Do You Measure Your Dogs Food And Bones?

[Norskgra]

I was at a dog show yesterday and a group of us were talking. Some one mentioned some news about a person we all know and his girlfriend. One of the group asked if he still measured his dogs food and weighs the bones before he gave it to them. Everyone thought it was a laugh to go to so much trouble.

My daugher and I just looked at each other but didn't say a word. We have always measured our dogs food and I keep measuring cups in the container with thier dry. We have also weighed the bones and raw food. We couldn't see anything wrong with it. I have to add that we were the only ones there that don't have a problem with our dogs weight. The others are always saying that thier dogs are over or under wieght.

Are we taking feeding our dogs too seriously or do others measure and weigh thier dogs food?

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

We measure their dry food. If we give extras like sardines, chicken wings or a little bit of raw then we cut back a little on the dry

[Hazz]

All our dogs BARF mix is weighed into their individual portions, bagged and marked with their name letter. We've weighed the bones but nowadays we know the average weight for each bone (eg, wing neck carcass etc) and can give them out accordingly, so yes we weigh out our dogs meals for each dog.

[Dogs4Fun]

Hi Norskgra,

I measure everything my dogs eat. The rations for the day are measured out for each dog. These are then used for meals, treats, training, rewards: as long as they are all used up each day, both me and the dogs are happy.

And my dogs don't have weight issues ...

Perhaps I should get someone to do the same for me ....

[Norskgra]

I am glad we aren't the only ones. If we give them something extra we will cut the rest back as well.

That is probably why ours are kept at a constant slightly lean weight and the others are always worrying about their dogs having to lose or put weight on.

I also make all of their treats and they are low fat but still rationed out to them.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Norskgra

[Guest Piximatosis]

I used to measure out their dry food and couldn't understand how anyone else managed to get away with not doing so

Now... I just plonk the food down and they eat it. If they're looking too skinny, I'll feed more or change what I feed them (more lamb, fattier pieces)... if they're looking fat I feed less.

For me it's easier and there's less stuffing around. When I buy it I get 20kg of lamb brisket and 20kg of chicken mince in bulk bags, tip it into a big red tub and then sit down on the verandah and bag it all up. I just chuck in handfuls and then when I'm thawing things out I'll grab two medium bags and a smaller bag, or two bigger bags and divide one out for Brody... less thinking involved and I don't have any problems with my dogs and their weight.

[Skipy]

Well we prepare food for our dog, so I know exactly how much rice to give, how much veges and how much meat (~10 chicken necks, 2 hearts or something like that). So yes we measure.... No weight problems at all.

[Flaves]

I measure dry food and their wet food.

She has 1/2 cup dry and 1/6can morning and night and he has 2cups dry and 1/4 of a can morning and night.

They have a few extra treas but i do cut down if they have more than usual.

THey are both growing pups and he is a little underweight so i am trying to fatten him up a little.

I have always measured my dogs food

[kaywoman68]

My 2 gets 1/2 cup of dry food (morning and night) and whatever I've got for them (egg, sardines, veges, mince). I sometimes feed them canned food but very very rarely. I feed them biscuits, chicken wings, dentabones etc during the day and I've had no probs with their weight. I dont know if I'm feeding them too little but I do feed them quite a few treats.

They're actually lighter than I thought they were. I thought they were 15kg but they're only approx 12kg which is a good weight (stupid home scales )

I do try to keep in mind what they shouldn't be over but otherwise, as long as they're healthy it's fine by me and OH

[Nadia]

Nope, no measuring, but no weight issues either??

What foods my dogs get fed varies from day to day, they do not get the same food day in and day out. Would be a task to measure out proportions of everything. They all look great.

[Mooper]

Jack is a bit on the heavy side, so after a farmer called him Pudd'n at sheepherding last month, I've been meticulous about my measuring!

It's no wonder he was getting bigger ... the chicken carcasses I was giving him were twice the weight of the BARF I give him.

He gets 2/3c Science Diet Light for big older dogs in his Buster Cube each morning. No treats on walks any more, unless we're training something new. And he gets 300g of BARF mix each night.

It doesn't sound like much for a 30kg dog, but he's not losing condition and has only lost a little weight in the last month. I'm starting to feel his ribs when I run the back of my hand down his side, so all is well.

[KitKat]

I do much the same as LilPixie If the dogs are carrying a tad extra weight they get a food cut...if they look a lil too lean then they get an increase

[nickyp]

I've just put my dogs back onto a raw diet after a couple of years on a mix of rmbs, dry food and scraps and I weigh their rmbs and vegies very carefully. I'm hopeless at guesstimating how much they need. If I don't weigh the food I always overfeed them and, as a result, they're overweight - not badly, but they each need to lose a couple of kilos.

[Teebs]

I have a cup for the dry food, they each get one of those a day - mince and bones etc are just thrown on top, will cut back the dry a little depending on what meat they get

[shmoo]

my boys and foster dogs always get 250grams of mince (chicken, lamb etc) every night. and always have access to dry food. they would go through about 2x cups a day of dry food. so not alot for 4 small dogs :D they are all fit and active. when i leave bones out for them during the day i cut back on there dinner. today they had some yummy lamb bones and so no dinner tonight. just dry. there was plenty of meat on the bones and they are still chewing on them now!

[Vehs]

Nah, I don't measure I just "know" by the look of the food.

I popped into this thread because I'm going interstate and have to write down what to feed Jim when I'm gone so measured his dinner tonight and wrote up a daily list :D

[peigirl]

Yup everything is measured. Raw vege mix, meat, bones and treats - give or take a little but averaging 700 grams a day. Never any weight issues in this corner either :D

[Norskgra]

I am really glad to see that I am not the only one who measures the dogs food.

[MrsD]

I dont always "weigh" but I do measure! When I first got Jonty he was on 1/3 cup dry food 3 times/day & I measured it with a cup measure but now he's getting two "handfuls" (which I measured at around 150g) plus tinned food. In a little while as he grows I'll probably up his feed again, probaby use a cup again since my hand's now to small .