[kbuck1984]

To start I feed Acana Rachlands. My pup is a Thai Ridgeback, 7 months old and weighs 55 lbs. When he was a pup we free fed him. Just put the food out and whatever he ate is what he ate. Normally roughly 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups a day. I was told we may be feeding him too much and should do 1/3 less than what the bag recommend.

So we cut his food down and now he inhales whatever is put down for him. Before he always had food in his bowl and didn't seem to matter. Now at the first sign of us feeding him he gets so excited and it doesn't matter 1 cup, 2 cup he eats it almost instantly. I tested it out this morning, woke up at 7, before 8 he had 2 1/2 cups of food. (I know it's not the best for him). He always seems hungry, and I'm no longer sure if I should keep trying to regulate what he eats, or let him eat to get full.

A lil more info he is still growing, and has gone up in weight every week so far with the exception of the last week, he lost 1.5 pounds, so this would lead me to think that he needs more food.

Advice?

 

[Wicket]

Some dogs can eat until they get sick, and then eat some more, lol. He's a growing boy, and would need more food as he gets bigger. Those charts on the back of foods are just recommendations after all. If he is active, he would definitely need a little more food as well. Since he's lost weight, I think you would need to feed him a little more and see what happens next week. Go by his weight and body shape, and determine whether to feed more or less from that. If he is gaining a stead amount of weight and isn't looking tubby, keep feed him that amount. Buuut, if he's getting fat and not looking so slim anymore, feed less, lol. I hope this helps. You can always talk to your vet as well to see if the amounts he eats are sufficient for his rate of growth.

 

[GreatDaneMom]

Some dogs can eat until they get sick, and then eat some more, lol. He's a growing boy, and would need more food as he gets bigger.

actually this isnt fully true. feeding dogs as they grow and age doesnt include constantly upping their food as they get older. small pups dont need a ton of food- they hit their "teenage years" and are the most active and using the most to support their growing bodies, hormones are also taking place here- then they plateau with their metabolism (or it can also drop) and the food is backed down a little or they tend to gain weight.

scheduled feedings are the best for your dog, especially to help with bloat prevention. if you were told you were feeding to much, who were you told by? your vet? if so, then him losing 1.5lbs probably wasnt a bad thing. vets usually dont say anything unless the dog is overweight. i would rather a growing pup was on the lean side, rather than being too heavy and putting extra stress on their joints.

 

[kbuck1984]

The food manufacturer suggested that we feed less than what is on the bag and it also is stated many times on this forum. He isn't on the chubby side at all. I will post some pics so everyone can get a better idea.

 

[Kathyy]

If you overfeed the dog he will get fat or have loose stool. If your pup isn't getting fat and his stool is fine then go ahead and increase his food. Every dog is different!

I suspect pups vary day by day as to how much food they would like to have but growing pups slow and lean is better for the aging dog than keeping them plump and fast growing. Remember that Purina ad? The reason the dogs lived 2 more years is because they were fed a lot less food.

 

[GreatDaneMom]

The food manufacturer suggested that we feed less than what is on the bag and it also is stated many times on this forum. He isn't on the chubby side at all. I will post some pics so everyone can get a better idea.

pics would be great. i wondered if your vet had told you, thats all. you didnt say who specifically told you or where you heard it, so i was thinking that if it was your vet, that the pup probably was too heavy.