What food, how much and how often...need input please :)

[Sheldonsmom]

Originally Posted by yanki

i am feeding natural balance to Melo and he is 3 months old now. But after i read the post about natural balance, i am so scared to feed him Natural Balance food. Consumer complaints about Natural Balance Pet Foods

I am thinking of switching his food to Now! or taste of the wild.

Hi Yanki, not sure if you are aware but totw is made in the diamond plant, same plant that packs NB. I now don't trust anything that touches the Diamond plant.

Feel so bad because I just threw away 4 big sample bags the company sent me but I wasn't going to feed that to Sheldon.

Sheldon gets 3/4 cups now and he seems to be satisfied with it. I am hoping he slows down as he gets older because he looks like a butterball turkey lol

[KeiGirl]

Originally Posted by Sheldonsmom

I could not free feed Sheldon, he would be a butterball turkey if I did. This dog eats everything, he constantly sniffs the floor like an army troop, no part of the floor is skipped. I should have called him Hoover or maybe Dyson lol

This morning I put 1/2 of his daily portion out, he ate part of it so I put away the rest. We'll see how it goes.

You think Sheldon might be related to my Mya? lol. Sounds every bit of her. But I actually leave her kibble out until night time. I feed her half a cup per feeding. Yesterday she was fine after two feedings. The day before it was a cup and 1/3. She eats only the kibble though. She never finishes all her food in one eating. She leaves it and comes back to it when she wants more. I give her a small treat as well but she still sniffs the floor (at my apartment and my parents' house) for something she can put in her mouth... food or not. My mother said I should give her more food. If she was that hungry, I would think her kibble would be gone quickly from her bowl..? She never eats all her food from the bowl when I feed her.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by KeiGirl

You think Sheldon might be related to my Mya? lol. Sounds every bit of her. But I actually leave her kibble out until night time. I feed her half a cup per feeding. Yesterday she was fine after two feedings. The day before it was a cup and 1/3. She eats only the kibble though. She never finishes all her food in one eating. She leaves it and comes back to it when she wants more. I give her a small treat as well but she still sniffs the floor (at my apartment and my parents' house) for something she can put in her mouth... food or not. My mother said I should give her more food. If she was that hungry, I would think her kibble would be gone quickly from her bowl..? She never eats all her food from the bowl when I feed her.

She's probably not eating it all because it's too much.

1 1/3 cup is entirely too much for a dog under 15lbs.

It does depend on activity, metabolism, and food (calories, etc) but in general... I don't think there's any food out there that I'd feed over 1 cup to to Jackson who is 16lbs and very active.

[KeiGirl]

Originally Posted by Britster

She's probably not eating it all because it's too much.

1 1/3 cup is entirely too much for a dog under 15lbs.

It does depend on activity, metabolism, and food (calories, etc) but in general... I don't think there's any food out there that I'd feed over 1 cup to to Jackson who is 16lbs and very active.

Oh my. Really??? Maybe I'm reading the bag wrong. She was eating Natural Choice for small breed puppy. I recently switched her to Blue Buffalo's Grain-Free Natural Chicken. On the back it says (for 3-20lbs, 3-5months) 1/4-1 1/2. What exactly should I be given her then? She will be 5 months soon. Last time I took her to the vet she weighed 6lbs. Oh forgot to add... she is active inside and outside. Lately I've been taking her for walks.

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by Britster

She's probably not eating it all because it's too much.

1 1/3 cup is entirely too much for a dog under 15lbs.

It does depend on activity, metabolism, and food (calories, etc) but in general... I don't think there's any food out there that I'd feed over 1 cup to to Jackson who is 16lbs and very active.

I Agree!!

Riley gets about 1/8 Cup for breakfast and 1/8 Cup for dinner. I also chop a couple of green beans and sometimes a carrot and mix in with his food. He will be 2-years old next month and is between 8 & 9 pounds. On days when he is more active he will get a little bit more, otherwise, that Totally works for him!!

[KeiGirl]

Originally Posted by RileyDC

I Agree!!

Riley gets about 1/8 Cup for breakfast and 1/8 Cup for dinner. I also chop a couple of green beans and sometimes a carrot and mix in with his food. He will be 2-years old next month and is between 8 & 9 pounds. On days when he is more active he will get a little bit more, otherwise, that Totally works for him!!

1 cup or 1 cup and one-third of a cup is too much??? I don't mean 1 cup each meal. I'm talking for the entire day. If I gave her less than a cup a day I think she would be whining for more food. She definitely eats a cup a day but she gets an extra half when she's been out playing and running a while. The other day she was out for two hours playing and continued playing when I brought her inside.

[MikaTallulah]

I feed 1 cup of kibble daily for 3 Adult Yorkies.

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by KeiGirl

1 cup or 1 cup and one-third of a cup is too much??? I don't mean 1 cup each meal. I'm talking for the entire day. If I gave her less than a cup a day I think she would be whining for more food. She definitely eats a cup a day but she gets an extra half when she's been out playing and running a while. The other day she was out for two hours playing and continued playing when I brought her inside.

