# How much should I feed a 5 month old Golden?



## davefr (Aug 28, 2014)

I can't seem to get a consistent answer on how much to feed my 5 month old Golden. (he's currently 36 lbs)

We moved him from Fromms Puppy to Fromms Adult and the bag says 2-3/4 cups a days for 50 lbs but should a puppy get more?


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

A puppy is still growing and has different needs than an adult, and I think it should be eating food intended for it. Large Breed Puppy Food is what a Golden pup should be eating, IMO. It is designed to prevent rapid growth but it supports slow growth.

The quantity needed is determined by the dog's condition. If there is a layer of fat on the ribs, you're over-feeding. If you can see the ribs when the dog is dry, you're under-feeding a little. If you can see the ribs when the dog is wet, you're o.k. You should see a defined waist.


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## Doug (Jul 17, 2010)

I feed 1 cup three times a day. 
Each food is different so we should adjust the amount and go by the feel of the rib area.


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## Chritty (Aug 17, 2014)

Susan: w/ Summit we climb said:


> The quantity needed is determined by the dog's condition. If there is a layer of fat on the ribs, you're over-feeding. If you can see the ribs when the dog is dry, you're under-feeding a little. If you can see the ribs when the dog is wet, you're o.k. You should see a defined waist.



I whole-heartedly endorse this statement!!


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

Depends on the dog, what size he's expected to be, metabolism, activity level. As Susan said. I think the dogfoodadvisor site lets you calculate how much your dog needs based on their activity and what you're feeding. At that age I'd say anywhere from 3-5 cups would be right depending on the dog.


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

According to the Fromm website, your 5 month old, 36 pound puppy, should be fed about 3 1/8 cups of puppy food per day. Assuming that the adult food has a comparable caloric content to the puppy food. I compared one of the adult foods to the puppy food and they were within about 6 calories per cup of each other.

Puppies need more nutrition than adults because they are growing very rapidly. My opinion is Golden Retriever puppies should be fed puppy food, that is, a food designed for growing puppies. We fed Max Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food until he was about 15 months old.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Hmmm.... fed Bertie about 2.5 cups a day between the 3 meals. When switching to 2 meals, the amount was reduced to 2 cups. Remember you do not want these dogs to become overweight. Better to keep them in shape than to have to put them on a diet later.


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## Garou (Oct 20, 2014)

We feed our pup 3 cups of Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy every day… Along with some celery, a carrot, and many treats (some chicken). He's about 45 pounds and 5 1/2 months old. Skinny and super-active (2 hour hikes/fetch or playtime with other dogs). It really is a dog by dog thing! We aren't sure when to switch to a non-puppy food, and we'll probably go with something less grain-based when we do… Happy for any recommendations on the food front (not to hijack your thread!).


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## Loukia (Sep 20, 2014)

As others have said, it's hard to know because so much of it depends on the activity level and metabolism of your puppy. You're best to go light and keep an eye on your puppy's waistline and hunger levels. It's always easier to up the food that to try and take off weight.

One other consideration is if you're training with treats, what this adds to the daily intake. Comet is 7 months old now, he is on Orijen Large Puppy and he gets about 1 & 1/3 cups twice a day. However, I train him multiple times a day with his kibble and he gets a piece of kibble every time he comes in from the potty, so it probably adds another 1/2 or so to his daily amount. Comet is well exercised and lean but not skinny.


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## Loukia (Sep 20, 2014)

*(I couldn't get the "Quote" function to work for me this evening)... Garou wrote: "Happy for any recommendations on the food front (not to hijack your thread!)"

*I'm still feeding Comet large puppy formula, so I can't really comment personally on the adult line, but I've been really happy with the Orijen brand food and treats. It's a pricy brand, but he consumes WAY less of it than he did of the food the breeder sent us home with, and I also find that his awful gas has almost disappeared and his stools are also much smaller. My hope is that the money I spend up front will same me in health issues down the road. I went with Orijen thanks to a friend's recommendation when her dog had major reactions to various foods. She was so happy with it and then I did some research and really found nothing negative other than it being a bit rich. I have read that you have to take the transition process slowly and feed less of it than you might other brands. I feed my cats Fromm's and I know they have a great line of dog foods as well. I've also heard great things about Acana, which has a better price point and is produced by the same company as Orijen.


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## Garou (Oct 20, 2014)

[/B]I'm still feeding Comet large puppy formula, so I can't really comment personally on the adult line, but I've been really happy with the Orijen brand food and treats. [/QUOTE]

Thank you, Loukia! I did a lot of reading myself and this seemed to be the consensus! I bought our first bag of Orijen today and I will slowly start the transition process, with some help with pumpkin puree.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

As Megora stated I have never fed more than 2.5 cups of food. One cup in the am, half cup in the midday and one cup in the evening. Eventually the mid-day meal was eliminated. We are now at about 2 cups a day, regardless what the bag says.


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## Loukia (Sep 20, 2014)

Garou said:


> I did a lot of reading myself and this [Orijen] seemed to be the consensus! I bought our first bag of Orijen today and I will slowly start the transition process, with some help with pumpkin puree.


That's great! I think you'll find you're really happy with the food. As I mentioned in my other posting, it did take time for Comet to adjust because it is a richer formula than the not-so-good food he was eating before. It's definitely pricier but he eats less food and has less waste. He has almost no gas now, which is a relief because it was NOT good before! I've been really pleased with the food and treats. Good luck! Take it slowly and I'm sure you'll have no issues.


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## Scuba Steve (Dec 7, 2014)

Per our vet recommendation, we feed Shelby, who will be 5 months next week, 2 cups daily of large breed puppy Pro Plan. Right now, she's probably around 30 lbs. (I'll know for certain next week) and has a defined waist.


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