Hi Guys
My sister is looking after her Mother-in-laws Cocker Spaniel Bitch (2 years old).
She rang me this morning to say she doesnt think she is getting enough food :(
She gets fed ONCE a day on Half a small tin of Pedigree Chum {at 2pm exactly }
Jill says she always seems hungry.
Personally that doesnt sound like much. Even My sisters cat eats more than that!!!!!!!
Is it enough for a 2yr old ECS bitch?

A lot of Cockers are always hungry :D Having said that, this doesn't sound much for an adult Cocker especially as tinned food contains a lot of water. Does she not have mixer biscuit or complete food with the tinned food? Have just looked at a can of Chum & it recommends 12/3 cans a day for a 10kg dog if the tinned food is fed alone -Cockers tend to be heavier than 10kg too. I would think this bitch does need more food than what she has been getting but it depends on her activity levels, whether she has been spayed, whether she looks reasonably "well-covered". I always feed our Cockers twice a day & find it suits them better than just the one meal a day regime. I don't feed tins that often but would mix tins with an equal amount of complete food if I was going for this method of feeding.

HTH

Jane

Hi AliC, Food requirements vary between individuals, I have American Cockers and no two of the four eat the same amounts.I personally prefer to feed twice a day, but yes the dogs would all eat much much more if given the oppourtunity. I would look at the dog ,has it got a waist, ie is it slightly nipped in behind the rib cage. Is it possible to feel, but not see the ribs, and also the spine. If you can see the bones without touching the dog then it's perhaps too thin.If it has no waist shape then it's too fat. However if that is the case then on the amount of food stated it's possibly lots more exercise and activity that this dog needs.If the dog looks a decent shape and weight then I'd leave well alone.

Hi Nursey, I'm the same - take no notice of how much the dogs eat, just of what condition they are in. I find that the food needs varies a lot between dogs of the same breed and also with individual dogs, depending on exercise, age and weather.

Hi Jane
Thanks for your advice. I cannot get hold of my sister at the moment to find out if she has been speyed etc. (Jill said she looks healthy BTW but does look a little skinny, and a I think she is given Bonios through the day)
IF she HAS been speyed, would that food be enough for her, or would it be better to add a mixer and perhaps break it down to 2 meals a day.
It just sounds a long time for a dog to go without a meal.
Thanks
Ali

Ali,
If we are talking baked bean tin size can then I think that half a can with bonios (making up the mixer part) during the day is probably enough food for a sedentary, probably spayed cocker.

Also one persons idea of skinny is a dog that is just right!

One of my Elkhound bitches wehn younger and spayed could only have 4 to 5 ounces of a maintenance type dry food. Last year I had to increase the quality and amount, as due to the aging process (and suspected early cancer) she was loosing muscle mass/not absorbing it as well as before.

She now gets 200grammes (7 ounces) of a good quality highish protein complete same as the young ones!

They are aprox 20kg (43 pound) bitches. They get plenty of excersise.

If I fed tins they would only get 1 tin, or 3/4 and some biscuit.

I have resorted to this when on holiday.

Hi Ali

I would go for 2 meals a day whether she's spayed or not - specially if she's the busy, always buzzing around type. A 2 year old shouldn't be that sedentary even if spayed - Cockers tend to be a bit older before they decide to be couch potatoes :-) If she seems healthy & is just a bit on the skinny side, I wouldn't worry too much - she's probably fitter than the overweight Cockers I see waddling around quite often :-) If she's getting Bonios throughout the day, then that's the same as adding mixer (expecially if they are the big-sized ones!) so she's probably getting enough to eat, though without seeing her, it's a bit hard to say for sure. As every one else has said, all dogs need different amounts of food - my spayed bitches are fed considerably less than the young adults but they are older bitches, not 2 year olds, so are not as active anyway.

How big is she? Is she spayed or intact?
If she's spayed, it might be all she can eat which keeps excess weight off.

It's very difficult to go with the "dog acting hungry" evidence as proof since many dogs are basically "appetite surrounded by dog" and are opportunity eaters. Spaniels can be one of those "types".

Samma's 17 pounds and she eats about 1/4 cup of food a day + a biscuit or pig ear. She's been porking up despite her 'normal' amount -- I think she's readying up for winter. Regardless of the amount, Samma will gorge until she can't walk if food is available. She never met a dinner she didn't like :D Chienne will just eat her fill and no more, rather daintily too. :rolleyes:

Perhaps she might try a low-cal dog food someday so she can give her dog a bit more bulk without the increase in weight?
good luck,
toodles

I can't help you there Ali- but I can say my cat eats a full tin of cat food a day in 4 portions:)

Stacey x x x

Hi Eog
You can tell why I am at weight watchers :D I am of the mentality you should eat throughout the day :D so when i see a dog having 1 meal a day, I automatically assume they are starving to death :D
Ali

I'm one of those that can forget about eating, but when I finally sit down or run out of energy -- watch out!

As for doggy appetites: About a week ago, Samma managed to drag an unopened 25 pound bag of dog food from our kitchen, through the dining area, and into the living room. About 30 feet, I think. Then she neatly sliced through one of the corners (paper and plastic lined) to make a hole big enough to stick her head inside. Her belly was quite distended and hard afterwards.

She didn't eat again until the next night (abt. 30 hours later) and she was quite happy about waiting :rolleyes: Her partner in 'crime' didn't want food for the next two days because she too had participated :D I think they consumed about a pound or two :rolleyes:

All of this was accomplished in less than 20 minutes while I was outside cleaning a vehicle :rolleyes: Silly me for forgetting to shut the kitchen door. :P
I'm just happy that she decided on the bag and NOT the biobucket which was quite full of moldy icky food remnants :) I've done that cleanup before :(
Ah, life with a terrier -- nothing like it in the world ;) :D :D