Is it important to feed 2x per day? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Britster · 07-23-2010, 09:06 AM

... or is it perfectly fine to feed once a day?

I used to just leave food down all day, Jackson was never a huge eater and ate properly (not too much). Sometimes too little. But we have ants in the summer who find every little morsel left of dog food left out... so in early June, I began scheduled feedings with Jackson. I like it better because I know exactly when he's eaten and how much. I began with 1/4 cup of dry Acana Grasslands in the AM and 1/4 cup in the evening.

He's never real interested in eating in the mornings though. I've been mixing his morning meals with wet food and then he eats happily but when we visit and sleep over at my dads house (with their 2 dogs) they only get their "dinner" (dry mixed with wet, or something else like chicken, etc) at dinner-time (5 or 6pm)... no morning feedings, although there is kibble out all day that rarely gets touched by all 3 dogs. Over at my dads house is where he's even more active as well (usually an hour+ of swimming, and lots of running in the mornings) and he's always done fine w/ one meal over there.

When Jackson & I are back at our regular house is when he gets food in AM and PM. I've noticed though since he's been eating in the morning too, he often poops 3x a day whereas it used to mainly be 2x a day. If I'm home... he will often go for a second time around 1pm now. He's also pretty lazy until around noon.

Anyways, is there any important reason a dog should be fed twice daily? Or would feeding him 1/2 cup at dinner be sufficient enough? He always did well with the once a day dry/wet mixed food feedings before. I just didn't know how many people only fed once a day, or if there was a reason to feed twice a day.

JDS · 07-23-2010, 09:33 AM

Hmm...I always thought you should feed at least twice a day. I'm very curious to see the answers you get.

Maximo · 07-23-2010, 09:50 AM

My non-expert opinion is do whatever works for your dog. I don't believe in force feeding or removing food if not eaten within 20 minutes.

However, I do think it is healthier to divide the food into at least 2 meals per day, rather than 1 large meal. Just like humans, I think animals are better off eating small amounts at regular intervals. It's better for digestion, sugar and insulin levels, and all the rest. I look at food the same way I do water; I wouldn't consume my entire daily allowance at one sitting.

jadabug · 07-23-2010, 09:51 AM

In larger breeds we have had in the past I was told it is to prevent bloat. If you only feed once a day there is more of a danger of intestines twisting too, or so I was always told. I am not sure if it applies to these little guys though. I have always fed twice a day. But my two are starving when they get up and are ready to eat when I get home in the evenings. I leave kibble out during the day while I am at work and they never touch it.

Maximo · 07-23-2010, 09:53 AM

I want to add that Jackson may be self-regulating right now because of the heat. Teddy has been saving his breakfast for after our morning walks and activities.

kjc · 07-23-2010, 02:43 PM

Yes, in large breed dogs, twice daily is to prevent bloat.

In small breed dogs, twice a day (for adults, 3-5 times/day for puppies) is to prevent hypoglycemia. The small dog's metabolism is faster, and their stomachs are small. They would never be able to consume enough food in one sitting to keep them going for a full 24 hours.

Jackson, being bigger, may do okay on one meal, but personally, I would always offer him two meals, or 3-4 treats at least in the morning, and maybe an hour or so after strenuous exercise.

My LS dog is about 13 lbs now, and she'll eat twice a day. But, bc she has LS, 4 or 5 smaller meals would be better for her. She refuses to eat more than twice a day. I do try to give her treats (fruit and veges) but I can not get her to really eat a meal more than twice a day. She is also very active, but that has no effect either.

With this heat, all mine are eating less.

fadeddenim · 07-23-2010, 03:07 PM

i've got two yorkies. one is 4.5 lbs and the other is 12 lbs. i give them their food in the morning and they'll eat half of the portion. i leave their food on the ground the whole day while im at work. for some odd reason, they won't eat while i'm gone. it's not until i get home from work is when they'll finish the remaining portion.

then later in the evening, my bigger yorkie will walk to the cupboard where i keep his food and whine letting me know he's still hungry. the little one seems to do fine eating just one serving a day. this seems to work fine for us

Britster · 07-23-2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maximo

I want to add that Jackson may be self-regulating right now because of the heat. Teddy has been saving his breakfast for after our morning walks and activities.