Riley gets 1/8 cup, two times a day.

[KeiGirl]

Originally Posted by RileyDC

Riley gets 1/8 cup, two times a day.

Ok. I was told just now that a cup should be sufficient for her if she's not that active. Idk... She doesn't eat anything but the kibble. I will try just a cup and see how she works out with that. Thanks for the info.

[Sheldonsmom]

Originally Posted by KeiGirl

1 cup or 1 cup and a half of a cup is too much??? I don't mean 1 cup each meal. I'm talking for the entire day. If I gave her less than a cup a day I think she would be whining for more food. She definitely eats a cup a day but she gets an extra half when she's been out playing and running a while. The other day she was out for two hours playing and continued playing when I brought her inside.

When will your puppy be 5 months, Sheldon will be 5 months on Monday 21st.


I have been reading the feeding guidelines from food bags and I noticed the amount of food for young puppies is larger than the amount for an older dog. Guidelines in packages are always way more than what it should be...at least that is what I have heard.

When I asked the vet she said 1/2 a cup a day should be enough. I suggested 3/4 cups and she said that would be too much.

From what i gathered here and info online a puppy this young, active and growing could eat 3/4 to a cup a day and they slow down after they get older and start eating less.

I found this little tool on this company food website

Dog Food Analysis - Feeding Guidelines - Back to Basics

If you play around with the dogs age the amount changes even if the weight stay the same.

[Sheldonsmom]

btw, since his teeth were loose I have been adding warm water to his kibble (he does not get anything else but kibble) and he finishes it right away and goes to the container and barks for more.

His teeth came in so I am going to stop adding water but I think I am going to have a hard time getting him to eat the dry kibble now, he really likes it wet.

[KeiGirl]

Originally Posted by Sheldonsmom

When will your puppy be 5 months, Sheldon will be 5 months on Monday 21st.


I have been reading the feeding guidelines from food bags and I noticed the amount of food for young puppies is larger than the amount for an older dog. Guidelines in packages are always way more than what it should be...at least that is what I have heard.

When I asked the vet she said 1/2 a cup a day should be enough. I suggested 3/4 cups and she said that would be too much.

From what i gathered here and info online a puppy this young, active and growing could eat 3/4 to a cup a day and they slow down after they get older and start eating less.

I found this little tool on this company food website

Dog Food Analysis - Feeding Guidelines - Back to Basics

If you play around with the dogs age the amount changes even if the weight stay the same.

I just checked from the day she was born. She will be 21weeks this thursday. What do I do if she wants more food once I feed her less? Are snacks too much as well? I mean I don't want her to starve. I haven't been told that she's overweight. She's been to two different vets. But I am learning though. Thanks again.

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by KeiGirl

Ok. I was told just now that a cup should be sufficient for her if she's not that active. Idk... She doesn't eat anything but the kibble. I will try just a cup and see how she works out with that. Thanks for the info.

Was it a vet who told you that?

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by Sheldonsmom

When will your puppy be 5 months, Sheldon will be 5 months on Monday 21st.


I have been reading the feeding guidelines from food bags and I noticed the amount of food for young puppies is larger than the amount for an older dog. Guidelines in packages are always way more than what it should be...at least that is what I have heard.

When I asked the vet she said 1/2 a cup a day should be enough. I suggested 3/4 cups and she said that would be too much.

From what i gathered here and info online a puppy this young, active and growing could eat 3/4 to a cup a day and they slow down after they get older and start eating less.

I found this little tool on this company food website

Dog Food Analysis - Feeding Guidelines - Back to Basics

If you play around with the dogs age the amount changes even if the weight stay the same.

Yeah, I feed Riley 1/8 cup Plus his green beans and carrot... which then probably total 1/4 cup twice a day which is 1/2 a cup a day.
That is also what my vet told me was good for him. He'll be 2 next month and he between 8 and 9 pounds.

My vet said you can add as many green beans as you want. He said by the time they finish chewing them they have already burned them off.

[Britster]

Well, pups definitely will need more, since they are growing puppies after all

I guess it just depends on each dog, but in general, yeah I'd say that's too much.

Oh and I never go by the bag, it's always a way over-estimate. It's no wonder so many of our dogs are obese these days.

Jackson typically gets, on average, 2/3 cup of a 430 kcal/cup food. And that's with running full speed about 4 days a week, hour-2 hours per day total (20mph sprints, I clocked him, LOL), 1-2 mile walks 4-5 days a week, uphill running a few times a week, frisbee, etc. He swims practically all summer long, and when he's swimming, I usually will give him more... around 3/4 cup. Like I said he's 16lbs and an adult.

I personally probably wouldn't go over 1 cup, but I mean, if he's starving... don't deprive him either. I wouldn't worry about overweight problems until closer to a year.