Feeding Amount

[BobbyTheBeagle]

Just wondering what everyone uses as a guide for feeding amount for your dog,

I've been following breeder's recommendation with regards to the feed amount, but he is growing and growing.

I think he needs more food as he is undergoing a growth spurt..

Bobby is now 14 wks...and weighs about 6kg. and at the moment i'm feeding him 3 meals:

1.5cm of chicken roll in morning, 2-3 chick necks for lunch, and mixture of dog roll + raw beef for evening (approx. 4-5 table spoons in amount)

Veges/fish are added sometimes as well.

Any suggestion is appreciated!!

[Legacee]

are you feeding any dry food? Most dog rolls purchased from the supermarket are better added to dry food and are not enough alone for a growing puppy.

[Red Fox]

The way I work out how much to feed is by using the dog as my guide. If he is looking a little too lean or is having a bit of a growing spurt and seems extra hungry I increase the amount that I'm feeding (slightly) and if he starts to look a little too tubby I reduce it. This is how his breeder suggested to do it and it seems to be the best way for us.

If I try to do it any other way, ie. % of body weight or the amount of dry food suggested on the pack it never seems to work out right. And if I was to feed him all he could eat in 15mins I might as well give him the whole bag

Maybe you could try increasing his meals by 10-15% every week until you get to the right level?

I think every dog is different though and you need to find what works for you.

[BobbyTheBeagle]

are you feeding any dry food? Most dog rolls purchased from the supermarket are better added to dry food and are not enough alone for a growing puppy.

Well yes i do but not that often, but is dry food always required as I though the raw meat will be fine ?

I'm currently using the VIP dog roll ..

[BobbyTheBeagle]

The way I work out how much to feed is by using the dog as my guide. If he is looking a little too lean or is having a bit of a growing spurt and seems extra hungry I increase the amount that I'm feeding (slightly) and if he starts to look a little too tubby I reduce it. This is how his breeder suggested to do it and it seems to be the best way for us.

If I try to do it any other way, ie. % of body weight or the amount of dry food suggested on the pack it never seems to work out right. And if I was to feed him all he could eat in 15mins I might as well give him the whole bag

Maybe you could try increasing his meals by 10-15% every week until you get to the right level?

I think every dog is different though and you need to find what works for you.

That's what i've been trying to do, by looking at his tummy!!

Is it okay if they look quite empty before their meals? sometimes i feel i dont' feed enough, but the dog is not to trust as I've been told..

[Red Fox]

Well yes i do but not that often, but is dry food always required as I though the raw meat will be fine ?

I'm currently using the VIP dog roll ..

It's a good idea to give him a good quality dry food at least once a day or as part of his meals while he is growing so that you can provide him with all the proper nutrients that a puppy needs. If you are going to feed raw he will need lots of bones as well as the raw meat and vegies, fish, dairy etc.

[Red Fox]

That's what i've been trying to do, by looking at his tummy!!

Is it okay if they look quite empty before their meals? sometimes i feel i dont' feed enough, but the dog is not to trust as I've been told..

The way I do it is to look at Kei when he is out playing in the garden but not right after his meals. If I can see the shadow of his last 2 ribs in the sunlight then he is at correct weight. If I can't he's getting to fat

I dont tend to look at his tummy before or after his meals, only in-between times.

Kei is a ridgeback and their ALWAYS hungry so I cant trust him either Plus being a large breed it is important to keep him lean.

Not sure about Beagles though...

Edited February 17, 2009 by SecretKei

[BobbyTheBeagle]

Well yes i do but not that often, but is dry food always required as I though the raw meat will be fine ?

I'm currently using the VIP dog roll ..

It's a good idea to give him a good quality dry food at least once a day or as part of his meals while he is growing so that you can provide him with all the proper nutrients that a puppy needs. If you are going to feed raw he will need lots of bones as well as the raw meat and vegies, fish, dairy etc.

any recommendation for dry food? so say 50% dry and 50% raw or dog roll?

and how much bones is sufficient? not sure if he can take the big bones yet, but would ribs be ok ?

[Red Fox]

any recommendation for dry food? so say 50% dry and 50% raw or dog roll?

and how much bones is sufficient? not sure if he can take the big bones yet, but would ribs be ok ?

If you're going to give him bones try chicken necks and wings to start with. At 14 weeks old he should be able to handle this fine. Ribs might be a bit big but lamb flaps and beef brisket are a bit softer once he can handle it.

