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Originally Posted by Lovetodream88  It also depends a lot on the dog and puppy. Mine are pickers and like to have a few bites here and there so free feeding works for some just as scheduled meals work for others. Yorkie puppies can still have hypoglycemia even after 3 months so I disagree with your article. |
We do a modified free feeding schedule with limited portions, keeping food out all day, but making sure that the total amount fed does not exceed a reasonable caloric intake. The reason we free feed Bella is that she has stomach issues, and will throw up if her stomach is empty for too long. Therefore, she needs frequent small meals. She is at a good weight, and we monitor it closely. If she were to become overweight, we would cut down the limited portions a little, but so far, so good. I agree that young dogs, especially puppies, should be allowed to free feed to avoid hypoglycemia, especially small breed puppies.
For yucks, I'll consult my Small Animal Clinical Nutrition textbook when I get home from work and see what they have to say about free feeding vs. scheduled meals. I trust it a lot more than "Whole Dog Journal."