Very true with the heat! Didn't even think of that, either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjc

Yes, in large breed dogs, twice daily is to prevent bloat.

In small breed dogs, twice a day (for adults, 3-5 times/day for puppies) is to prevent hypoglycemia. The small dog's metabolism is faster, and their stomachs are small. They would never be able to consume enough food in one sitting to keep them going for a full 24 hours.

Jackson, being bigger, may do okay on one meal, but personally, I would always offer him two meals, or 3-4 treats at least in the morning, and maybe an hour or so after strenuous exercise.

My LS dog is about 13 lbs now, and she'll eat twice a day. But, bc she has LS, 4 or 5 smaller meals would be better for her. She refuses to eat more than twice a day. I do try to give her treats (fruit and veges) but I can not get her to really eat a meal more than twice a day. She is also very active, but that has no effect either.

With this heat, all mine are eating less.

OK, I wasn't even thinking about the larger dogs needing to prevent bloat. I dogsit for 2 Boxers and was told this before, totally forgot. Yeah, Jackson maintains at about 15lbs right now. Question is... should I offer him just dry kibble in the morning? Or mix it with wet like I've been doing to get him to eat in the mornings?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fadeddenim

i've got two yorkies. one is 4.5 lbs and the other is 12 lbs. i give them their food in the morning and they'll eat half of the portion. i leave their food on the ground the whole day while im at work. for some odd reason, they won't eat while i'm gone. it's not until i get home from work is when they'll finish the remaining portion.

then later in the evening, my bigger yorkie will walk to the cupboard where i keep his food and whine letting me know he's still hungry. the little one seems to do fine eating just one serving a day. this seems to work fine for us

Thanks for the info!

... like, if I leave a bowl of kibble for him in the mornings, he won't touch it, unless I mix it with something yummy like wet food. So sometimes I feel like I'm almost forcing him to eat (but I'm not, when the food has wet mixed in, he voluntarily goes over and eats it) but in the PM if I pour kibble into a bowl around 5pm, he WILL eat it. Even without wet. So, to me, that's showing me he's not particularly hungry in the morning but he'll eat it just because he loves wet food so much.

He does get treats throughout the day and he always gets a treat in the morning when he comes in from potty.

I dunno, I guess I'll just see what he does best on. The only thing I was concerned about is the pooping 3x a day rather than 2x. I've been home alot these past 3 weeks so it's no problem me letting him out for an early afternoon poop, ha, but I don't wanna feed him breakfast and then have to leave and him be holding it all day, etc.

Hmm... well thanks for all the info and suggestions

Hopefully I'll figure out what works best for us.

Ringo1 · 07-23-2010, 07:09 PM

I feed mine dry in the morning and then they get a little wet food mixed with dry of an evening. Ringo eats his dry food just fine; Lucy I sometimes have to give a few peas/carrots with her morning food to get her to eat it. OR just pretend that I'm giving some to Ringo; then she'll eat it right away!

mojo · 07-23-2010, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fadeddenim

i've got two yorkies. one is 4.5 lbs and the other is 12 lbs. i give them their food in the morning and they'll eat half of the portion. i leave their food on the ground the whole day while im at work. for some odd reason, they won't eat while i'm gone. it's not until i get home from work is when they'll finish the remaining portion.

then later in the evening, my bigger yorkie will walk to the cupboard where i keep his food and whine letting me know he's still hungry. the little one seems to do fine eating just one serving a day. this seems to work fine for us

My oldest girl will not drink anything when I am at work and laps up the water as soon as I get home. It makes me sad as obviously she is very thirsty, but refusing to drink. It's not that she's lonely because I have 3 so she has company.

