Amount of food to feed Jackson

[Britster]

So, I went to a pet store near me the other day and they carry all the high-end brand names, and have a whole freezer full of raw food. I asked a few questions about raw, and the lady was kinda pushy w/ it... I told her I was concerned about cost, and she asked how much Jackson weighed (he was with me in store) and told her 16lbs... I told her I pour 1 cup a day into his bowl but he rarely eats it all, and she acted stunned! Like that it was wayyy too much food.

He eats Acana Grasslands and Prairie (rotates between the 2). She told me he would only need 1 patty a day if I fed him raw food and I was like whhaatt?!? There is just NO way. When I used that calculator thing on the site, it told me 5 patties a day, so I didn't know where she was getting this. Also, the bag of Acana says dogs between 12-22lbs can/should be fed 1 cup-1 1/2 cup of food per day but she still told me it was way too much.

I used to leave dry food out all day for him and sometimes he would go nibble and sometimes he wouldn't... but every night at dinner-time (between 5-7pm) he would get about 1/2 cup of kibble mixed in with a bit of wet for dinner and I would always just leave whatever dry kibble was left in his bowl.

Because of the ant problem (ew) we have here especially in the summer, I can no longer just leave food out so I've started him on a schedule. Today I gave him 1/2 cup of dry mixed in with maybe 1 tbs of wet in AM, and at dinner I did the same thing. By the way, both times I didn't fill the 1/2 cup ALL the way up, so technically he probably ate a tiny bit under 1 cup of food per day.

Is this okay, too much, too little? He's still got the same body frame he did when he was at 12lbs (he stayed at 12lbs from 6 months old to a little over a year, and never outgrew any harnesses, clothes, or collars, but the last vet visit said 16lbs so I think it's mostly muscle?) but he's at a healthy figure/weight.

Sorry this is so long- it just bothered me that the pet store person was sooo shocked about 1cup of food per day?!

PS- he's a pretty active dog as most of you know!

[ArmaniMan]

He looks like he is in good shape and really THAT is what you should go by.

But anyway I feed mine 5 and 6 pounds... 1/2 cup per day, so 1 cup for Jackson really doesnt seem like a lot at all.

[orlnurse]

Max is 12 lbs as well and when we fed Acana he had 1/2- 3/4 cu per day. Keep in mind he is not as active as Jackson so I don't think 1 cup is a lot at all.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

He looks like he is in good shape and really THAT is what you should go by.

But anyway I feed mine 5 and 6 pounds... 1/2 cup per day, so 1 cup for Jackson really doesnt seem like a lot at all.

Originally Posted by orlnurse

Max is 12 lbs as well and when we fed Acana he had 1/2- 3/4 cu per day. Keep in mind he is not as active as Jackson so I don't think 1 cup is a lot at all.

OK, thanks guys! This reassures me. I will probably keep him at a tiny bit under 1 cup a day as this seems to "satisfy" him and fill him up.

[capt_noonie]

Ok that lady really does not know what she is talking about. Katie is 7.5 and I feed both her and Uni 1/4c each in the am and 1/4 in the pm, so 1/2 c total. Jackson is basically double their size, so double the food makes sense. Also THE BAG SAYS HOW MUCH TO FEED! You are doing it right. Jackson is so active, I say he needs the full cup. As long as the tummy tucks up past the rib cage, and you can see his waist from viewing from the top then he is at his ideal weight.

Oh, also when I got samples of raw, Uni, who is 5 lbs was to eat 2-3 patties a day. So one patty for jackson, he would starve to death!

[Sweet Apple]

Brit, you're right that he needs 5 patties a day, but that would be one ounce patties (total 5 oz.)...There are also 4 oz. patties and 8 oz. patties, so she was probably talking about one of those....The raw is less expensive in the larger weight pkgs., so if you do ever feed raw, I'd look into the bigger ones...As active as Jackson is, he might need about 5 oz. a day, or maybe 6 oz. on his real busy days...Anyway, you can't go wrong w/Acana...Actually, I'm feeding raw in the a.m. and Acana in the p.m....My guys get 1/4 cup for their evening meal and they weigh 5 and 6 lbs...Miss Piggy (Apple) gobbles hers all down, and looks around for more...Buzz never quite finishes his, and I've had to start grinding it up a little in a food processor, because he wasn't up to chewing the kibble ...Viv of viviansnickers says she breaks up Snicks w/a nutcracker! Man, what we do for the kidz

[kalina82]

1 patty is 8oz and that is right for jackson. 1 medallion is 1oz so i'm pretty sure she was talking about the 8oz patties and not the little medallions. you can take that patty and split it into 2 meals. or do like sweet apple and give 1/2 patty in the morning and acana at night.

i also agree that 1cup daily is good for him. In all his pictures he looks fit and trim so he must be getting the perfect amount for him.

