months then cut back amount and down to 2 times a day as long as his weight is good


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the slow growth plan say 3/4 per day? I feed Dooley (4 years old and 70 lbs and not an ounce of fat on him) 4 cups a day. I'm thinking three cups a day for a three month old puppy is a lot.


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

I may be wrong after all. It doesn't happen very often. The 3/4 cup a day is for 8 week old puppies. Though I can't imagine that it would be much more for older puppies, say maybe a cup an a half a day. If you don't have a copy of the plan, here is the link to the thread that discusses it and has the plan listed (as Retrievers).

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-puppy-up-1-year/94471-slow-growth-plan.html


----------



## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I followed the slow growth plan with my girl. It has worked. She was never an awkward and puppy or went through an awkward stage. I did not follow it exactly, i deviated from it a tad...but not much at all. My girl gets 3 cups now....and she just turned 2 at 60 pounds.


----------



## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

i am feeding 3/4 to almost a cup 3 times a day right now. at 12 weeks which is monday i drop to 1 cup 2x's a day. i guess he is getting a bit more right now but he is also alittle too lean for me. i cant imagine feeding a 3month old only 2 times a day?? usually its around 6 months atleast with my lab it was that age. she basically stopped eating in afternoon.


----------



## babbs (Feb 9, 2010)

I followed the plan but have to admit I fed her 3 times a day of the recommended amount until 8 months at which time went to 2 times a day. I added frozen green beans for snacks which she loved, and I have to admit that while it did take her longer than her litter mates to fill out (we're at 16 months now and 60 lb.) I feel it was a great plan and I'd do it again. She really has kept growing all along and as my vet reassured us, they do keep growing through 1 1/2 years. She gets 3 1/2 cups a day now of TOTW and will probably end up at 3 cups eventually if /when she ever slows down


----------



## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I followed the plan but continued to feed 3x a day until 7 months.

FYI- It is 3/4 cup TOTAL per day for an 8 week old if I remember correctly. I increased when my puppy was looking too thin, and that is what you should do too. Every pup is an individual and you need to take that into account. I remember increasing to 1 cup, 1.5 cups, 2 cups, and 2.5 cups as his body shape required it. At 6 months, I think Gibbs was still getting only 2.5 cups a day. At that time, I increased to 3 cups and he has been getting that amount since.


----------



## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

CarolinaCasey said:


> I followed the plan but continued to feed 3x a day until 7 months.
> 
> FYI- It is 3/4 cup TOTAL per day for an 8 week old if I remember correctly. I increased when my puppy was looking too thin, and that is what you should do too. Every pup is an individual and you need to take that into account. I remember increasing to 1 cup, 1.5 cups, 2 cups, and 2.5 cups as his body shape required it. At 6 months, I think Gibbs was still getting only 2.5 cups a day. At that time, I increased to 3 cups and he has been getting that amount since.


 thats exactly what i am going to do is keep him on 3x's a day til around 5-6 months. My pup is 12 weeks this monday and it says 2x's a day 2 cups total so i will lower his amount and spllit into 3 feedings.


----------

