How much to feed?
and I told her I let Hendrix graze and when his bowl is empty I fill it back up. She said that was fine. Hendrix is about 88lbs and I've noticed that in the past week he's been eating a lot more then he typically does. Could it be heat related? I really don't have him outside at all, I take him on a 20 minute walk around 9pm only because the heat here (getting up to 99 degrees) is just too intense for both of us. How much should I be feeding him? |
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| He's eating MORE in the heat? My guys are wanting LESS. Time for a road trip back to the vet, just to weigh him, they shouldn't charge for that. Call first just in case.
Boredom and frustration cause overeating in doggies as well as uprights. Maybe he's craving more activity but due to heat can't do more. |
| From everything I've ever heard, food should always be measured and controlled from the day they come home - especially for large breeds. Controlled growth prevents damage to joints and controlled food portions prevents extra weight which can increase a dogs lifespan by up to 2 years.
I would advise talking to your vet and finding out how much he or she recommends you feed and of what type of food. Also be careful with treating as some treats can be very high-cal. We actually got a Purina Vet Formula food pamphlet from our vet that has a handy charts on how much to feed a puppy or dog based on their expected final weight for pups and based on their current weight for adults. |
| Hmmm.... well I read your post again and saw that your vet advised that free-range grazing is okay. Maybe discuss your concerns about his increased appetite with your vet and see if he or she has any more recommendations.... or get a second opinion? |
| Yeah, really. More food in the heat?
My dogs tend to eat more because they are competing with each other. You know boys, they all have to outdo each other. Keep checking his ribs, that's the best test. |
| My vet doesn't charge for the scale, if anything I'll go in and she'll see me there and wonder why, maybe get a free exam! I know what you mean, who's hungry when it's hot out?! I'll let you know. |
| My dogs have less appetite in the heat... but, maybe he is just bored... |
| Glad I didn't waste a new post on this...i'll just jump on here.
I'm feeding Nutro Large Breed Puppy, and just got a new bag today. Checked the recommendations on the back to make sure i was still in the right range, and noticed that I was not. For pups 6-8 months and 60-80 lbs, they recommend 6-7 1/4 cups a day. A little lower for 9-11 month pups. Walter eats about 5 cups a day (2.5 cups x 2). He seems very healthy, has regular, solid poops, no more than 5-8 "treats" a day. He's 70 lbs at 9 months, and visually appears well balanced... Anyhow, I remember someone up here saying that Nutro was a high-density food (less required per feeding) and that they also jack up the feeding recommendations for sales purposes. I'm not really worried, as Walter doesn't really seem to want any more than what I give him - it usually takes him a few trips to the bowl to finish. He's also still got plenty of energy, etc. I guess I thought I'd just put this up if anyone wanted to share feedback about Nutro in particular, or any other feeding recs. |
| Sounds about right to me. I remember Bosley eating sooooo much when he was younger, like 5 to 6 cups a day easy, as he was growing. He tapered off at about a year.
Bosley is now 16 months old and 68 pounds. He gets about 4 cups daily (2 c twice a day) of Nutro regular ...not large breed. The bag suggestions do not take into consideration the amount of excercise your dog does. More excercise means more food....less excercise means less food. I make a habit of rubbing my hands along the dog's spine, ribs and hip bones very often, and increase or reduce food accordingly, as required. You should feel them without pressing the skin to look for the bones, but they should not "stick out" pronounced. |
| I just switched to the lite forumula of the food I feed my two.
Pepsi is getting way too sausage like. They have both been eating their usual amount of food, but because of the heat their activity has been limited. So I figured until they start getting active outside again I will keep them on the lite formula. That way they still get the same amount of food they are accustomed too and maybe Pepsi will lose some weight. |
| Hendrix could be eating more because he is bored. With the hot weather and less walks, he may actually be eating just for something to do. He could be doing it instead of a "bad" behavior that he knows is not allowed - it may be something to do that he knows he won't get in trouble for. |
| Jasper eats about 4 cups a day - 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. |
| We do the same thing as you and leave the food out and they can eat whenever they like. I noticed that it's not unusual for it to vary sometimes with how much food they want. It's very hot here too and sometimes they eat a lot and sometimes not so much. They get Nutro. I get a different Nutro each time and switch between lamb, beef and chicken. I know that's probably not much help, sorry.
It never hurts to make a call to the vet if things don't seem right. |
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