Hello all, I have just got my 9 week old ridgy and she is lovely, however the breeder was feeding her 3/4 times a day..

morning weetabix/porridge, followed by something like scrambled egg and a half a slice of toast and some dog biscuits (kibble) with a bit of meat such as chicken/fish etc

so I have followed a similar routine and im happy that she is eating well and doing all her business..

however I have a question that I have seen asked 1 million times and there is always 1 million different replies....so here goes.

the breeder was using a kibble called Kirkland Signature Puppy.....however my mother used to keep ridgys when I was growing up and id happily spend more to ensure my pup is kept in the best of health, so basically what  am asking is;  what do you recommend to feed a ridgy pup (price isnt really an issues as long as she is healthy and happy)

Im sure I will have more questions in the future :)

Dave

doh, i missed a bit off..my mum used to own ridgys and she fed them on eukanuba and iams mixed, and they never had any issues

My pup is  medium sized breed.he should  get to approx. 28 kilos And 26 inches at the shoulder.I want him to grow evenly and steadily.I am using arcana all stages kibble,I add boiled veg such as carrot,courgettes etc  and some meat,eg chicken,rabbit etc He has had raw chicken wings too.
he gets live yoghurt, cottage cheese on occasion...
He is now 8 m and on 2 meals a day,by his choice. the second meal is just kibble.
I would follow the breeders suggestions till he settles in and then upgrade his kibble to a large breed pup formula. nowadays, the kibble choices are huge..
http://www.whichdogfood.co.uk/my-perfect-dog-foods.php?store=1&b=1&inputbreed=Poodle+Standard&inputage=6&inputweight=20&inputbudget=25&x=138&y=6
.I would ask a RR club to recommend to you what they feed appropriate for such  an active dog who has to make a lot of bone,yet stay lean and fit.
i Have ridgeback breeder J Nolan's book on the ridgeback...I even thought of getting one...she feeds hers raw,even whole sheeps heads...
try the champdogs breeders sites for your breed too,they have lots of specific input about what they feed...
I googled rr breeders websites...here is one eg of what one breeder feeds theirs..
http://kalaharirr.tripod.com/food.html

You really should feed what the breeder has fed, as the puppy(it's digestive system) is used to it, at least for a few months(not as easy if it is one of the less well known brands).
Yes 4 times a day aswell, at least until pup is 6 months.

>Yes 4 times a day aswell, at least until pup is 6 months.

Actually, it's 4 meals a day till 12 weeks, three meals a day till 6 months and then 2 meals a day thereafter.

But best to stay on what the breeder was feeding for a couple of weeks and then gradually change (over a period of a week or 10 days) to what you prefer to feed.

Actually there is no 'rule' & what it says on the bag is ONLY a guideline...having dog knowledge of nearly 50 years, we ignore those guidelines!!!

> less well known brands

That is the one from Costco isn't it?  

I'd expect a Ridgie pup to be on 4 meals a day until around 3 months, then 3 meals a day til around 6 months when I'd drop down to 2 meals a day. However, I've often had to go back up to 3 meals a day with male pups.
It is a good idea to keep the pup on the same feeding regime as the breeder was using for a couple of weeks. The pup is having to deal with a lot of changes when it goes to a new home so best to keep the food the same for a while. And make a change fairly slowly, over at least a few days.
You will get lots of recommendations for food. What suits one owner and their dog(s) may not suit another.
Over the years I've used many brands of food. Unfortunately the manufacturers seem to change the recipes every now and again and sometimes these changes don't suit/appeal.
Currently, I'm feeding my crew of 5 Ridgies Simpsons dog food. I have them on the Sensitive range - not because they have sensitivities but because I don't like to feed them cereals. The Sensitive range uses potato instead. Mine usually get the salmon and potato. They also do a lamb and a couple of other flavours. It has a higher meat content than the majority of the middle of the range foods.
I don't use the puppy ranges of dog food once a pup has passed around 3 months, I give them the same food as my adults but I will supplement a lunch time meal with some scrambled egg, or some sardines etc. I also give pups a drink of milk (goats or from powdered ewes milk) - this will horrify some people :) All of mine enjoy a drink of milk
Over the years (nearly 30) this has worked for me. Others will disagree ...

Our first dog was fed on very much the same as your puppy when we first got him. Our vet was horrified to find out that a puppy was being fed weetabix/scrambled egg as it has no nutritional value in the sense of what a growing puppy needs. We were told to slowly remove it replacing it with a small meal of kibble. Needless to say, all my dogs are now fed raw.

Kirkland is actually supposed to be one of the better kibbles especially for the money.  That said you have to be a costco member to buy it so unless you are it would probably not be a saving really as you would have to pay annual membership.

Congratulations on your RR puppy - the best breed (but I am a little biased)
My last RR puppy was on Arden Grange large puppy food with some raw beef mince added to her evening meal and a goats milk drink in the morning.
But I have recently moved all 3 of mines (all adults) on to raw feeding and if in the future I get another puppy I intend to raw feed. Have you considered raw feeding your puppy?
Good luck and make the most of her whilst she's still little - they grow at an alarmimg rate!!

