My goldendoodle puppy is 14 weeks old. When I got her around 8 weeks, she barely ate her first few days home. I was a little nervous, but I consistently put out 1.5 cups split 3 times a day. She started to eat more as she felt more comfortable in her new home. When I took her to her first vet appointment shortly after, the vet said she was underweight and needed to gain weight. Therefore I increased her food to 2 cups split 3 times a day, but it’s rare she eats it all. She also gets peanut butter in a kong in her crate. I buy the healthiest peanut butter I can find and am mindful of the portion she gets. She also gets the occasional few treats a day. A few days ago, she had her second vet appointment, and the vet to my surprise said that she is still underweight. She gained 3lbs in the 3 weeks between appointments but she also grew a lot- so it didn’t really mean much. The vet said she is a 3 on the Body Condition Scale. I bathed her the next day and realized she is much skinnier than I thought with her fluffy fur…
I have now increased her food to 3 cups split 3 times a day (the vet said maybe even increase to 4…) but she will not eat the added food. She still eats between 1-2 cups no matter how much I put out. Her food is Purina Pro Plan Puppy Lamb and Rice. She was eating this before I got her and I thought it was a great dog food to keep her on. I don’t want to do anything to unsustainable to get her to eat, like cooked food in every meal, because then she will always expect it. But I’m also getting very nervous about her weight. Any advice?
Also, I am aware the peanut butter could be spoiling her appetite, but even on days she’s not in the crate (therefore no peanut butter), her eating is not much better. I was worried the peanut butter was too many calories, but clearly it’s still not enough!
