Feeding amounts

[candigirl]

When I first got Lexie she weighed less than 2lbs and hardly ate much of anything before she was full. Now she weighs 2.6lbs and I have her on Orijen feeding her 30 kibbles 3 times a day which is 1/4 cup altogether. For dinner I add tablespoon of wellness canned. Lexie is 14 weeks now and cleans her bowl at every meal now she's even touching the bowl with her paw and whining for more. I know Orijen is high protein so it's easy to overfeed but at the same time I want to make sure she's getting enough. So how much should I be feeding her without overdoing it. If she whines for food should I just give her more?it doesn't help that the feeding guide on the bag is way more than she could manage

[my2boyz]

Lexi is still young...she needs food to grow and 1/4 of a cup of food a day just doesn't sound like enough.

I would follow the guidelines on the bag, especially at this age, she's growing and she needs nutrition and a full belly.

I free feed mine so they know there will always be food there if they need it. You could be setting her up for hypoglicemia if she isn't getting enough to eat and health problems too...not to mention possible food aggression or resource guarding at some point.

If you're concerned about her growing too big...don't sweat it...her weight will balance itself out when her genes tell her to stop growing.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by candigirl

When I first got Lexie she weighed less than 2lbs and hardly ate much of anything before she was full. Now she weighs 2.6lbs and I have her on Orijen feeding her 30 kibbles 3 times a day which is 1/4 cup altogether. For dinner I add tablespoon of wellness canned. Lexie is 14 weeks now and cleans her bowl at every meal now she's even touching the bowl with her paw and whining for more. I know Orijen is high protein so it's easy to overfeed but at the same time I want to make sure she's getting enough. So how much should I be feeding her without overdoing it. If she whines for food should I just give her more?it doesn't help that the feeding guide on the bag is way more than she could manage

In terms of overfeeding, it's not a matter of protein percentage, it is a matter of calories per day. The feeding guidelines on all food bags are way over what is necessary, in my opinion.

Doesn't 90 pieces of Orijen kibble add up to more than 1/4 cup?

The best way to tell if your pup is getting enough food is to check her body. Can you readily feel her ribcage and does she have a waistline?

Puppies do require a little more and every dog is different. However, my very active 8 pound boy required less than 3/4 cup Orijen per day, and that was without the supplement of a tablespoon of canned food.

[MaddiesMommie]

I would follow the Orijen guidlines.

[candigirl]

Originally Posted by Maximo

In terms of overfeeding, it's not a matter of protein percentage, it is a matter of calories per day. The feeding guidelines on all food bags are way over what is necessary, in my opinion.

Doesn't 90 pieces of Orijen kibble add up to more than 1/4 cup?

The best way to tell if your pup is getting enough food is to check her body. Can you readily feel her ribcage and does she have a waistline?

Puppies do require a little more and every dog is different. However, my very active 8 pound boy required less than 3/4 cup Orijen per day, and that was without the supplement of a tablespoon of canned food.

yea according to the guidelines i should be feeding from 3/4 cup which i know would be way too much for her especially since you said you're feeding Maximo 3/4 at 8lbs and Lexie is just 2.6lbs. When i rub her body and press my fingers i can feel her ribs but she doesn't look underweight at all, just small framed. Orijen kibbles are all different sizes but most of the time it equals up to 1/4 if there's any left over i use as treats, but i'll up the amount to 1/3 cup just in case

[Britster]

I never go by the guidelines on the bag but Jackson is an adult at 2 years old. I'm not sure about puppies. He's always been not a huge eater. He's *very* active and 16lbs and gets 1/2 cup of kibble per day mixed with about a tablespoon of wet food, plus treats throughout the day. I also do pre-made raw a few times a week for his breakfast meal. And that's the perfect amount for him. If I give him any more, he generally will leave the kibbles in the bowl anyways. He's always self regulated pretty well.

What I do is leave kibble out in the bowl for him all day that he has access to whenever he wants (however, he rarely touches this... and if he does, it's maybe only 10 kibbles, if that). And then he gets 1/2 cup of Orijen kibble mixed with wet for his dinner.

[143julz]

I've been wondering the same thing...I switched Dudley to NB Venison/Sweet pot back in Oct/Nov, I swear he's packed on some weight, Can't see or feel ribs anymore. Sticking to serviing suggestion...NOW add the fact that he will eat Dex's lef over,s but we've been feeding them seperately.
Dud plumped up before we brought Dex home so this happend before hand

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by 143julz

I've been wondering the same thing...I switched Dudley to NB Venison/Sweet pot back in Oct/Nov, I swear he's packed on some weight, Can't see or feel ribs anymore. Sticking to serviing suggestion...NOW add the fact that he will eat Dex's lef over,s but we've been feeding them seperately.
Dud plumped up before we brought Dex home so this happend before hand

Does the NB Venison have more calories/fat than the food Dudley was eating before?

My boys could never eat the large amounts suggested in the feeding guidelines on any kibble bag. Well, Max could do it, but he would be huge.

[143julz]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Does the NB Venison have more calories/fat than the food Dudley was eating before?

My boys could never eat the large amounts suggested in the feeding guidelines on any kibble bag. Well, Max could do it, but he would be huge.

HUm, never thougth to check but now that you bring it up...
Going to check, hard thing is I was feeding him a mix of Chicken Soup, with I/D, in each scoop How in the world does one determine that!!

[143julz]

Originally Posted by 143julz

HUm, never thougth to check but now that you bring it up...
Going to check, hard thing is I was feeding him a mix of Chicken Soup, with I/D, in each scoop How in the world does one determine that!!

Went to Pet Supply on my way home to check this out..the NB is actually lower in fat/protein, same in moisture compared to Orjein (sp), Wellness, Taste of Wild, candai (sp)...I compared it to the CS i was feeding him, it alone was higher, not much than the NB...They didn't have I/D there, so I'll stay on NB...
I am going to try his lunch serving to be 1/2 the kibble of a 1/8 cup, and add some peas, beans, and other veggies for a month to see how that works for us..