# Feeding 11 Month Old GSD 8 Cups a Day



## mas-o-menos (Nov 11, 2021)

Hi y'all,

My 11 month old GSD, Zuko, is currently getting 4 cups twice a day (8 cups total) of Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy food. Last time he was weighed was about a month ago and he was 73 pounds. He is probably about 80 lbs now. For context, his dad was 110 and his mom was 90. He is still a bit lanky (which I'm fine with), but I feel like 8 cups a day (386 kcal/cup) is a LOT. He had a bout of giardia a few months ago, but has been fine since then. Any thought or ideas? Recent photo attached.

Edit: Just want to add that he's decently active because he goes to daycare 5 days a week


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## brooklyn9000 (Feb 7, 2021)

Hey,

Might be a lot of food, depends on the dog really. You also want to keep your dog on the leaner side, easier on the joints. 110lbs seems a bit high for a GSD.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

He doesn't appear to be overweight at all, so yeah, I'd feed him what he seems to want/need. If he starts putting on too much weight, cut it back a bit.

My dog was eating a similar amount up until about 9 1/2 months, then her growth slowed and she started not wanting/needing so much. She's back to 3-4 cups now.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

What’s the quality of his stools?


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

That's a lot of cups (and calories) but not unheard of for an active growing GSD. Rogan ate 7c a day for months and had trouble filling out. He's now over 100 lbs and oversized for the breed. Still eats 6c a day at 2 years old.


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## mas-o-menos (Nov 11, 2021)

brooklyn9000 said:


> Hey,
> 
> Might be a lot of food, depends on the dog really. You also want to keep your dog on the leaner side, easier on the joints. 110lbs seems a bit high for a GSD.


His dad is a large West German showline. Pure muscle with a nice tuck. Just a big boy.


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## mas-o-menos (Nov 11, 2021)

Fodder said:


> What’s the quality of his stools?


The antibiotics/dewormer from the Giardia messed with his digestion, so his vet and I are actually working on adding fiber and probiotics to his diet to help with loose stool. It's not perfect yet, but there's been improvement.


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## mas-o-menos (Nov 11, 2021)

WNGD said:


> That's a lot of cups (and calories) but not unheard of for an active growing GSD. Rogan ate 7c a day for months and had trouble filling out. He's now over 100 lbs and oversized for the breed. Still eats 6c a day at 2 years old.


Good to hear! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't completely unheard of or if maybe I needed to switch to a higher calorie food.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

mas-o-menos said:


> Good to hear! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't completely unheard of or if maybe I needed to switch to a higher calorie food.


well the inconsistent stools from the giardia complicates things. typically, if you truly feel that he needs that amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight… i’d look into a higher calorie food to reduce the volume he’s eating, as, too much food can also be a cause for loose stools.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

That is a lot of volume of food. You should try something that has more calories per cup, so you can feed less and get same calories. I fed my puppy alot also, then switched to Dr. Tim's Momentum, which is very calorie dense.


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