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05-09-2013, 05:46 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Texas
Posts: 17
| Feeding question So, Blake is 13 weeks now and I'm wondering, should I start feeding him just three times a day now? Since I got him at 8 weeks, I've just filled his bowl as he ate and left it out. We keep a very early schedule at our house, we get up at four every morning and go to bed at 9. I don't want to leave him without food for to long... |
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05-09-2013, 05:49 AM | #2 |
YT 2000 Club Member | Since he is so young, I would continue to free feed. He is still a baby and needs to eat whenever he wants, that way there won't be any hypoglycemic issues.
__________________ Proud Mommy to Max, Teeka, Tatiana and forever in my heart Tameka! My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from my puppies eyes! |
05-09-2013, 06:01 AM | #3 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Texas
Posts: 17
| See, that's what I was worried about. I've started to housetrain him and have heard that you should pick their food up at night, but don't want him to go 7 hours without food... |
05-09-2013, 06:18 AM | #4 |
Cedric♥Lola♥Keylo Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Gilford, NH, USA
Posts: 9,209
| i agree....i leave food down for my babies at night incase they need a midnight snack.
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05-09-2013, 06:37 AM | #5 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: MN, USA
Posts: 780
| What worked for me was at first giving Blazer his daily allowance at one time in his bowl and leaving it down for him to free feed. I started to notice a pattern of times that he would eat so after a few months I started breaking up his daily allowance into three feedings- morning, noon, and evening. Now that he is almost 1 he gets half of his food in the morning and the other half at noon and he eats as he wants- usually just a nibble here and there but sometimes all right away. His food bowl is in the dining room where I can hear and see him any time he eats. That helped knowing when to take him out when he was little.
__________________ Amanda |
05-09-2013, 06:54 AM | #6 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Urbana, IL USA
Posts: 3,648
| Quote:
Oh, she had an issue with mild hypoglycemia during her first week in her new home, but that may have been due to the stress of adjustment. We treated her with Karo syrup during her episodes (2 episodes in total) and she recovered quickly. Now she is a healthy, bouncy puppy. If you have issues with hypoglycemia, that might be another reason to keep food and water available during the night... Last edited by pstinard; 05-09-2013 at 06:59 AM. | |
05-09-2013, 08:47 AM | #7 |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| I am a fan off free feeding. I imagine how much it would suck for me if my food was taken away at certain times
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! |
05-09-2013, 12:22 PM | #8 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| I don't really like free feeding. It tends to make them more finicky and not excited as much about food. I transitioned Jackson over into scheduled feeding last year at the age of 3 and now he pretty much always eats right when I put down his food which is something he would NEVER do before. He's not scarfing or anything... but it's nice to see him be excited about eating and also eating at proper times - that way his pottying tends to be more predictable as well and I also know if he's maybe feeling under the weather, or whatnot, because I'll notice if he doesn't eat. Also, I can tell right away if a kibble is going to be palatable to him or not. If he just lets it sit all day in the bowl, I'll know he doesn't like it. And I like him to enjoy his meals.
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05-10-2013, 11:35 AM | #9 | |
Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas
Posts: 9,462
| Quote:
I always advocate free feeding these youngsters.....I do not like to regulate food or water in the quest to potty train a youngster....now about 6-8 months old, I may start dividing meals into specific feeding times, because baby is getting old enough to regulate bowel and bladder habits consistantly... | |
05-10-2013, 11:44 AM | #10 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| Ive always free fed and I got through potty training without withholding food
__________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427 |
05-10-2013, 12:13 PM | #11 |
♥Momma's Bambino♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ca
Posts: 10,026
| I tried to schedule feed Peanut- Sometimes in the morning he wouldn't eat.. then I would come home and he threw up bile.. same with at evening feeding. Sometimes he just wouldn't eat or just eat a couple tablespoons at a time- So that didn't work for him. With his food/weight/age/ energy level he should get ¼ of a cup a day- so I will give him 1/8 in the morning and a 1/8 when I get home from work. He usually has all of his morning food gone by the time I get home, or he will finish it when I get home- Then I give him his evening amount- he will usually finish that and if I see him looking in his bowl I will grab a handful xtra and he will nibble it. I think as far as feeding you have to do what works for your dog. If it is schedule feedings or free feeds- as long as they get the amount of food they need.
__________________ "People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so." |
05-10-2013, 12:49 PM | #12 |
I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member | Because puppies go through so many growth spurts and have no energy reserves, it's really important to free feed the first 8 months or so. Eating a few pieces of kibble at 12:00 isn't going to ruin their housebreaking training. Your main job now is to keep them healthy, housebreaking is secondary. The number one thing you can do to prevent hypoglycemia is to have food available 24/7. Also, don't be misled into thinking withholding water will help either, in reality, it’s the gradual stretching of a full bladder that helps them learn how to hold it longer, not an empty bladder.
__________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals |
05-10-2013, 01:01 PM | #13 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2013 Location: Missouri
Posts: 150
| I saw this question and am wondering when it is ok to start feeding them at certain times instead of free feeding. I have a 9 week old right now so it will definetely be a while, but I'm just curious. |
05-10-2013, 01:13 PM | #14 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: NJ
Posts: 2,194
| I think it has more to do with weight than age. Smaller pups have tiny stomachs, so some really can't eat enough in one meal to last 7-8 hours. But...I'm not positive what a healthy weight would be. Both of mine are larger. Even though they're both 7 pounds, I still always have food out for them. Some people free feed for life. Free feeding could be an issue when you're potty training. But aside from that, we've done okay with it.
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