I have a nine-month-old mix — we got her at a rescue center and they do not know for sure her breed. We were told that she would weigh between 25 and 35 pounds (by our vet). Well at 55 pounds of solid dog I have a question – How many times a day should we feed her and how much? The vet thinks she has the following breeds mixed – Husky, Welch Corgi, Lab and Pit bull. She has short hair and seems to shed about every 4 months.

Nancy
Goodyear, AZ

You illustrate in your question the reason why I never try to guess how big a puppy will be when full grown. This is especially true of non-purebred dogs. Dogs are like people. Some grow early, and others grow late. Either can be normal, and this makes it devilishly hard to guess how big a puppy will be when it is an adult.

The tallest person in a sixth grade class may be among the shortest of the cohort during high school graduation. And the shortest person in the sixth grade could be among the tallest in the twelfth. In general I refrain from speculating on the final size that I expect juveniles of any species to reach.

But your question was about feeding. How much should a dog (or cat, or human) eat? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that one. Different lifestyles, activity levels, and baseline metabolisms all come into play. The type of food eaten is important, too. Active dogs that eat low calorie food need to eat large amounts in order to survive. Sedentary indoor cats that eat calorically dense diets can get by on close to nothing.

Formulas exist to calculate energy needs for pets. I haven’t used them in years, but I do recall that they involve body mass to the 3/4 power. I also recall, vividly, that the formulas are useless. They make great theory, but real life is more complicated–and at the same time more simple.

I recommend that you feed your pet the amount of food necessary to grow, thrive, and maintain a healthy body weight. That may sound obvious, but it is true. The only method that truly works in my experience is trial and error. If your pet is overweight, feed him less. If your pet is underweight, growing or training for the Iditarod, feed him more. Tinker until you get it right.

Two meals daily is the standard for dogs in the United States, but this rule isn’t set in stone. Some animals, most notably small breed puppies, should be fed more often (young Yorkshire Terrier and Chihuahua puppies should be fed at least four times each day to prevent low blood sugar). I have some patients that eat three square meals every day. Others eat only one (although I generally don’t recommend one meal each day due to an anthropomorphic opposition to going 23 1/2 hours without food).

For most pets the number of meals fed doesn’t matter anywhere near as much as the total amount of food offered. Your dog, as you mention, is “solid”. To me it sounds like you’re doing things right.

Photo: Pogo’s weight looks fine.

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Some dog foods state that they are for PUPPIES. What do you think of a dog food that states it is for puppies and adults? I always thought puppy food had additional vitamins, etc. Until my six-month-old Yellow Lab puppy is at least one year old, I’m going to keep her on puppy food. Do you agree?

Diane
Rehoboth, Delaware

Commercial puppy foods often have more calories, protein, and vitamins than adult formulas. The proportions of nutrients in puppy formulas also may differ from those in regular formulas. The added nutrients and altered proportions are designed to promote healthy growth.

Paradoxically, large breed puppy formulas are designed to slow growth slightly (although not affect final adult size)–this helps to prevent symptoms of hip dysplasia later in life.

It is my opinion that many companies use puppy formulas mostly for marketing purposes. Plenty of evidence shows that most adult formulas also can provide ample nutrition for the growth of puppies. Although puppy formulas may be tailored for young dogs, many dog foods are appropriate for multiple life stages.

I generally recommend that large breed puppies (such as Labrador Retrievers) stay on large breed puppy food until they are 12 – 18 months old. I recommend this because of the hip dysplasia-reducing effects of these diets.

However, that benefit may be marginal. Most puppies can in fact do fine eating regular high quality dog food.

I have said many, many times on this blog that in my opinion there is no one “right” food for any dog, cat, or human. We can thrive by eating almost any food that is adequately nutritious. This is true for puppies as well as adult dogs.

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• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Which Ingredients are Most Likely to Cause Food Allergies in Dogs and Cats?
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• What are the Treatments for Hip Dysplasia?
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My 7 month old puppy pees at least 10 times a day and poops like 4-5 times a day. After he goes to the bathroom he comes in and drinks a full bowl of water then an hour later has to pee again.

Kortnie
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Anyone who has lived with one knows that puppies and kittens produce proportionately more waste than adult dogs and cats.

Their rapid growth is the reason for this. Young animals must process a great deal of food to make muscles, organs, and tissues. They need to drink large amounts of water in order to process the large amounts of food. And, because they eat and drink so much, they produce large amounts of waste.

Young puppies also urinate more often than adults until they are house trained (this is a behavioral matter). Also, puppies may urinate as a sign of submission. And many different diseases and syndromes may cause changes in urination.

But based on your description, I’m guessing that your puppy is urinating and defecating normally.

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• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Can Littermates Have Different Fathers?
• How can I Prevent Weight Gain in my Pet After Neuter or Spay Surgery?
• Is Diabetes Common in Puppies?
• How can I Know if my Pet has Parasites?

