Food Quantity Question - Second Opinion

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Wagonracer

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I would like some second opinions on what the Vet told me regarding quantity of food. Japer is 13 weeks old and weighs 4.5 lbs. The vet told me the proper formula is 1 cup per 10 pounds of dog per day, therefore Japer would need 1/2 cup per day which means 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the afternoon. Does this seem correct??? I don't want to be under-feeding my dog. Sometimes he seems like he could eat more going to his bowl after finishing his food. Other times he will leave a few morsels in the bowl... Any thoughts??? Thanks...
 
Wagonracer said:
I would like some second opinions on what the Vet told me regarding quantity of food. Japer is 13 weeks old and weighs 4.5 lbs. The vet told me the proper formula is 1 cup per 10 pounds of dog per day, therefore Japer would need 1/2 cup per day which means 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the afternoon. Does this seem correct??? I don't want to be under-feeding my dog. Sometimes he seems like he could eat more going to his bowl after finishing his food. Other times he will leave a few morsels in the bowl... Any thoughts??? Thanks...
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I don't think my shelties have ever left anything in their bowl :) I would monitor his weight to see if he's getting enough. If he starts to feel bony up his food, if he gets chubby decrease it. Amounts are pretty food specific, if that was a 1/2 cup of Orijens a day that might make him chunk up, if it was a 1/2 cup of Nature's Variety Prairie, might be spot on.
 
I agree, it depends on what the food is that you're feeding. We've always fed a premium quality puppy food at the rate of 1/2 cup three times a day until the pup is six months old. But again, it depends on what the food is.
 
My puppy, Buddy, is 4 months old, about a 2 weeks ago he was weighed @ 10lbs, and he is now 12 1/2" tall. He's eating about 1 1/4 cup a day now. This seems to be the right amount for now. He gets Kirkland puppy food which is fairly high quality, and according to the chart on the bag, at five months he will begin to get a little less each month. Before this he was increasing his food monthly. Shelties are always hungry, no matter how much you feed them, so it's up to you to keep their weight under control. Also, watch out for loose stools, that usually means you are feeding to much. As you notice the different size of shelties, you can see that they all need different amounts of food. It also depends on the quality of food, and the activity level of each sheltie. Like Clamothe said, you need to feel your puppies ribs regularly, and you will feel the individual ribs very slightly if he is getting enough food.
 
Crystal1 said:
Also, watch out for loose stools, that usually means you are feeding to much. .
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I'd never heard this before! As I'm process of switching diets, I'm also juggling good quantity. Indy is smaller than Bacca, and though I've been feeding them both the same amount for now, I notice that Bacca's stools are firm, but Indy seems to be a little loose.

Where did you get this info from?

Thx alot!
 
Did the vet mean an adult dog - I think that is probably roughly right for an adult (if they are not high energy dogs). But pups need a lot more energy.

I would err on the side of too much for a young pup. After all you want him to get all the nutrients he needs to make sure he grow healthy bones and coat. It is also easier to get weight off when they are that young and harder to address deficiencies when they are older.

You might find these calculators useful.
The first will give you a calculation of a dog's energy requirements based on their weight - it will show you puppy calories
http://www.mycockerspaniel.com/mer.htm#waltham

The other one gives an estimate of how many cups of particular brands of dog food to give or you can enter the calories per cup of the one you are feeding. (although it assumes you feed no treats)
http://www.mycockerspaniel.com/feed.htm
 
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