Dog feeding question

ezbtr

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So Spike is maybe 7 mos old, I feed him 2 cups of dry food a day - one in a.m. and one at night - does he need more? Also a raw hide bone a few days a week, also is it ok to just fill his bowl with 2 cups at once?
The girlfriend fed him leftover rib eye steak and let him eat her dogs dry food last week(she spoils us!!!) - he did not handle that well poop wise next day although he loved it at the time :)
 

bigdee

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Re: Dog feeding question

I guess it depends on the breed. I keep my dogs (german shepard & ****zu) feed bowls full of dry food all the time and give them one can of dog food at supper time. My dogs will only eat as much as they need but some breeds will over eat.
 

WIMUSKY

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Re: Dog feeding question

How much you feed the pooch depends on its weight. The dog food bag probably lists recommendations, as a starting point. Also, you can put all the food in the bowl at once provided the pooch doesn't scarf it all down at once like mine would...... If it would eat a little here and there, that's fine......

2 cups for around a 40# dog, but that's for an adult. There maybe different recommendations for a pup......
 

eavega

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Re: Dog feeding question

Depends on how big Spike is, and how active. My 5 yr old Chocolate Lab weighs about 70 Lbs, and I feed him 32 oz (4 cups) of dry dog food every day. He gets it in the morning, and typically will eat some of it immediately, and go back to it later on in the day. I have been thinking of cutting back to 24 oz (3 cups) because he does a lot less running around and a lot more lazing about these days.

I've been advised against rawhide bones for bigger dogs. It is not easily digestible, and can cause intestinal blockages. I've switched to real bones (cow thigh bones). You can get these at pet stores. They are hollow inside, and as a special treat you can fill them with peanut butter or any other pasty product. Dog will chew and lick this for hours, but even Bosco (aka "Jaws of Iron") can make one of those thigh bones last for 6 months.

I tend not to give my dog table scraps, because changes in diet tend to result in household poop violations. Might be that I tend to favor spicy food, and spicy food does not agree with the pooch!

Rgds
 

rbh

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Re: Dog feeding question

Since our dog came down with diabetes a couple of months back we really have to watch what we feed her, 75-80 pound lab mix.

And what you feed them makes a huge differece, alot of dog food is 90% filler, corn ETC, although it is more exspensive try and find a food with more protien than carbs.
 

avenger79

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Re: Dog feeding question

I would avoid rawhide at all costs. go to a butcher and get him real bones. first time he gets a rawhide caught in his throat and begins to choke you will hate yourself for giving them to him. (personal experience) They soften it with their saliva until it becomes able to be swallowed sort of.

as far as food, I have a boxer and a bulldog, both get 1 cup in the AM and 1 cup dry with half a can (each) wet food. I used to leave food out for the boxer as she was good about not continuously eating. Bulldog won't stop eating until the food supply is gone however so now the new system. She got hold of a whole pizza and demolished it once. then of course she "demolished" the yard next. LOL
 

bruceb58

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Re: Dog feeding question

Always measure the food based on the dog's weight and what is recommended on the bag. The worst thing for a dog is to be over weight. Future hip issues and health issues depend on you keeping your dog at its proper weight. Same thing as humans.

Never feed your dog anything but dog food. Changes in diet like that can really screw up some dog's digestive systems.
 

WIMUSKY

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Re: Dog feeding question

One way to check if a dog is overweight is how easy/difficult it is to feel it's ribs. If it's kind of difficult, it's too fat. At 7 months, however, I doubt that's the case....... Just future reference.
 

Limited-Time

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Re: Dog feeding question

I have free fed both my Australian Shepard and Border Collie since I rescued them. The Aussie at about 10 months and the Border Collie at around 7 months. Whenever their bowls are empty I fill them (dry food only). Both are active and fit. That said my brother had a Weimaraner and a Husky that would empty their bowls whenever there was food in them.
 

ezbtr

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Re: Dog feeding question

600250_10200898679088923_588209163_n.jpgoh - he's about 28-30 lbs now, skinny, part bulldog(pit I think?), Sharpei and maybe Lab??? Every time I fill his bowl, he inhales it! :) I'll keep real bones in mind.
 

ezbtr

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Re: Dog feeding question

recent pic
 

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southkogs

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Re: Dog feeding question

recent pic
I certainly wouldn't be afraid of over feeding him too much right now ... looks like he could use an extra pound or so.

We feed twice daily. We use a base of kibble, but add in greens and some added protein (sometimes egg, sometimes meat).
 

bruceb58

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Re: Dog feeding question

The problem with self feeding is that as a dog gets older, you have to control the amount he eats because he will be getting less exercise. Will be a lot harder moving him from eating all day as much as he wants to controlled feedings and a set amount. Both of my vets told me to measure the food from the very beginning.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Dog feeding question

My last German Shepard lived to 13 and never had a weight issue.
I have a friend who had a German Shepard who fed his dog like you do and didn't have a huge yard either. His dog never had a weight issue either so possibly that breed doesn't have issues with that method of feeding.
 

tpenfield

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Re: Dog feeding question

I would maintain the twice-a-day feeding and go up 50% on the amount for now . . .

