Frequency of Meals? 2 or 4 meals a day?
I asked my cousin what caused this and he said the vet said large dogs need 4 small meals a day and not 2 meals a day or the weight causes organ issues. Anyone else heard of this? |
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| I've never heard of it. I'd like to hear everyone else's responses though. Is there anything to it? |
| Gastric torsion, otherwise known as bloat, is extremely common in great danes. They are best if free fed from puppyhood so they never learn to wolf their meals down too fast. That is my opinion anyway, with any large breed dog. Small breed dogs have glucose issues, so they are best if free fed too, they know when to eat and when not to. If they nibble throughout the day it keeps energy levels even, and prevent problems like bloat, gastric torsion, food aggression etc.
It does not mess up their routines for urinating and defecating, my dogs are free fed, and poop at exactly 8 am and 4 pm every day. These gastric issues affects large breeds, (Danes are twice the size of most oes) who also have a deep chest, which oes do not. It can still happen with oes, but it is not common. When their stomach twists, it cuts off the entry and exit of the intestines, causing it to fill up with gas and infection very quickly. If it is caught fast enough it CAN be treated, an operation to flip the stomach back over and staple it in place to prevent it from happening again. Usually there is not much warning and it is fatal. |
| I free feed my dogs as well. There is always food in their dishes. They eat when they are hungry and never eat from each others bowls.. (which surprises me).
They eat from elevated bowels, the only time I take their food up is 1 hour before and 1 hour after we go/come from the park, so as not to eat when they are over exerted. That is my biggest fear.. bloat... |
| I free feed too because that is what my vet recommended. They've always got food, so they don't have to gulp it down at meal time. I didn't realize there was a medical reason for it though. I thought it was mostly behavioural.
Good to know. |
| How do you keep a dog's weight down when you are free feeding? My neighbor does this with her 2 dogs and as they are not obese, they certainly do have extra weight on them. I've always fed twice a day, the same amount and their weight is always good. |
| So free feed is to always have food in the dogs bowl and let them eat when they want? Currently I put Hendrix's food in his dish at 7am and 6pm. He never scarfs down the whole thing, he's a nibbler.
It was very sad to lose Karma, it happened the day of our rehearsal dinner and my cousin's son and daughter were our ring bearer and flower girl. The vet said that they could do an operation for him, but it would be risky. Karma already had severe hip dysplasia (sp?). |
| Yes, free feeding is leaving food in their bowls all day and they eat when they're hungry.
I don't have a problem with my dogs weight either (Mine - yes!  but not the dogs ). I'm no expert, but I think just knowing they have access to it, they become "grazers" and just nibble a bit here and there. They also get plenty of excercise, so that keeps their weight down, too. |
| I put Clyde's food down at 6 p.m. and he grazes all night until we go to bed at about midnight. On occasion, he'll have a few mouthfuls in the morning because he never eats it all at night. He really cares very little about eating, which you'd never guess by the size of him. I give snacks in the morning but I don't leave food out all day with the 2 dogs loose because Clyde is food protective and without me there to intervene, I don't want any incidents. I don't expect any but better safe than sorry. |
| einstiens food goes down at about 9am, and is a measured daily amount, he nibbles all day and there is often a little left at the end of the day.
When occasionally wolfs hif food down, like when another dog visits, he pukes all over. edd (zoes better half, shes holding baby dictating) |
| I'm jealous. But with 6, I can't free feed......one or two would get it all. I feed twice a day but surprisingly small amounts. These guys can't get full. |
| I have heard of bloat before, when we picked up Smeagol from the breeder she advised us not to feed 1hour before or after exercise and only a little water. She had a friend that lost her O.E.S. with bloat, with no warning. We also free feed apart from after exercise, and use elevated dishes.
Chris Frodo and Smeagol |
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