Ohh - Cazcath - another Ridgie owner :)

yes it is the cost co own branded stuff

so defo 4 meals for the next couple of weeks, as a rough guide I use 2x weetabix mixed with water for breakfast, lunch is one egg scrambled with a small amount of water and half a slice of toast and when it comes to kibble Im unsure how much to feed her at a time, I used one handful I suppose I do need a scoop or some type of measure to accurately monitor this.

so for the 4th meal should this be before bed time, in between the breakfast and dinner? what would you recommend for that, more kibble?

For now im going to stick with the kibble and see how it goes however I will supplement with the likes of fish, chicken and other meats.

Follow the breeders instructions.

The breeder should have supplied you with the amounts, although this is not always easy to give accurately, as dividing a total amount into each puppy can sound/look like not alot in oz/grams. Obviously the breeder is feeding the whole litter & if like us we arent weighing it out every meal, every day but we have to to prepare for the diet sheets for new owners.
We say allow no less than 4 hours between the 4 meals and can be altered to suit your times but 8, 12, 4 & 8 as a rough guide.

Like I said this is all the kind of thing that should be given, by the breeder of your puppy, on an information sheet...mine is 2 A4 sheets then the contract on another.

as a rough guide I use 2x weetabix mixed with water for breakfast, lunch is one egg scrambled with a small amount of water and half a slice of toast

I'd swap both of these for proper food -there is no nutritional value in this for a dog at all, especially the Weetabix and toast -it's like you are feeding just two meals and giving a few bland  treats in between. It also seems very small amounts for such a large breed -I'd give far more to mine that are about half the weight of a Ridgeback as adults.

> as a rough guide I use 2x weetabix mixed with water for breakfast, lunch is one egg scrambled with a small amount of water and half a slice of toast
>
> I'd swap both of these for proper food -there is no nutritional value in this for a dog at all, especially the Weetabix and toast -it's like you are feeding just two meals and giving a few bland  treats in between. It also seems very small amounts for such a large breed -I'd give far more to mine that are about half the weight of a Ridgeback as adults.

I agree..hadnt really read what the breakfast & lunch meals were, until now & neither are meals per say & personally at least 3 of the 4 meals need to be kibble & meat(or similar). Scrambled egg would be something we gave ontop of the kibble to vary a meal.

my my the breeder really has failed you, IF they havent supplied you with correct information. Remember if you dont put in quality/correct food, it could lead to problems in the future. Your puppy is growing nearly on a daily basis & hopefully you will start to get a better guide on here, with some very knowlegable postee's that have already gave help.
Most of the main food brands give out booklets which has useful info in or perhaps you need a good book to assist you..I think someone has already suggested a breed book, my advice would be get it & quick...it could be your best purchase to assist with rearing your puppy.

weetabix is wheat one of the less digestible grains (not a natural food for carnivores to eat) likely to cause food intolerance.

So the vet was quite right on that one.

If you want to feed a grain/Carbohydrate, you are much better off feeding Porridge.

Now eggs on the other hand are one of the most nutritious foods going, and would be sought after in the wild as a nutritious supplement.

I did not get a feeding sheet from the breeder, it is the first time they have bred ridgebacks, so I asked about food and they said kibble along with a meat, scrambled eggs and weetabix/porridge so I have taken it upon myself to follow a similar pattern.

People will say the breeder failed me, that may be the case hence me asking these questions to reinforce what I am doing at the moment.  People will always have different opinions on what to feed.

I do think 4 meals a day would be a better idea mixed in with a lot more kibble and I use a handful per feed, the food doesn't actually say how much to feed a pup of a certain breed/size

Most manufacturers feeding guides give the amount a puppy should be fed either based on expected adult weight, or for the weight the pup actually is.  In my breeds case the amounts suggested are usually far more than they need.

My breed only weighs 20 - 23kg as adults, and my 8 week old pups would be between 9 and 12 pounds.  At that stage they are getting 200g of kibble food split over 4 meals, this quite quickly goes up to 250g or so.

The amount stays the same, but number of meals reduces.

I would expect your breed to be getting more per meal, or building up to quite a lot more.

I do like to give nutritious top ups from time to time varied, so that you don't end up with an unbalanced diet.  This will include fruit and veg, more for interest and chewing than nutrition.

I like the others do feel this is a basic failure on the breeders part as breeds vary so much in the amounts and types of food required and at the very least even with a first litter the breeder should know the rate of growth and how the mother was fed in puppy hood, to give you some basic idea.

I don't know about others, but as long as the pup isn't rolling around, I will feed a pup up to 3 months as much as it wants.  If it leaves food after 10 minutes at each meal lift it and feed a bit less next time.  Bear in mind that over the next months it's likely to increase overall, even as number of meals lessens.

With my breed whose growth will slow much sooner than yours I may start to cut back a roly poly puppy by about 5 months if greedy.  Check the amount of covering of the skeleton each week, pup should feel covered but skeleton easily palpable but not showing, other than the last rib and maybe the pin bones and the backbone should be felt but not really visible.

