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How much food

MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
Millie has been slightly underweight since we got her (can see all her ribs). She's been unlucky as she had a UTI which took a couple of courses in antibiotics to clear) and more recently a bout of diarrhoea which needed antibiotics too (practically back to normal now). When we first got her, she didn't have a good appetite for a few weeks; maybe because of the antibiotics. But her appetite has now improved. The food she is on says that for a puppy between 10-20kg, she should have between 150-300g a day. She's around the 17kg mark now at 4.5 months. She easily eats 200g at each feed and then goes back to the empty bowl a few times between feeds and looks for more.

So should I go by the bag or her appetite? Particularly as she needs a bit of weight on her.

Thanks!


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Elana P

Well-Known Member
Millie has been slightly underweight since we got her (can see all her ribs). She's been unlucky as she had a UTI which took a couple of courses in antibiotics to clear) and more recently a bout of diarrhoea which needed antibiotics too (practically back to normal now). When we first got her, she didn't have a good appetite for a few weeks; maybe because of the antibiotics. But her appetite has now improved. The food she is on says that for a puppy between 10-20kg, she should have between 150-300g a day. She's around the 17kg mark now at 4.5 months. She easily eats 200g at each feed and then goes back to the empty bowl a few times between feeds and looks for more.

So should I go by the bag or her appetite? Particularly as she needs a bit of weight on her.

Thanks!


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Elana P

Well-Known Member
Charlie, at five months, is 30.1 kg (66.359 lbs).
He eats 4.5 (8oz) cups a day, divided into two meals (plus toppers and bones, and carrots, and apples, and treats...), which translates into 36oz, or 1020. 583 grams per day, and he is in great shape.
 

MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
Thanks Elana! I guess it also depends what food they are on? Does he eat within the guidelines of the recommendations on the pack? Do you go by that or by his appetite? He is certainly a lot heavier than Millie and they are not that far apart in age


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Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I would go by body condition. Use the recommended amounts on the bag as a starting point and adjust up or down from there. My English Mastiff eats 1.75 cups of food twice a day. More than that and she starts getting chunky. Al, the 53lb boxer, eats the same food but he gets 5-6 cups total a day and looks like a skeleton. Roy, also 53lbs, eats 1/2 cup wet mixed with 1 cup ground kibble twice a day and his body condition is perfect. All of that is just to say that I think it depends on the dog. I do not go by appetite. Ella would eat the entire bag and go looking for more. I go totally by body condition.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Thanks Elana! I guess it also depends what food they are on? Does he eat within the guidelines of the recommendations on the pack? Do you go by that or by his appetite? He is certainly a lot heavier than Millie and they are not that far apart in age


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Elana P

Well-Known Member
I tend to go by the way he looks.
I'm looking for a nice tucked in belly, showing a bit of rib, and a nice figure when looking at him from the top.

When I notice him begining to look thin, or not gaining any weight in a given week, I up the food.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
I would go by body condition. Use the recommended amounts on the bag as a starting point and adjust up or down from there. My English Mastiff eats 1.75 cups of food twice a day. More than that and she starts getting chunky. Al, the 53lb boxer, eats the same food but he gets 5-6 cups total a day and looks like a skeleton. Roy, also 53lbs, eats 1/2 cup wet mixed with 1 cup ground kibble twice a day and his body condition is perfect. All of that is just to say that I think it depends on the dog. I do not go by appetite. Ella would eat the entire bag and go looking for more. I go totally by body condition.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't dare go by appetite, lol.

Charlie, is the canine equiv. of a hoover vacuume cleaner.
He WOULD eat the content of a whole bag, then eat the bag as dessert :eek:.
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
If you're feeding Raw, I would give her more if she's still thin and seems hungry. Seems like they metabolize Raw quicker than kibble, probably because it lacks the heavy fillers.


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Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
If you're feeding Raw, I would give her more if she's still thin and seems hungry. Seems like they metabolize Raw quicker than kibble, probably because it lacks the heavy fillers.


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I have a question that I've asked people before and never really get an answer. Why do some people capitalize raw? As in, "I feed RAW." Or as you did? Usually that indicates an acronym like BARF was Bones And Raw Food long ago and is now sometimes Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods. We don't capitalize kibble, or home cooked. I hope this question doesn't sound snarky. I'm just curious.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
I have a question that I've asked people before and never really get an answer. Why do some people capitalize raw? As in, "I feed RAW." Or as you did? Usually that indicates an acronym like BARF was Bones And Raw Food long ago and is now sometimes Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods. We don't capitalize kibble, or home cooked. I hope this question doesn't sound snarky. I'm just curious.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I have never given it any thought, lol.

I would assume that it's just a habit that people get into, never really given it much thought. One sees it written this way here and there, so one just continues writing it that way ad infinitum.
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
It was an accident. My thumbs don't work so good. Lol. But I see I did it twice certainly without thinking. Oops!


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Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I just wondered because I've had some people be really adamant that it's RAW. And it kind of always makes me laugh because I shout it in my head when I'm reading it. Thanks for the answers guys.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
If you're feeding Raw, I would give her more if she's still thin and seems hungry. Seems like they metabolize Raw quicker than kibble, probably because it lacks the heavy fillers.


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I would think it's because raw is about 70% water ........
 

MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
She's also just had another awful bowel movement. She was on 5 days of antibiotics with chicken and rice all week. I introduced the kibble back slowly. But this morning, no consistency, brown water. Back to the vets??


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PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
Oh no. Poor girl, and poor you. She may have something going on: What Causes Diarrhea in Dogs?
Change in diet
Food intolerance
Ingestion of garbage or spoiled food
Ingestion of poisonous substances or toxic plant material
Ingestion of foreign body (for example, toy, rubber band, plastic bag, etc.)
Allergic reaction
Bacterial or viral infection
Internal parasites, such as roundworms, coccidia and giardia
Inflammatory bowel disease
Kidney or liver disease
Cancer or other tumors of the digestive tract
Certain medications
Colitis
Stress
Hemmorhagic gastroenteritis
Make sure they do an xRay to be sure she doesn't have something stuck in her intestines? Good luck and God bless!


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