Hi Dr. Barchas,
I have a question about my sweet little Yorkie.
She’s 2 yrs. 4 mo. old and has had only one heat
cycle which was about a year ago. She’s in
perfect health. I asked this question on the
‘answers’ part of this website and I got
nothing but chewed out because I mentioned that I
would like to breed her. Please don’t chew me
out about all of the precious animals out there
who need homes. I’m so very aware of that.
I’m just picking your brain so to speak. I know
I need to take her to my vet. Thank you for your
thoughts.

Kelly
New Braunfels, TX

Heat cycles in dogs and cats are controlled by hormones. I won’t bore you with the details (trust me–the details are, indeed, boring!), but I will say that irregularities in heat cycles usually are nothing to worry about.

Most female dogs experience their first heat between nine and 16 months of age. On average, female dogs experience two heat cycles each year. Dogs can become pregnant any time they go into heat. Unspayed female dogs will continue to experience heat cycles until they become elderly. At some point in their lives, most unspayed female dogs go through menopause.

A tremendous amount of variation is possible and normal in heat cycles. I have known dogs who cycled four times each year, and I have known others who went into heat only every two years. Based upon your description, I don’t think your dog’s cycles are anything to worry about.

You should talk to your vet before you breed your dog. You’ll want to make sure she is free of parasites and has received appropriate vaccines prior to becoming pregnant. A fully vaccinated mother passes some of her immunity to parvovirus and other diseases on to the puppies.

Also, Yorkshire Terriers are prone to a number of hereditary problems including kneecap problems, liver anomolies, baby teeth that do not fall out, and small hernias at the site of their belly buttons. Your dog should be screened for the major genetic issues. If one is discovered, I would recommend against breeding her.

Photo: I believe that Minnie is spayed. She undoubtedly is cute.

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• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
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• Why do Puppies Get Hiccups?

A Colorado woman is facing felony animal abuse charges after taping her boyfriend’s Shiba Inu puppy to a refrigerator to teach it a lesson.

Let’s hope she rots in jail!

Click here for the story.

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• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Do Puppies Need to Eat Puppy Food?
• Why do Puppies and Kittens Produce so Much Waste?
• Are Irregular Heat Cycles Normal?
• Why do Puppies Get Hiccups?

Why do puppies get hiccups more than adult dogs?

Patty
Brooksville, Florida

I will start with a disclaimer: I don’t know why animals hiccup.

It turns out that I am not alone in that regard. Consultation with the ultimate reserve of human knowledge, Wikipedia, confirms that nobody knows the cause of hiccups.

What I do know is that younger animals, especially puppies, are prone to hiccups. (Human infants purportedly hiccup much more often than adults; however, since humans weren’t covered in vet school, I cannot claim to be an expert on the matter of hiccups in our species.) Hiccups occur less frequently in mature individuals. In almost every case, hiccups are harmless.

The intuitively named phylogeneic hypothesis theorizes that hiccups are “an evolutionary remnant of earlier amphibian respiration”. If that’s true, then hiccups may be linked to neurological pathways that are prevalent in young animals. The pathways are replaced as individuals mature, leading to decreased hiccuping.

It’s just a theory, but it’s as good as anything I’ve heard. Regardless of why it happens, most puppies outgrow their hiccups. Enjoy them while they last.

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• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
• Do Puppies Need to Eat Puppy Food?
• Why do Puppies and Kittens Produce so Much Waste?
• Are Irregular Heat Cycles Normal?
• Can Littermates Have Different Fathers?

I am the first person to admit that I do not know how often pets need vaccines. I am not alone this lack of knowledge. Absolutely nobody knows how often pets need vaccines.

I do, however, sometimes feel like I am alone in my willingness to admit that I don’t have all the answers when it comes to animal vaccination. And I frequently bump heads with two groups who claim, wrongly, that they do know how often pets should be vaccinated.

Members of the first group aren’t likely to comment on this blog, but they have plenty of money to throw around. They fund “studies” and publish “scientific papers” to justify their cause. I am referring to vaccine manufacturers. Their conflict of interest is obvious. If they sell more vaccines, they make more money. I am skeptical of what they say, and I urge you to take the same attitude.

The second group uses tactics that are remarkably similar to push for the opposite agenda. This group consists of anti-vaccination activists. Members of this group publish online summaries of data that cherry-pick the scientific literature to focus on and exaggerate the risks of vaccines. They tend to ignore data that contradict their arguments. Like the vaccine manufacturers, their interest is not in true science. They are promoting an agenda. I view everything they say with the same skepticism that I reserve for the companies making vaccines.

The true facts of animal vaccination are incredibly complicated. The details are phenomenally nuanced. Anyone who claims the matter is simple either does not understand the subject or is pushing an agenda.

I urge you not to heed the calls of those who claim that all pets need every vaccine every year. Equally, when someone tells you that pets never need shots, please ingest their comments with several grains of salt.