When we first started giving Kei his chicken necks he wouild swallow them whole so I broke them up into smaller pieces until he learnt to chew them (a couple of weeks) I also gave him frozen wings so that he would chew them. Now I have no problems with getting him to chew because he actually finds it more enjoyable

I'm not an expert on diets but I have looked into the different dry foods as there are quite a few around. We use Nutrience (large breed puppy) and find it is quite good. Royal Canin, Eagle Pack and Artemis are all good choices too. These are all Super Premium so fairly expensive, but you will use less than you would of a cheaper food and the ingredients are much better so worth it IMO.

If you are feeding mainly dry food you can add things like mince meat, yogurt, minced veg and fish to it and then substitute it with bones here and there. That way you know that your dog will be getting a good variety of foods and you dont have to worry about the ratios too much.

If you want to feed raw (BARF) do a lot of research before you start. I've got the Ian Billinghurst books (available from Barfaustralia.com) which have a lot of info in them on what to feed and how to do it. The ratios for raw according to the book are 60% Raw meaty bones, 15% veg, 10% offal, 10% dairy and 5% fruit but if you are feeding mainly dry then you dont really have to worry about that too much.

What was your dogs breeder using? They are probably the best person to contact for advice on feeding.

Hope this helps

[poodlefan]

are you feeding any dry food? Most dog rolls purchased from the supermarket are better added to dry food and are not enough alone for a growing puppy.

Well yes i do but not that often, but is dry food always required as I though the raw meat will be fine ?

I'm currently using the VIP dog roll ..

I think that with dog roll and raw meat this diet is potentially too high in phosphorus and deficient in calcium and potentially in other minerals. The only calcium source you are feeding is chicken necks. I'd be replacing the dog roll with a good quality kibble and feeding all meat on the bone.

Edited February 17, 2009 by poodlefan

[LeeJane]

My Staffie pup is over 12 weeks old now, her main diet is dry food (Super Coat for pup), but I do mix some vege in the dry food, ie. pumpkin, carrot, potato (all mashed).

I will give her raw chicken neck maybe 2 or 3 times a week, I mix 2 necks with her dry food, usuallly for her lunch.

Then dinner is dry food with vege again.

However, I am currently training my pup thus she gets lots of treats through out the day, chicken liver, chunkers, cream cheese in her kong. So yea, she is getting quite a variety of food.

[BobbyTheBeagle]

any recommendation for dry food? so say 50% dry and 50% raw or dog roll?

and how much bones is sufficient? not sure if he can take the big bones yet, but would ribs be ok ?

If you're going to give him bones try chicken necks and wings to start with. At 14 weeks old he should be able to handle this fine. Ribs might be a bit big but lamb flaps and beef brisket are a bit softer once he can handle it.

When we first started giving Kei his chicken necks he wouild swallow them whole so I broke them up into smaller pieces until he learnt to chew them (a couple of weeks) I also gave him frozen wings so that he would chew them. Now I have no problems with getting him to chew because he actually finds it more enjoyable

I'm not an expert on diets but I have looked into the different dry foods as there are quite a few around. We use Nutrience (large breed puppy) and find it is quite good. Royal Canin, Eagle Pack and Artemis are all good choices too. These are all Super Premium so fairly expensive, but you will use less than you would of a cheaper food and the ingredients are much better so worth it IMO.

If you are feeding mainly dry food you can add things like mince meat, yogurt, minced veg and fish to it and then substitute it with bones here and there. That way you know that your dog will be getting a good variety of foods and you dont have to worry about the ratios too much.

If you want to feed raw (BARF) do a lot of research before you start. I've got the Ian Billinghurst books (available from Barfaustralia.com) which have a lot of info in them on what to feed and how to do it. The ratios for raw according to the book are 60% Raw meaty bones, 15% veg, 10% offal, 10% dairy and 5% fruit but if you are feeding mainly dry then you dont really have to worry about that too much.

What was your dogs breeder using? They are probably the best person to contact for advice on feeding.

Hope this helps

Thanks for all the advice, I will need to add some more dry food by the sounds of it.

I do like feeding him raw as i've read how much better it is compared with dry-only diet.

Could I feed him a mixture of raw meaty bones plus dry food with addition of some fish/vege/dairy 2-3times per wk?

would there be anything major i'm missing out on in terms of nutrition?

