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What food, how much and how often...need input please :) Sheldon is getting chubby. the vet said it is hard to feel his ribs, he is almost 5 months and he weighs 4.6. He is eating 2/3 cup a day of Now small breed grain free. When I put his food in his bowl he is very excited but then when he smells it he walks away, after a few minutes he goes back and eats some of it and minutes later goes back and finishes it. So here are my questions: #1. I want to switch him to a more affordable grain free food so I can buy 2 bags and alternate between day. His food is 23.99 for a 6 lbs bag. Is nature Balance any good? I was also looking at the taste of the wild. Does he still need a puppy formula? Acana and Orijen are as expensive as his Now food. #2. The vet and every dog owner I know says 2/3 might be too much food. Since he doesn't eat his food all at once should I take it right away right after he is done the 1st time? #3. How often do you feed an almost 5 month old puppy? Can I feed him twice a day? Thanks so much if you read this far, I really appreciate and value your suggestions :) |
I'd like to know this too. Is it better to have set times to feed a dog or just let them graze? Dexter has a constant bowl of dry food so he can eat when he's hungry, and he doesn't over eat which I was surprised at. |
I have two pups. First let me start with that I do home cooking for them but always keep dry out in case they get hungry. With the home cooking, I have a recipe that is specific for my dog based on age, weight, health, etc. As far as the dry food, I am currently using Taste of the Wild and I have not had any trouble at all. I pay about $12 for a 5 lb bag. I feed my girls twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the early evening time. Most of the time they are satisfied. However, occasionally they will eat some of the dry that I keep out. So the thought is maybe split his meal to keep him from getting hungry? I would think that the twice a day for him would be fine. On my recipe for the homecooking, it is for a one time meal but tells me that it is ok to split it up into 2 or 3 meals. So I would think it would be ok to do it with other foods as well. I am sorry I can't help about the amount to feed or have any more knowledge about puppies. Both of my girls were older than that when I got them. Hopefully someone here can give you more useful information. Good luck! :):) |
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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. |
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Thanks! |
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When Sasha was a puppy, I was often playing guess and check when it came to how much I should be feeding her. I was always afraid of her getting too fat. The breeder had sent me home with some instructions as to how she was feeding her puppies and if I remember correctly, (at the time) I was told to feed 1/4 cup 3 times a day, after 15 minutes pick up what she doesn't eat. For awhile, she would eat everything. After sometime, she wasn't too interested in her afternoon feeding so I cut it down to 2. If she would constantly leave a certain amount of food in her bowl, I would measure out how much she was leaving and then take that amount away from her daily portion. If after some time she began throwing up bile, I would increase her feeding portions. To this day (she's 4 years old now), sometimes I will increase her portion depending on how active she is during the day. Taste of the Wild is an excellent food with an awesome price tag, definitely a good choice. |
Mine are on Taste of the Wild. Go to their web-site and customer service send an email and tell them what kind of dog how old etc and they'll send you free samples to meet your pups needs. I free feed and mine usually are social eaters. They usually want eat untill I am home. |
I would still be letting a 5 month old puppy eat as much as they want. What food are you feeding now? |
He just has puppy weight he will even out as he gets older. While hes a pup you should feed him 3 times a day and can cut down to twice a day when hes an adult |
Thank you for all the advice! @lovetodream, e is eating Now fresh grain free small breed formula (for all stages) @Gatord, thanks! I'll do that :) Got to love a free sample. @xoxodoglover, was that 1/4 of cup each time or for the whole day? How about Nature Balance grain free, Is that any good? |
I meant Natural Balance |
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1/4 cup each time. As she got older and stopped growing, I was able to decrease the amounts, but like I said, it took a bit of "guess and check" before I figured out the proper amount to feed her. I fed Natural Balance to Sasha a long time ago. She wasn't the greatest fan of it but every dog is different. In my eyes, it's a good food as well. |
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I e-mailed totw and hopefully they can send me some samples of the puppy formulas. I stopped by the pet store and they gave me 2 samples of natural balance and one of totw puppy. So this morning I gave him a portion of his 2/3 cup of food (I measure 2/3 of a cup each morning and put it in a plastic container and divide the amount into 3 feedings) He ate a little bit and then walked away, 10 minutes later took it away. 2 hours later his tummy was rumbling so loud hahahaha. I waited til noon and he seemed so happy to see the food, sniffed it and walked away. Are you kidding me???? 2 hrs later gave it to him and he ate it. He ate part of his 3rd portion and he didn't eat all of it. I think tomorrow I'll try 1/2 a cup. Thanks for all the help everyone! |