In the morning I take my dogs out and them put them in the kitchen while I shower. My littlest girl can hear the second I am out of the shower and she is screaming at me and demanding her breakfast

It's obnoxious.

terlis · 07-23-2010, 10:43 PM

I feed 2 meals. They even know when it is time. I usually feed at 8am and 4 pm, give or take. When it gets close to 4 thay start to run around and bark to get my attention to tell me it's time to eat.

mojo · 07-23-2010, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terlis

I feed 2 meals. They even know when it is time. I usually feed at 8am and 4 pm, give or take. When it gets close to 4 thay start to run around and bark to get my attention to tell me it's time to eat.

Haha...I feed twice a day too, I may not always know they exact time, but believe me, they do and they certainly let me know

RDB911 · 07-24-2010, 03:52 AM

I feed twice a day too.
Also, I add wet to Lola's kibble otherwise she will not touch it...she has never liked plain kibble...Riley on the other hand, can care less about wet as long as he's eating he's happy...

Maybe you can add a little chicken broth instead of wet food..he may enjoy that.

tjdmom · 07-24-2010, 05:16 AM

I feed twice a day but when I just had Zoe, she would refuse the morning meal so I stopped feeding it and she was fine. Now with 3, she has a little competition for food so she does eat in the morning but now she's is starting to get on the heavy side. Well, maybe not heavy yet but on the upper side of normal. If she gains anymore, she will be heavy.

Ringo1 · 07-24-2010, 05:44 AM

I've noticed Ringo starting to put on a little weight too. Hmmm. Wonder if it is because he INSISTS on having a few of Lucy's vegetarian kibbles mixed in with his food? If I don't, then he gets jealous of her.

Plus, our walking has gotten cut down due to the heat and humidity AND getting ready to move.

07-23-2010, 09:06 AM	#1
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	Is it important to feed 2x per day? ... or is it perfectly fine to feed once a day? I used to just leave food down all day, Jackson was never a huge eater and ate properly (not too much). Sometimes too little. But we have ants in the summer who find every little morsel left of dog food left out... so in early June, I began scheduled feedings with Jackson. I like it better because I know exactly when he's eaten and how much. I began with 1/4 cup of dry Acana Grasslands in the AM and 1/4 cup in the evening. He's never real interested in eating in the mornings though. I've been mixing his morning meals with wet food and then he eats happily but when we visit and sleep over at my dads house (with their 2 dogs) they only get their "dinner" (dry mixed with wet, or something else like chicken, etc) at dinner-time (5 or 6pm)... no morning feedings, although there is kibble out all day that rarely gets touched by all 3 dogs. Over at my dads house is where he's even more active as well (usually an hour+ of swimming, and lots of running in the mornings) and he's always done fine w/ one meal over there. When Jackson & I are back at our regular house is when he gets food in AM and PM. I've noticed though since he's been eating in the morning too, he often poops 3x a day whereas it used to mainly be 2x a day. If I'm home... he will often go for a second time around 1pm now. He's also pretty lazy until around noon. Anyways, is there any important reason a dog should be fed twice daily? Or would feeding him 1/2 cup at dinner be sufficient enough? He always did well with the once a day dry/wet mixed food feedings before. I just didn't know how many people only fed once a day, or if there was a reason to feed twice a day. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier Last edited by Britster; 07-23-2010 at 09:07 AM.

07-23-2010, 09:51 AM	#4
jadabug Jada + Bogie = ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mayberry AKA smalltown usa Posts: 24,078	In larger breeds we have had in the past I was told it is to prevent bloat. If you only feed once a day there is more of a danger of intestines twisting too, or so I was always told. I am not sure if it applies to these little guys though. I have always fed twice a day. But my two are starving when they get up and are ready to eat when I get home in the evenings. I leave kibble out during the day while I am at work and they never touch it. __________________ Michelle, Jada and Bogie

07-23-2010, 02:43 PM	#6
kjc I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 18,866	Yes, in large breed dogs, twice daily is to prevent bloat. In small breed dogs, twice a day (for adults, 3-5 times/day for puppies) is to prevent hypoglycemia. The small dog's metabolism is faster, and their stomachs are small. They would never be able to consume enough food in one sitting to keep them going for a full 24 hours. Jackson, being bigger, may do okay on one meal, but personally, I would always offer him two meals, or 3-4 treats at least in the morning, and maybe an hour or so after strenuous exercise. My LS dog is about 13 lbs now, and she'll eat twice a day. But, bc she has LS, 4 or 5 smaller meals would be better for her. She refuses to eat more than twice a day. I do try to give her treats (fruit and veges) but I can not get her to really eat a meal more than twice a day. She is also very active, but that has no effect either. With this heat, all mine are eating less. __________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity

07-23-2010, 03:07 PM	#7
fadeddenim YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 409	i've got two yorkies. one is 4.5 lbs and the other is 12 lbs. i give them their food in the morning and they'll eat half of the portion. i leave their food on the ground the whole day while im at work. for some odd reason, they won't eat while i'm gone. it's not until i get home from work is when they'll finish the remaining portion. then later in the evening, my bigger yorkie will walk to the cupboard where i keep his food and whine letting me know he's still hungry. the little one seems to do fine eating just one serving a day. this seems to work fine for us __________________ Fur The Ruff Of Dog KENJI and KINGSTON

07-23-2010, 07:09 PM	#9
Ringo1 Ringo (1) and Lucy too! Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: On the Edge of Glory Posts: 3,447	I feed mine dry in the morning and then they get a little wet food mixed with dry of an evening. Ringo eats his dry food just fine; Lucy I sometimes have to give a few peas/carrots with her morning food to get her to eat it. OR just pretend that I'm giving some to Ringo; then she'll eat it right away! __________________ Mommy to Lucy, Ringo, and Matthew

07-23-2010, 09:33 AM	#2
JDS YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: the good 'ol South Posts: 683	Hmm...I always thought you should feed at least twice a day. I'm very curious to see the answers you get.

07-23-2010, 09:50 AM	#3
Maximo ♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 25,041	My non-expert opinion is do whatever works for your dog. I don't believe in force feeding or removing food if not eaten within 20 minutes. However, I do think it is healthier to divide the food into at least 2 meals per day, rather than 1 large meal. Just like humans, I think animals are better off eating small amounts at regular intervals. It's better for digestion, sugar and insulin levels, and all the rest. I look at food the same way I do water; I wouldn't consume my entire daily allowance at one sitting.

07-23-2010, 09:53 AM	#5
Maximo ♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 25,041	I want to add that Jackson may be self-regulating right now because of the heat. Teddy has been saving his breakfast for after our morning walks and activities.

07-23-2010, 10:43 PM	#11
terlis YT Addict Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: ontario canada Posts: 330	I feed 2 meals. They even know when it is time. I usually feed at 8am and 4 pm, give or take. When it gets close to 4 thay start to run around and bark to get my attention to tell me it's time to eat. __________________ SophieLola

07-24-2010, 03:52 AM	#13
RDB911 Lola's Love Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mill Valley, CA, USA Posts: 2,934	I feed twice a day too. Also, I add wet to Lola's kibble otherwise she will not touch it...she has never liked plain kibble...Riley on the other hand, can care less about wet as long as he's eating he's happy... Maybe you can add a little chicken broth instead of wet food..he may enjoy that. __________________ www.NewPuppyPads.com Puppy Pee Pads by the Case and Washable Pee Pads www.PremierYorkie.com

07-24-2010, 05:16 AM	#14
tjdmom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 5,847	I feed twice a day but when I just had Zoe, she would refuse the morning meal so I stopped feeding it and she was fine. Now with 3, she has a little competition for food so she does eat in the morning but now she's is starting to get on the heavy side. Well, maybe not heavy yet but on the upper side of normal. If she gains anymore, she will be heavy.

07-24-2010, 05:44 AM	#15
Ringo1 Ringo (1) and Lucy too! Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: On the Edge of Glory Posts: 3,447	I've noticed Ringo starting to put on a little weight too. Hmmm. Wonder if it is because he INSISTS on having a few of Lucy's vegetarian kibbles mixed in with his food? If I don't, then he gets jealous of her. Plus, our walking has gotten cut down due to the heat and humidity AND getting ready to move. __________________ Mommy to Lucy, Ringo, and Matthew