[TerraNik]

Personally I am not a fan of the dog rolls, but each to their own.

I would support what SK said about getting your hands on some BARF information. It sounds like that sort of feeding regime would suit you better (based off you wanting to feed raw). The Ian Billinghurst books are great and they explain what your dog needs and what sort of nutrience different foods give your dog (including information on processed food e.g. tinned dog food, dry food, meat rolls, etc). Even if you plan to feed the dry + RMB + vege it would probably be beneficial for you to read the books so that you can create a good balance.

Edited February 18, 2009 by TerraNik

[Red Fox]

Thanks for all the advice, I will need to add some more dry food by the sounds of it.

I do like feeding him raw as i've read how much better it is compared with dry-only diet.

Could I feed him a mixture of raw meaty bones plus dry food with addition of some fish/vege/dairy 2-3times per wk?

would there be anything major i'm missing out on in terms of nutrition?

You could add dairy (natural yogurt or cottage cheese) to the dry every day if you wanted to, mince meat with the dry most nights and vegies every 2nd night and substitute one meal every now and then with raw meaty bones. Fish is usually once a week and you can also add raw eggs aswell.

When we first started Kei's diet went something like this; breakfast- dry mixed with natural yogurt or an egg, lunch- dry or a chicken wing or lamb flap, dinner- dry with 1/2 cup lean beef mince yogurt and occasionally veg and a small tin of sardines once per week.

If you are feeding at least 50% dry you shouldn't have to worry too much about your dog missing out on any major nutrients.

If you want to feed raw you can add it in and build on it slowly but make sure you do your research first.

Good luck

[oakway]

Hi,

Don't forget if you are feeding vegetables the only way the dog can get any nutrition from them is if you put

them through a juicer or pulverize in a blender.

Just a waste of time and vegetables other wise.

[muddles]

We used dry food only for the first few months - then puppy went on hunger strike and refused to eat it anymore - she's been on raw for the last 2 months

Our girl is 8 months, and about 12kg, we give her ~175gm of raw mix (Canine Complete White from Canine Country at Woodridge) split into two meals (morning and night) + 2 chicken necks or a chicken wing every second day (on average sometimes more often) + a meaty bone once a week, and sardines maybe 2/3 times a week (such that she gets a can of sardines over the week)

Sometimes she seems 'hungry' a couple of hours after tea so I give her a handful of kibble (which we have left over from pre-hunger strike) - my logic is if she really is really hungry she'll eat it

She's pretty much finished growing upwards - just needs to fill out now - she's not skinny or fat for the moment

When she was your pup's age, we would of been giving her about 3/4 cup of kibble (~75gm) split into three meals + chicken necks/bones/carrots to chew on. I noticed that she would go through skinny and fat stages - one day she'd look like she was getting fat, then over night she'd have a growth spurt and be looking skinny - so if your boy is in a growing stage I'd guess thats what you are seeing

Have you tried weighing a typical days food allowance?

[huski]

Thanks for all the advice, I will need to add some more dry food by the sounds of it.

I do like feeding him raw as i've read how much better it is compared with dry-only diet.

Could I feed him a mixture of raw meaty bones plus dry food with addition of some fish/vege/dairy 2-3times per wk?

would there be anything major i'm missing out on in terms of nutrition?

A raw diet can be great, but dog food roll is not considered to be part of a raw/BARF diet.

There is a great Dr Billinghurst book called "grow your pup with bones" that I would highly recommend reading. You don't have to feed dried if you want to do a raw diet, go for it, but it is best to leave out the dog food roll and read up on raw/BARF diets so you know how to feed the right balance.

We use the guide of 80% raw meaty bones (chicken wings, necks, frames, lamb necks and shanks, beef bones, salmon heads etc) and 20% vegies, fruit and offal. I also make up a BARF mix that includes beef mince (human grade not pet mince), raw fruit, vegies, sardines, yoghurt and offal. It is important to get the right balance when feeding a pup.

ETA: You can also buy pre-made Dr Billinghurst BARF patties online and in certain pet supply shops, which would be a good alternative if you don't want to make them your self.