1/2 c a day is plenty of food if it is a high quality kibble. Particularly if your pup is not very active. If your vet has indicated he is "fat" then take that to heart and cut down on the overall daily feeding amount. I always feel my little ones ribs. When we have very active days, like when we are hiking and swimming then he will get almost 1c per day. But on lazy days, a scant 1/2 cup. |
Gemy, you just opened my eyes! I didn't think about activity level and appetite, it totally makes sense to me now. btw 1/2 a cup is what the vet and pretty much anyone else that has a dog has suggested. She said 3/4 cup would be way too much for him, we compromised to 2/3 of a cup. You kind of have to dig in to feel Sheldon's ribs...my cute little meatball. |
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i tried 3/4 but it was too much for him , gave him diahrreah. (?) he also doesn't do well on a high protein grain free food. he is now on natural choice small breed and doing fabulous.... |
My three get a 1/2 cup of dog food each per day. I feed 1/8 cup in the morning, 1/4 cup in the afternoon (about 3-4 p.m.) and then another 1/8 cup about 8 p.m. My older 2 were having weight issues also (I have an 8, 7, and 2 year old)... and we are now feeding grain free Fromm. It is a wonderful food and Shelby has her girlish figure back! :D I do think at 5 months old you may be worry a bit prematurely..... 5 months IS still a puppy... I fed mine puppy food until at least a year old. |
I have been doing 1/2 cup yesterday and today. He seems to be doing fine. I think he eats just because he likes to eat and it gives him something to do. He is a snacker. Even when he got his lyme vaccine he didn't skip a meal :) @Oscar's mom, how do you know when a dog doesn't do well with a high protein grain free food, I remember he was on Now, when did you change and why? Thanks! @ShelbyandSeymour's mom, I have Sheldon on the same schedule as your dogs. I have tried feeding him twice a day but I don't think he can handle it. |
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Had a wellness exam & he checked out fine. So i decided to try and find a blander diet and i found the natural choice small breed. He has been on that for about two weeks now and he is doing great.. |
Aww poor Oscar! Sheldon had soft number 2 when we first brought him home but after switching to Now his poops are solid. I am afraid to change his food and have a disaster. Also, he has been chewing on his paws since we got him but never though about it until I read it is a sign of allergies. That's why I want to choose a food that has either chicken, turkey, fish or duck. Is Natural Choice grain free? |
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Here is a good thread on food.... I always tend to agree with what Brit has to say when it comes to food. :) http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...2184-food.html Consumer complaints about Nutro Pet Foods There is going to be good and bad said about every food.... Really the best food for your dog is whatever it does best with. :thumbup: :D |
Hi , no natural choice small breed is not grain free. It has brown rice & oatmeal. I do not worry about grain in my dogs food as long as it is a good quality food. An all meat diet is too rich for oscar. My airedale is the same, he gets very sick. I found california natural kangaroo & red lentil for him. Wow , he is doing awesome. It has only 21 % protein and 9 % fat. If sheldon is doing well on "now" dog food that is awesome. You need to go with whatever works for your dog.... |
Thanks! I am trying to figure out what to feed Sheldon since he is packing up the punds. I just weighed him and he is 5 lbs. |
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Did the Vet tell you what weight they thought he should be at? Puppies definitely need to eat More than Adult doggies..... |
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She said 1/2 a cup would be enough for a puppy his age but if he seemed hungry I could add another 1/8 cup to it . I was feeding him 2/3 cup and he would want more and more. I suggested 3/4 of a cup and she said that it would be too much for a pup his age and we didn't want him to gain too much weight because of health issues. He has been on 1/2 a cup because he is gaining rapidly and I don't want to overfeed him but now I wonder if I am starving him :( I give him food 3 times a day and take away any left over as soon as he walks away from the food. |
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I also do chop up a few frozen greenbeans. I try and get him out morning and night for at least a 15 min. walk There are times when he will go to his bowl and wants a little more on days when he is a little more active and I will give it to him. When I feed him the Primal Premade Raw he gets about 1 1/2 nuggets.... That's what he's been eating lately..... His allergies are Much better when he us eating the Primal Premade raw. |
Good luck with it... One thing I stopped doing was free feeding. Corky eats natural Balance. |
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. |
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