puppy weight gain

[ladybanker462]

what is the average weight gain for a pup after it is weaned
i have searched for a weight gain chart with no luck.

[miakoda]

I'm not sure that there is an average as a pup's size and weight gain depends a lot upon its genetic makeup.

You want the pup to have plenty of fat so that no ribs (& especially vertebrae and hip points) are visible. However, you also don't want an obese roly-poly pup as too much fat puts pressure on the internal organs (mainly the heart) and can lead to future health issues.

Sight and feel is a much better indicator than a chart will ever be. ;)

[ladybanker462]

thanks alot that is pretty much the way i was judging it i just thought there might be a chart as far as how much was to much my pups are gaining about 2.5 pds per week

[miakoda]

Nope. :) Just keep a watchful eye on the pups. Trust me, if you're this concerned, I know you'll spot a problem right away. ;)

[SMOKIN HEMI]

I'm not sure that there is an average as a pup's size and weight gain depends a lot upon its genetic makeup.

You want the pup to have plenty of fat so that no ribs (& especially vertebrae and hip points) are visible. However, you also don't want an obese roly-poly pup as too much fat puts pressure on the internal organs (mainly the heart) and can lead to future health issues.

Sight and feel is a much better indicator than a chart will ever be. ;)

Great post Mia!!!!

[Suki]

here's some more info to use as a reference, and to see how your pup may eventually turn out.

Growth curve: A relatively undocumented but nevertheless valid method of assessing a pup's eventual size is to plot its growth curve. The really rapid phase of growth occurs from birth to 6-months of age. Thereafter growth slows to an eventual halt at 8-14 months of age (say, 12 months on average) depending on parental breed contributions. Either height at the shoulder or weight can be plotted on a chart to be assessed at intervals. For a dog that is properly fed, weight gain should be fairly steady throughout the growth phase. For example, a dog slated to weigh ~ 100 pounds should gain around 2.5 pounds per week after about 4-weeks of age. A dog slated to weigh half this size will gain weight correspondingly slower. For a 4-6 pound adult, the following weight gain applies: 10 weeks, 1 lb. 9 oz. – 2 lb. 6 oz., 12 weeks, 1 lb. 14 oz. – 2 lb. 13 oz., 14 weeks, 2 lb. 2 oz. – 3 lb. 3 oz., 16 weeks, 2 lb. 7 oz. – 3 lb. 11 oz. And a growth curve really is a curve: It will reach a "knee" when about 65% of the dog's eventual weight is reached and plateau after 95% of eventual body weight is achieved.



The "double-it" formula: Some say that whatever the puppy weighs at 14 weeks double it to get the adult weight.



Height increase versus weight gain: There comes a point of a pup's life at which growth plates of the long bones becomes fused and bone length no longer increases. In humans, growth plate closure of long bones occurs between 17-21 years of age though muscle mass continues to increase until full physical maturity at around 25 years of age. An equivalent thing happens in dogs. Though growth plates close between 8 - 11 months of age, body weight continues to increase until full adult maturity is reached maybe months later in larger breeds. A simple estimation for predicting adult height is that a pup will be 75% of its adult height at around 6 months of age.

http://www.goldendoodles.com/Health/21514a9c0.gif

again, this is "typical" and as mentioned much has to do with what charecteristics a dog will acquire from it's parents, grandparents, etc.

[ladybanker462]

ty this looks helpful