It looks like it is going to be more of the large breed of dog :noidea: . . .

We have had 3 large breed dogs over the past 25 years (now dogless) and one thing to be aware of with the feeding and excercise of these dogs is "Bloat" (Gastric Volvulus), which is causes death in dogs. (been there done that)

Feeding twice-a-day in 1/2 day amounts along with avoiding excercise right after feeding can help avoid bloat.
 

avenger79

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Re: Dog feeding question

I wonder if a dog's feeding habits aren't also driven by how it was weaned. Our boxer was an only pup and had mom all to herself to suckle at her leisure. The bulldog on the otherhand comes from a litter of ten rambunctious and hungry pups. when mom was available she was bombarded by hungry puppies.
The bully is about 2 1/2 yrs now and she still eats like there is no tomorrow when her food hits the floor.

our dogs do get snacks of fresh bannana and sometimes egg or steak also.

to Bubba's point about not being around, i was no where near when she devoured a whole pizza. LOL funny the boxer would be the one to go for beer. LOL they do make a great pair.
 

salty87

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Re: Dog feeding question

dog food is an interesting 'invention'. in reality it is more marketing than anything else. it hasn't been around very long, a little more than 100 years. it's truly a modern convenience...and like many other convenience type foods, it's very processed and some is of questionable quality. it's the drive-thru of dog nutrition. scoop a cup or 2 and wait for the next feeding.

as mentioned above, many commercial dog foods contain fillers and binders to make the familiar kibble shape. quality protein sometimes doesn't rank in the top 10 ingredients. imagine the long-term effects this can have on their health. you are what you eat after all. these fillers and binders aren't digestible so they end up all over your lawn. garbage in, garbage out.

there are some kibble based dog foods that use human grade ingredients. but, you can be sure that it's nothing you or i would consider good enough to eat. i don't care to imagine what some of the lesser, non-human grade foods use as protein. one thing is certain, if it's being made by a business they are provisioning the cheapest ingredients they can to maximize profits. and then there are chinese products, scary.

if you're interested in a more natural diet for you dog, search for b.a.r.f. dog diet. it's not the most convenient nor the cheapest. there are many benefits however.

based on your latest pic, i'd up the food amount as well. morning and evening feedings are best for larger dogs as they don't have to consume as much in 1 sitting which can lead to bloat as someone else mentioned, although running shortly after eating is much more dangerous for larger dogs.

the grocery store near me sells beef femur bones for soup. they come in 4-6" sections with marrow inside. great for teeth and coat.
 

roscoe

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Re: Dog feeding question

I'm not a dog expert, but have a couple breeders in the family, and a well renowned champion breeder in the area.

They all are feeding raw food. Set portions, twice a day.
One relative feed raw in the morning, then sets out a bowl of dry in the afternoon.
The issue that got them on this track was hip dysplasia.
Apparently raw chicken, bones and all, and beef bones, along with a veggie blend, is the diet of choice.

The champion breeder has been feeding this for years, and claims no hip issues in dogs from his kennels.
Raw unprocessed bones, calcium absorption, blah blah ...

Of course there is a good source of chicken backs from the processors in the area.
And the area dairy farms always have a supply of stillborn or crushed calves.
They dress them, grind them, and toss them in 40 # tubs to be refrigerated or frozen till needed.
The chicken backs are not ground.

I'm not real sure what they use for veggies, but have seen carrot and broccoli stalks in the mix. They just stir it into the ground meat.
 

salty87

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Re: Dog feeding question

I'm not real sure what they use for veggies, but have seen carrot and broccoli stalks in the mix. They just stir it into the ground meat.

this is the b.a.r.f. diet...Bones And Raw Food

the idea is that naturally a dog would eat squirrel, rabbit, whatever they can catch. the bones haven't been cooked so they aren't brittle. the prey's stomach has vegetative matter that provides add'l nutrients to the dog.

the veggies are carrot tops, old lettuce, old celery...in general stuff we don't eat. grind it up in food processor and portion it out with the meat. dogs are incredibly healthy. no allergies, breath doesn't smell, tons of energy and even less mess in the yard.

some veggies aren't good for dogs though...white potatoes, onions, and some others.
 

avenger79

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Re: Dog feeding question

I have a few friends that feed that as well. if transitioning from a processed food diet, be prepared, it will live up to it's abbreviated name above. Think the worst case of any of my friends was a week to adjust and stop vomiting.
they do all swear by it. I'm too lazy and cheap, although mine do enjoy their "real food" snacks. I haven't done the raw meat yet but they get carrots/bannanas and whatever veggies they will eat. raw bones of course from butcher.

hmm didn't know about the potato one. grapes I have heard are very bad.
 
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