That was very helpful, Brainless.
I have a nine week old GR pup so will weigh a little more then your breed, round about 27 - 30 kgs when an adult (bitch). Prefer to keep my GR's on the light side. The breeder had the them on Puppy Beta which I'm not thrilled about as a food and have since moved her onto James Wellbeloved and that move has worked well - less output for a start.
The suggestion from the breeder was 100grms per meal at the moment and four meals a day until 12 weeks, then start to drop the last meal of the day and increase the others. This seems , perhaps a little more then she wants currently as she is leaving some, occasionally eating it all, I think I will reduce the kibble and give her a scrambled egg on the next meal for a change and see what she thinks. Is it ok to give pups raw carrot at this age or should it be cooked? Someone recommended giving the pup a baby rusk to chew on. Is this ok do you think?
I've had dogs before, but its been fifteen years since a pups been in the house and its funny how much you forget then start to worry about. When I got my first GR about twenty seven years ago, the breeders feeding instructions were very specific. No kibble in those days, so either cooked mince or canned food, every other meal. The other meals were a mix of Complan and cows milk. How things change.

Dave, I have pm'd you with my phone number and you are more than welcome to telephone.
I've had RRs for nearly 30 years and have bred a few litters and bought in puppies.

Never had problems with givign pusp carots whole fresh.  As for teh baby rusks if they are still full of sugar as they were when my kids were young then no, dogs do not need sugar added to their diet.

I thought that too about rusks, it was a breeder who feeds raw that suggested it. Maybe there are some sugar free ones nowadays.

Dave, I have pm'd you with my phone number and you are more than welcome to telephone.
I've had RRs for nearly 30 years and have bred a few litters and bought in puppies.


I'd be on the phone to this poster..thirty years in the breed....it doesn't get better...you need breed specific info for a fast growing,energetic breed like this,so much can go wrong. Isn't this a great board?

Ridgielover knows all there is to know about RR so you will get excellent advice there :-)
I myself have a RR pup he is our 3rd over the years.
He is 5 months and I have literally just this week moved him from 4 feeds onto 3 .
He will stay on 3 feeds until he is at least 12 months but quite likely a lot longer if not permanent with a few tweaks in the amounts.
Eventually he will go onto larger breakfast and evening meals with much smaller lunch time snack the total amount of food will obviously just be divided up into what is right for him.
I feed him raw manly Natural Instinct mince for breakfast and evening meal, lunch is varied and can be a number of things. Our previous RR where kibble feed.
It is just my opinion but if your feeding kibble I would be looking at a brand that is grain free if possible.

sorry havent had much time to get back on here....I did however weigh the pup who is now just over 10 weeks old and she weighs 18-19lbs

so according to the puppy kibble aged 0-12 weeks thats 2-3 1/3 cups for a pup between 10-20lbs based on one cup being 8oz, so due to her weight ive used 3 cups and worked out 8oz as being around 220g so multiply that by 3 to get 660g ish per day the pup should be fed, does that seem right?

the pup gets various cooked meats and egg added in too.

My GR pup is about the same age. She is currently on about 100 to 120grms per meal, four a day, but will be trying to wean her to three meals and dropping the one in the late evening over the next couple of weeks, increasing the other meals accordingly. She doesn't seem to want much more and insists on the kibble being dry or else she will leave quite a bit of it. I add scrambled egg or bits of meat from time to time and reduce the kibble amount slightly.

so it seems I have the right idea for the kibble.

I am trying to feed every 4 hours however with work etc it is difficult.

My times for feeds are
8am breakfast
12.30pm lunch
5.30pm tea
9.30pm supper
10.00pm bed with a biccie
She sleeps through the night and we get up for her at 7.30am to start the day.

Just to reiterate everyone else, toast and weetabix for a pup is just a cheap filler, not doing much for them, you have also noted the cheap kibble too, so sounds like a running theme from the breeder. Bread anyway, I would never give to a dog unless you want one that is overweight.

Scrambled egg is great for breakfast - made with pasturised goats milk, not cows (not good for digestion) so hopefully you already know that, if not replace cows milk with goats. :-)

Then use a good complete kibble, soaked or dry there are lots of good ones but I really like Iams as a middle of the row price range, so yes, I would change what you are using for that if you are happy and it is already being used by your mum with good results for her Ridgies.

The other two meals I use rice mixed with chicken/mince meat or white fish along with chicken wings, it is nice to throw in some BARF feeding.

Ditch the weetabix and toast and all will be well, the diet will be much healthier. Pups need protein....... well so do adults, but you won't find that in toast. :-D

Good luck with your wee pup and welcome to the forum. :-)

 

many thanks to everyone for the advice,at the minute Ill stick with what I am feeding her as she seems to like it, I will integrate it with eukanuba or something similar over the next couple of months but at what ratio I am unsure of, I may just try a small sack and go from there.

As for adding something else, its normally scrambled eggs at dinner and some other meat at tea, either fish/beef/chicken/ham

she seems happier since upping the food portions and stopping the weetabix/porridge.

I think/hope my portions are now right and I just want her to have a good start.