Three Feeds A Day

[♥Bruno♥]

Hi all

Just want a bit of advice from you guys about when I should cut back on Bruno's feeds? He's a 6 months old Ridgeback male. He is currently being fed three times a day, and eats it all up, but just wondering when I should start scaling it down. I dont feed him huge meals, but as a guide, he generally gets about a cup and a half of bikkies with mutton meat, shin steak, or chicken, pork etc cubed in the morning, I come home from work at lunch and give him a cup of bikkies, a chicken wing and a bone to chew on as I leave (so he doesnt notice so much that I'm leaving him (again ) and then at night he has about a cup of bikkies, cubed meat and grated vege & fruit (a mix of whatever is available, such as potato, pumpkin, cabbage, apple, pear etc). He may also get another chicken wing or small chew for bed time. Gee this sounds like a lot when I write it all down! But should I cut out lunch? I feel bad because he is 32 kgs and still growing, and the vet says he is nowhere near fat, just a healthy growing boy. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

[Tonymc]

Bruno,different People will have different views on this.With my last Pup I fed him three times a Day till he was about 7 Months. Tony

[goldielover]

I'm not sure if there is a particular time to cut out a meal for your breed, but i would imagine that you could decrease to 2 meals now.

[R00]

With Erik I moved him to two meals a day at about 10 weeks. He is now 5 1/2 months and is still on 2 a day. I will move him to one meal a day at about 12 months.

[cavNrott]

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Edited June 8, 2009 by cavNrott

[benny123]

I fed three meals a day until about six months then slowly decreased the amount at lunch and increased the morning and evening meal and then cut lunch out completely. My two are 8 months now and on a similar diet and quantity to yours. I also now include 1 raw egg, sardines and tuna in oil into the mix about once a week.

The three meals a day is because the pup's stomach capacity is not big enough to hold the required amount of food, but as they grow so does their stomach. My two are large Lab crosses so I'll continue with two meals a day forever as they're quite deep chested and my girl just inhales her food, so I worry about bloat.

[kirbydog]

Hi Bruno,

I have googled this article for you. It does give you a bit of a guide. http://www.my-dog.info/dogs_and_food/feedi...eed_puppies.asp

Large breeds need more energy so I think what you feed him is just fine. No dairy? Depending on size dogs should get dairy at least up to six months. I feed my pup puppy porridge or kibble with milk. My breeder has advised me to this.

Anyhow I am sure you are doing the right thing.

Dani

[Asalei]

We found our puppies weren't eating when we were giving them the food, so we decided to cut it down to 2 meals but give them more. This seems to have made them interested in the two meals more than just eating a few mouth fulls and walking away. They haven't been big eaters since we bought them home, so we just gather they are getting enough that they need.

I feed them a cup in the morning, a cup when we get home around 5:30ish, then a chicken wing at night. I can't miss the chicken wing, otherwise I'll know about it!

ETA, helps if I put a age, they would have been 20 weeks when we decided to stop feeding them three meals a day. They are now nearly 24 weeks old.

Edited May 10, 2007 by ~Erin~

[poodlefan]

I cut down to two meals a day at around 6 months but my dogs are far smaller. I kept Darcy the youngest on two meals a day until he filled out at around 16 months.

No weaned animal "needs" dairy - and certainly not dairy products from another species. They are a highly useful source of easily digested protein, calcium and minerals but they are not necessary.

The only dairy my dogs get is yoghurt in their BARF mix, cheese treats and the odd dollop of cottage cheese. I feed no cereals... that stuff is just filler. Dogs derive no nutritional benefit from it.

Edited May 10, 2007 by poodlefan

[Gomez the Norfolk]

Gomez was on 3meals a day until he was two, which coincided when we came here and quarantine could not feed him 3 times a day -

Now he is back to 3 or 2 a day depending on what the day is like - he loves his mealtimes, so if I can spread itout to 3 times a day, I do, it's like an activity for him!

[Miranda]

I generally find that my puppies decide when to drop the lunchtime feed, one day they're either reluctant to eat it or only eat a little and that's when I cut back to two meals a day. My dogs remain on two meals a day for their entire lives, they are a breed that can be prone to bloat and feeding twice daily is recommended.

Make sure that you keep the midday meal plain eg. dry food only, if you feed meat or something your dog really loves he will continue to eat it regardless of appetite whereas dry food is likely to be refused if the dog's not hungry and doesn't really need or want the meal.

[Poodle wrangler]

My 5 month old standard poodle has dropped the "lunchtime" meal, himself, so I'm feeding 2 meals a day, plus the odd bone or chicken wing extra snack.

People advised me to keep a large dog lean, even as a pup, so his bones grow properly- not too fast, or carrying too much weight .

[Joan of Arc]

Miranda I have taken my lead from my puppies also. Even though they are only 9 weeks I find they are not all that interested in their lunchtime feed. So I have cut that back to a small meal that they get fed separately so I can tell who's eating ans whi isnt. They're not ready yet to quite go without it but they get a good breakfast and then are fed at about 6 ready for the night. Then they get a little something to go to bed with.

And they get a bone each everyday - a lamb flap or similar.

[hollythegoldenretriever]

Holly has not been eating all of her lunch. She is only 9 weeks old. I will keep feeding lunch to she is at least 3-4 months then if she still isn't interested cut it right down to a snack.

[Flaves]

Mitchi got 3 meals a day until 6 months.

barker had it till then too.

Hunta has 2 meals a day and had since 14 weeks.

If we are home during the day she gets a third one but most days not.

They have a chicken frame in the morning, and at night Nutro, yoghurt and either meat or sardines.

Never had an issue, growing well and are very healthy.

I think it depends on the dog.

Some will eat 3 times a day some not.

I thin kMitch can nearly go to once a day as she is not really interested in twice a day.