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Topic Dog Boards / Feeding / How much food?
- By Bouncya [gb] Date 11.03.08 10:08 UTC
Does any one know how much food i'm supposed to be giving my 18week old lab pup in every meal?

He's quite a 'chunky' pup and I dont want to be over feeding him.
- By Teri Date 11.03.08 10:22 UTC
Hi Bouncya,

how much food is a little like "how long is a piece of string" ;)  All dogs, even littermates, are quite individual in their requirments as their metabolism will be different as will their lifestyles.

IMO the best measure of whether the correct diet in amount and content is being fed or not is more to do with the "feel" and "look" of a dog - even pups.  You should be able to see his waist and just feel his last ribs.  If he's too well "covered" in these departments, i.e. no visible waist and can't find a rib to save yourself LOL) then he's having too much.  If his ribs are too noticeable or pin bones (hip bones found at the end of his back before it slopes down to the root of his tail) then he needs a little more added to his daily ration.

His over all condition should be bright eyes, shiny coat, springy skin, good solid regular poos, and of course his demeanour upbeat and active as would be expected for a puppy.

HTH a little - it's so easy to be over anxious (and experience doesn't necessarily make that go away ;) )
regards Teri
- By Bouncya [gb] Date 11.03.08 10:56 UTC
Thanks for the info.

I shall see if  can find his waist when he wakes up from snooring his head off!

I'm just worried we've been over feeding him as his stomach is very round and he's quite a solid, chunky pup. He has trouble sitting properly some times too.
- By Ktee [au] Date 11.03.08 11:46 UTC
The amount fed also depends heavily on what type of food you are feeding.If you're feeding commercial dry food,then it will depend if you're feeding a grain heavy food or a meat based one..You will usually have to feed much more of the former to get the same nutritional value of a more concentrated meat based food.
For example a dog may have to eat 6 cups per day of a filler/cereal based food,whereas he would only have to  eat 21/2 cups of a more nutritionally dense food.

Clear as mud eh? :-D
- By Bouncya [gb] Date 12.03.08 14:16 UTC
haha ... think I get it.

His food is meat based. I keep it in  huge tub and scoop it up with a beaker. He used to have 3 beakers day but he seemed to 'fat' and had could not sit properly. So we cut out one meal a day. He now has just breakfast and dinner which is one beaker each. So hopefully he'll stop being so tubby! lol
- By Ktee [au] Date 12.03.08 20:47 UTC
Bouncya what food are you feeding?
- By Bouncya [gb] Date 13.03.08 10:12 UTC
Its a Pet at Home dry puppy food.
Topic Dog Boards / Feeding / How much food?

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