Do not let your pet fall victim to any group’s agenda.

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• American Veterinary Society of Behavior Recommends Socializing Kittens and Puppies at Seven Weeks of Age
• Are Pets Being Over-Vaccinated?
• How Much and How Often Should I Feed my Dog?
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Is there a way to visualy tell the difference
between a healthy ‘puppy tummy’ and a 6 week old
puppy with worms?

Kelly
Michigan

Intestinal worms are ubiquitous in puppies. This is because of a characteristic in the roundworm life cycle that allows them to pass through the placenta and through mother’s milk. Most puppies are born with worms.

Puppies with worms may have diarrhea or distended abdomens, but many worm-infested canines show no symptoms whatsoever.

The most common intestinal worm in puppies can spread to humans. Children are especially at risk, and the worms can cause serious illness in young people.

Therefore, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends deworming puppies every 14 days, beginning at two weeks of age and continuing until at least eight weeks of age.

If your puppy has not yet been dewormed (or if you’re not sure), then you should talk to your vet to devise an appropriate deworming schedule. I would recommend an absolute minimum of two doses of dewormer, but more may be appropriate.

Stool tests for parasite eggs often yield false negative results, especially in puppies. In other words, dogs and especially puppies with worms may have negative stool tests. Therefore, regardless of stool test results, deworming is recommended. Visual evaluation of the a puppy’s abdomen is not a reliable way to diagnose worms.

Remember that General’s swollen abdomen isn’t necessarily the result of parasites (although I still recommend deworming him). Puppies and kittens often enjoy another cause of abdominal distention: old fashioned gluttony.

Click here for the CAPC’s guidelines on worms in dogs and cats. Link is designed for veterinarians.

Finally, I have to say it–thanks for the visual when describing General’s bowel movements.

Photo credit: Joel Mills.

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• Why do Puppies and Kittens Produce so Much Waste?

At lunch today, one of my coworkers mentioned that he had heard that puppies and kittens in the same litter can have different fathers. We debated whether that is true, and I offered to try to find out. I did a quick search on dogster to see if you had already answered the question, but I didn’t see an entry from you in the search results (although it appears the question has been asked in some of the dogster mating forums, and that everyone says yes). So our question is: is it true that puppies and kittens in the same litter can have different fathers? If so, how is that possible biologically?

Elizabeth
Washington, DC

Any female who mates with more than one male in rapid succession and then releases more than one egg can host babies with different fathers in her uterus simultaneously. It happens when one male’s sperm fertilizes one egg and another male’s sperm fertilizes a different egg. This is true for all mammals, including cats, dogs and humans.

Female cats are, shall we say, quite promiscuous. If given the chance, most female cats will mate with several males when they are in heat. Therefore it is quite common for feline littermates to have different fathers.

After dogs mate, they become “tied together” for several minutes. This is an evolutionary adaptation that prevents another male from immediately mating with the female. Canine littermates therefore are more likely to share a father. However, the evolutionary adaptation is far from perfect, and it is not uncommon for puppies in a litter to have different fathers.

Human reproduction is not taught in veterinary school. However, there is no reason why we, or any mammalian species, should be different.

Photo: Who’s your daddy?

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• How can I Know if my Pet has Parasites?

For years the subjects of ear cropping and tail docking have caused controversy and moral anguish among veterinarians. Many vets have lost sleep worrying about the ethics of the procedures, but that appears to be changing.

When I was studying to be a veterinarian, I made a conscious decision not to learn how to crop ears or dock tails. I thought it was a very original way to sidestep the controversy. I don’t know how to perform the procedures, so I can’t be placed in awkward positions by clients who want them.

My plan has worked, but it turns out that it wasn’t original at all. DVM Newsmagazine reports in its January, 2009 issue that it may eventually be impossible to find a vet who can crop ears or dock tails.

Many veterinary colleges no longer teach the procedures, which shows they are becoming less popular, according to [Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association consultant Barbara] Hodges.

“There is a resistance by the new generation of students,” she says. “They are speaking up and saying as they enter the profession that they don’t want to perform these procedures, that they don’t think the medical and health risks to the animal are necessary.”

I do not know any vets under the age of 60 who crop ears (tail docking is more common). In fact, I am aware of only one vet in the San Francisco Bay Area who performs the procedure.

As ear cropping and tail docking die out, so will the controversy.

To read previous posts on this subject, click here or here.

Photo: This could soon be the breed standard for Boxers.

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• The Utah VMA Won’t be Happy About This: Nation’s Largest Veterinary Chain Discontinues Tail Docking and Ear Cropping
• Utah Veterinary Medical Association Takes Issue with AVMA’s Stance on Tail Docking and Ear Cropping
• Does a Dog Need Cropped Ears and a Docked Tail to be a Member of a Breed?
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• Report of Lawsuit Gives me Another Reason not to Dock Tails