hi there, can anyone tell me when it is ok for me to add vegetables to the dinner of my 16 week chocolate labrador pup. I havent a clue if he has to be loads older or it would be ok now. He is on jwb puppy peformance and i dont add anything extra. He is a big eater like most labs and polishes off every morsel so i would like to bulk it out a bit without him getting too podgy.

You can start to add veg anytime you want:)
Veggies are a good thing to add at any age,i know raw feeders who wean their pups onto a meat and veg gruel.
Green beans are a good filler upperer :D

christine

Dont worry about a labrador eating all of his food, if he doesnt he's probably dead!

IMHO if you bulk his food up, he will still be carrying excess stomach around even if not in the form of fat. Feeding him less quantity will give him the leaner more athletic look of a proper working dog.

I would agree with Havoc, I would be seriously worried if I ever met a lab (or most gundogs) off its food :D

You can of course add veggies but you need to remember the following:

a) that most dogs especially labradors are NEVER FULL! :D
b) too much intake of anything will just result in a more frequent passage of food and MAY interfere with proper absorption of nutrients as too many veggie will just be used as fibre.
c) hunger is "a good thing" for training purposes
d) dogs are "hard wired" to gorge and starve as they never know where their next meal is coming from.
e) more food, expands stomach, requires more food, etc etc etc

:D

thanks for advice. I was thinking of reducing the amount of james wellbeloved he was getting so can use rest for training purposes as have been told not to feed commercial treats. I thought if i then added veg to him meals with less complete he would still feel he had quite a good size meal but with less potential for weight gain as dont want a fat dog. My mums pup got fat and never got control of it after that

How much exercise is he getting?
For comparisons sakes my shih-tzu's,6k and 8k get around 1 1/2 to 2 hours off lead exercise per day,everyday,split up into 3 walks,this is probaly why i am struggling to keep weight ON one of my girls,i can tell ya it is so much easier to get weight off of a dog than it is to get it on,i would much rather have your problem than mine :D But if they didnt get their daily outings they would be climbing the walls.
There are lots of labs where we walk and the general concensus from their owners is that they need around 3-4 hours per day.

Sorry forgot your boy is still a babe,so the above exercise suggestions are way too much for his age

How much and what type of exercise is he getting?

he is 4 months on first of september and has a bout 15 minutes in the morning and same in the evening sometimes a bit longer but am trying hard not to over exercise him. He has free run of the garden all the time we are at home and spends 3 hours a day in his crate while i work. If he goes to his sisters and plays for the afternoon i dont normally walk him as feel he has had enough. He sleeps a lot but i know he is normal. for that. he just wants to eat constantly and i feel i will always have to be on top of his weight.

Your exercise is not far off at his age. Remember, young puppies get about as much exercise in the garden to satisfy the "Exercise need". The aim of taking him out is more for the socialising aspect than anything else. With this in mind try to get the most out of it. A little free running in the park is great for training recalls, A walk along the road beside a field containing cattle, horses or sheep, even (once you are sure he can handle it) a walk past a road works. There is so much for him to see and get familiar with.

Best wishes, John

we did road works today and he was far from scared wanted to say hello to the man with the road drill!!!!! kids had hands over ears so i think they need a bit more socialising. he also met an adult male doberman and wanted to mount him!! i think max needs some anti socialising he is too brave! gonna get himself in trouble. I am really pleased with his recall. he knows i have nice things in my pockets and he runs full pelt and nearly knocks me over when i call his name!

Yay!
:D