Edited February 18, 2009 by huski

[BobbyTheBeagle]

We used dry food only for the first few months - then puppy went on hunger strike and refused to eat it anymore - she's been on raw for the last 2 months

Our girl is 8 months, and about 12kg, we give her ~175gm of raw mix (Canine Complete White from Canine Country at Woodridge) split into two meals (morning and night) + 2 chicken necks or a chicken wing every second day (on average sometimes more often) + a meaty bone once a week, and sardines maybe 2/3 times a week (such that she gets a can of sardines over the week)

Sometimes she seems 'hungry' a couple of hours after tea so I give her a handful of kibble (which we have left over from pre-hunger strike) - my logic is if she really is really hungry she'll eat it

She's pretty much finished growing upwards - just needs to fill out now - she's not skinny or fat for the moment

When she was your pup's age, we would of been giving her about 3/4 cup of kibble (~75gm) split into three meals + chicken necks/bones/carrots to chew on. I noticed that she would go through skinny and fat stages - one day she'd look like she was getting fat, then over night she'd have a growth spurt and be looking skinny - so if your boy is in a growing stage I'd guess thats what you are seeing

Have you tried weighing a typical days food allowance?

No i haven't been weighing it, the dog roll i usually measure, the rest is by estimation..

A raw diet can be great, but dog food roll is not considered to be part of a raw/BARF diet.

There is a great Dr Billinghurst book called "grow your pup with bones" that I would highly recommend reading. You don't have to feed dried if you want to do a raw diet, go for it, but it is best to leave out the dog food roll and read up on raw/BARF diets so you know how to feed the right balance.

We use the guide of 80% raw meaty bones (chicken wings, necks, frames, lamb necks and shanks, beef bones, salmon heads etc) and 20% vegies, fruit and offal. I also make up a BARF mix that includes beef mince (human grade not pet mince), raw fruit, vegies, sardines, yoghurt and offal. It is important to get the right balance when feeding a pup.

ETA: You can also buy pre-made Dr Billinghurst BARF patties online and in certain pet supply shops, which would be a good alternative if you don't want to make them your self.

So something like the composite from Canine Country would be fine ?

[huski]

So something like the composite from Canine Country would be fine ?

I've never fed it before, but I have tried these:

http://www.barfaustralia.com/products.php?pid=1

Whereabouts are you in Brissy? If you are northside, Pet Centro on Sandgate Rd in Clayfield stocks the BARF patties.

[BobbyTheBeagle]

We used dry food only for the first few months - then puppy went on hunger strike and refused to eat it anymore - she's been on raw for the last 2 months

Our girl is 8 months, and about 12kg, we give her ~175gm of raw mix (Canine Complete White from Canine Country at Woodridge) split into two meals (morning and night) + 2 chicken necks or a chicken wing every second day (on average sometimes more often) + a meaty bone once a week, and sardines maybe 2/3 times a week (such that she gets a can of sardines over the week)

Sometimes she seems 'hungry' a couple of hours after tea so I give her a handful of kibble (which we have left over from pre-hunger strike) - my logic is if she really is really hungry she'll eat it :cool:

She's pretty much finished growing upwards - just needs to fill out now - she's not skinny or fat for the moment

When she was your pup's age, we would of been giving her about 3/4 cup of kibble (~75gm) split into three meals + chicken necks/bones/carrots to chew on. I noticed that she would go through skinny and fat stages - one day she'd look like she was getting fat, then over night she'd have a growth spurt and be looking skinny - so if your boy is in a growing stage I'd guess thats what you are seeing

Have you tried weighing a typical days food allowance?

No i haven't been weighing until today, took out the measuring cylinder...

with the dry (i've got some purina lucky dog) and it says for dogs 6-10ish Kg, the recommended amount is 2 cups per day, is that a lot? and how does that compare with the diet i'm feeing him right now ?

I know i need to research more about BARF, but in terms of raw meat, is the amount the same as for dry food?

Basically, right now his diet is:

half inch of chicken dog roll (morning) - will change to dry now after the advice

2-3 chicken necks or chicken wing (lunch)

1 cup of dry + raw beef/brisket (dinner)

along with some veges/fish/yogurt..etc...

Is this too little or too much? sometimes i'm just not sure...

I've never fed it before, but I have tried these:

http://www.barfaustralia.com/products.php?pid=1

Whereabouts are you in Brissy? If you are northside, Pet Centro on Sandgate Rd in Clayfield stocks the BARF patties.

I'm in the South, so may go to canine country...or I'll see if pet city has them as I go there for puppy class...