How much do I feed my 8 week old 9 pound lab?
thecodsterman
New member
@thecodsterman This. Whatever you do, double check with the vet. If you know what and how much his/her siblings eat you can get an idea.
perceptions
New member
@billie18 Most food that is balanced but not puppy food will give you a chart based on weight, and then say add x amount for puppies. If it’s puppy kibble, it should give you a chart to follow and it’s pretty smart to follow it until the vet tells you otherwise. Thesis is it varies VASTLY by what food you’re using, and how many treats your giving.
theriversedge
New member
@billie18 You do NOT want to overfeed her. It may not sound like enough, but follow the charts from professionals. There are lab sites out there that may help. Puppies instinctively will sometimes east way more than they need. If you do this, she may grow too fast. You are asking for serious health issues later by letting that happen. Hip dysplasia is a real concern and often caused by overfeeding while young. You want a nice and steady growth. Labs are susceptible and I wish I knew this 25 years ago and maybe my dog wouldn't have suffered so much at 7-8 years old through the end of his life. Also, a large breed puppy food will help.
@theriversedge Oh man i’m sorry to hear that 
Thank you very much for this advice, I was unaware of that! I’ll be sure not to over feed him and will follow the charts.
Thank you very much for this advice, I was unaware of that! I’ll be sure not to over feed him and will follow the charts.imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@billie18 Ours ate Instinct raw naturals kibble as a pup and had about 1-1 1/2 cup throughout the day, seems about right - if you look at the back of the bag, puppy food usually goes by months and weight, you should be able to tell if the pup is between 2-10lbs, 10-20lbs, etc. and guess from there until you see a vet
@imagebeastmarkbeast I didn’t even realize that was on there, that is so helpful thank you!
@billie18 Depends on the food usually it’ll have a chart on how much to feed them. It’s not universal considering different foods are different in terms of what is in them and amount of air in each kibble. If there isn’t a chart I would maybe feed 1 1/3 cups a day and if that’s only for a week nothing should happen. Just monitor his weight and if he needs more give him 1/4 more at a time if he needs less deduct 1/4 at a time. You can also call them and see if they can help you, usually phone calls are free!
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@billie18 I know 8 weeks is young but I'm kind of alarmed at people saying he should only get a little more than a cup per day? My lab was 15lbs at 8 weeks so that is definitely a big difference but Google told me around 3 cups per day! His food bag chart went off what they are going to be as an adult and gave a really wide range of food too I believe, so I went to Google. He could be anywhere from 70-100lbs as an adult. I don't remember the vet asking me how much he eats, just what food.
Been giving him a cup for breakfast/lunch/dinner and he's healthy looking (have had other labs to compare), so I'm just confused now.
Been giving him a cup for breakfast/lunch/dinner and he's healthy looking (have had other labs to compare), so I'm just confused now.
dallastexan
New member
@imagebeastmarkbeast I am in the same boat as you! My pup is now 14 weeks old and I have been feeding her 2 2/3 cups per day since I got her. I recently changed from feeding her 4x per day to 3x per day but kept the amount of food the same.
Edit: Pup pics for reference:
Edit: Pup pics for reference:
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@dallastexan Yeah just over 1 cup sounds like maybe for smaller breeds?
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
Our 12 week 7.8 lb miniature schnauzer cross bichon frise/shitzu gets just under 1/4 cup four times a day. We like to train together and so she gets another just less than 1/4 cup for training treats. She's not thick or thin although when I look at photos from 8 weeks I can sure;ly see a difference!
@imagebeastmarkbeast The recommendations on the bag are definitely not for everyone. I use Purina Pro Under 2 Year Large Breed and it would have me feeding my English Mastiff puppy under 2 cups a day, which is ridiculous. Food definitely depends on breed, growth rate, etc. My 9-week puppy is eating close to 4 cups a day right now. I wouldn't second guess yourself, as long as they are healthy.
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@imagebeastmarkbeast Yeah, food just isn't one size fits all. I know some mastiff puppies and other giant breed puppies that were eating 8 cups a day!