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Do you free feed? I have always free fed my small dogs their dry food. My adult dogs love Iams puppy cookies that have 18 calories per cookie. I weigh my adult dogs about once a month and they are usually right where they should be. I know from all my readings that treats need to be figured into the total daily calorie count. I can break one of these cookies in to 5 or 6 pieces and hand them out to the dogs 5 or 6 times a day--generally whenever I am in the kitchen, lol. I give the oldest dogs the entire cookie but for those 6 months and up generally give them cookie pieces--so they don't choke when they run away to eat their treat. Sometimes treats are apple pieces, banana pieces, or green beans or carrot pieces. How do you know if you are feeding your dogs enough? I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, my dogs get plenty of exercise playing with me and each other. They maintain their weight and my vet says they are healthy and beautiful. |
Yes i do i think this is the best way because they can always get a bite when they want so they don't over eat Betty & Micah my love:aimeeyork |
Once Orion joined our family, I've started to free feed dry kibbles as well. I used to lay down wet food mixed with dry kibble and noticed that they would eat sometimes and other times they would sniff the food and walk away. This drove me crazy b/c I would have to toss out their food and feed them again in a few hours b/c I was always worried that they would have hypoglycemia from not eating. I'm glad that I switched to free feed b/c now they have access to food all the time and no one goes hungry. Right now, I just have to keep a close eye on Cassi's weight b/c she's been eating ALOT. :D |
I used to free feed, but don't anymore. Not sure when I stopped; I may have talked to my vet once about it, might have been somewhere around the time when I was feeding adults "adult" food and pups or a pregnant female puppy food. I like scheduled feeding better now because I know they are not getting more than they are supposed to AND I know how much each of them eats (or doesn't eat). When free feeding more than one dog, you can't be sure how much any one particular dog gets OR who goes off eating when they get sick. When I have a pregnant female again (hopefully in a couple of months) and she goes back on puppy food, I will want to free feed her to be sure she gets the extra that she will need; I just haven't figured out how I will do that yet. My Lucky has had a weight problem (another reason I can't free feed) and he especially doesn't need any extra food intake. |
I free feed the inside dogs(4 of them), the 2 outside dogs I feed once a day |
I free feed dry food and hand out the treats. |
I free feed and pass out probably wayyyy too many treats, but dogs are healthy and not overweight. I can tell if one of my babies doesnt feel well--sure fire sign is if they turn their nose up to the treat or dont gobble it down like the norm. |
We free feed both indoors and outdoors furbabies. We keep an eye on them to make sure their weight is healthy. They don't undereat or overeat. The people in the house have scheduled meals and my husband and myself seem to be the ones with the weight issues. Maybe we should switch to free feed. lol I have been thinking lately about switching to scheduled meal times for the indoor babies to help with potty training but I'm concerned about hypoglycemia. We have always been a free feed household so I want to research it more before we make a final decision. |
I free feed all mine. |
I free feed all of mine. I use an all life stage food so it is good for all of them. I think if everyone is remaining at good weights and having healthy check-ups, it must be all right to do it. |
I was going to post about this the other day and got sidetracked. I have always had a "Keep full" policy when feeding my dogs. I just always keep the bowl full. However, Cleo has become obese anymore. Lilly and Lola are perfect, and Diesel is a scrawny little weasel. He is very healthy, but he is just so skinny. I talked to a lady the other day that has a 5 year old boy, and she said he JUST filled out last year. I have known her since last year, and I know she is wonderful with her dog, she even takes him to work with her and he has his own little bed in her office and is allowed to walk around. She works at the horse auction place, so animals are allowed there. I just wonder if boys take longer to fill out? My husband blames it on the fact that Diesel is always humping and burning all of his calories :rolleyes: Between his scrawniness, and Cleos FATNESS, I don't know what to do! |
I free feed mine. They each get one chicken jerky treat in the am and generally no more treats during the day. All of mine are at "good" weights...no one has a weight issue nor is anyone too thin. Of course, you could always have piggy puppy who eats every chance they get...but I haven't had that problem. Once they realize it's always there...there isn't any scarving it down. The only time I had any food issues was scheduling meals when trying to solve a diarrhea issue. It was a complete battle to keep one or the other from trying to get the other's food. |
I free feed because i have 4 dogs that run the house,so i keep enough out to make sure everyone gets theirs.Hard to feed individually. |
Thank you all for your great answers. |
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