[Ellie May]

Hey,

Serious? That's crazy.
You are doing fine. The bag is a good indicator. I'd start at the low end of what it says to feed and then go by body condition. When Ellie ate kibble, she self regulated (1/2 cup daily). She was 5 1/2 pounds at the time. He should be eating what he is eating. And as long as he is not gorging or overweight, if he is hungry, then he should eat.

[MaddieBoo]

I think you are feeding him fine, especially since he is a healthy weight and an active dog.

I was told by my breeder that the amount on the bag is slightly higher than what she would recommend, (i guess because the company wants you to go through it faster???). I'm not sure about this, but it would only effect it a little.

Lucas is 6 lbs and has 1/2 cup per day. I think you're doing fine!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by kalina82

1 patty is 8oz and that is right for jackson. 1 medallion is 1oz so i'm pretty sure she was talking about the 8oz patties and not the little medallions. you can take that patty and split it into 2 meals. or do like sweet apple and give 1/2 patty in the morning and acana at night.

i also agree that 1cup daily is good for him. In all his pictures he looks fit and trim so he must be getting the perfect amount for him.

Ohhh that would make more sense! Maybe that's what she meant. LOL! I was thinking she was totally crazy.

Thanks, guys, you all definitely reassured me I am feeding him enough and not too much. I'll probably be giving him a little bit less than 1/2 cup in the AM's because he never seems as hungry then.

[lil fu fu girl]

The problem with a little knowledge, is that people usually twist it into something unrecognizable from its original intent.

No one should recommend a standardized amount of food for any pup that they do not intently know. It is sheer folly! Jackson is, from what I have read, a very....very active dog. This is going to directly effect the amount of kcals that he burns. So in order to keep all his organs functioning correctly and healthy, you are definitely going to have to feed more than this womans advice, and for that matter, probably a lot more than most on this forum do.

Mine go out for a 1-2 mile Run everyday....so the kcal intake of my two is definitely not the same as most of the others on YT.

You have done a great job with Jackson Brit, anyone who looks at him can see how healthy he is. So IMO, "feed away girl" as what you are doing is working and trust in yourself, as you have educated yourself probably better than the woman behind the counter!

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by lil fu fu girl

You have done a great job with Jackson Brit, anyone who looks at him can see how healthy he is. So IMO, "feed away girl" as what you are doing is working and trust in yourself, as you have educated yourself probably better than the woman behind the counter!

Another comparison for you: my active boys each eat 3/4 cup daily of Fromm Chicken kibble. Max weighs 8.0 pounds and Teddy, the waif, 7 pounds and 3 ounces.

I would say Jackson definitely needs at least a cup of just about any kibble you choose. His physique looks perfect to me.

[AllDogBoots]

I figured a BUMP would be better suited for than a new thread. I'm trying to change Cooper's eating habits and instead of leaving food out all day, I am trying to give it to him at a specific time. The vet said to give him 7/8 cup per day - he's 9.5 pounds.

Am I supposed to do this once per day (she says i can) or do i split it in 1/2 and give some in the morning and some at night?

I've given him the whole amount 2 nights now at 6:30pm and he eats 1/2 a bowl. Last night he didn't want to go to sleep because he was looking for food. Maybe that's just because he's spoiled and expected it to stay out.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by AllDogBoots

I figured a BUMP would be better suited for than a new thread. I'm trying to change Cooper's eating habits and instead of leaving food out all day, I am trying to give it to him at a specific time. The vet said to give him 7/8 cup per day - he's 9.5 pounds.

Am I supposed to do this once per day (she says i can) or do i split it in 1/2 and give some in the morning and some at night?

I've given him the whole amount 2 nights now at 6:30pm and he eats 1/2 a bowl. Last night he didn't want to go to sleep because he was looking for food. Maybe that's just because he's spoiled and expected it to stay out.

If you are trying to change his eating habits, I would split the amount into 2 feedings, one morning and one night.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Maximo

If you are trying to change his eating habits, I would split the amount into 2 feedings, one morning and one night.

That's what I did.

Jackson also used to get food left out all day, but like I said, nasty ANTS are becoming a problem. It's impossible to leave food out for even 2 hours without an army of ants crawling around the bowls.

Jackson never really used to eat in the mornings, but I've started giving him his breakfast around 8:30 or 9am and he eats it. Dinnertime is usually 6pm for him. I mix in a bit of wet food both AM and PM.

Also, I think that the lady may have been right after all... 1 cup a day might have been too much for him. I was giving him 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening, but the morning feeding he would often leave maybe 6-7 kibbles in the bowl. So I've started giving him 2/3 cup a day. Which is 1/3 cup twice a day (right?) It may seem like not enough, but Jackson's not a big eater, and he also gets alot of treats so I think it's perfect amount for us.