# How much to feed?



## df1960

Hawkeye is 13 weeks old, I feed him ACANA dog food, I've been feeding him 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups in the evening. Should I be feeding him more, he cleans his bowl and looks like he could eat more and when I give him a treat he grabs it like if he hadn't eaten in days. He feels very boney, no fat, but at that age I don't think they have much fat. 
How much does everyone else feed and what are you feeding?


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## shilorio

beautiful dog! Basic Feeding Guide for Dogs, How much should I feed my dog?  hope this helps!


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## roxy84

4 cups may be plenty with Acana, but nobody can tell you what the right amount is as you are the one who monitors his body condition and will have to adjust feeding amounts as needed. just because he wants more food doesnt mean he is starving. if i fed kimba every time she acted hungry she would be a blimp. its ok to feel ribs, as long as they arent visible (one easy way to tell is look at him from the side out in the sunlight). lean is good.

if you have any pics from the side standing up and from the top looking down on his back, you will get lots of opinions on his body condition.


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## shilorio

3 1/2 cups is what i fed shilo  thats what the vet told me, but she was a little small so i wasnt sure if it was the same


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## Elaine

You need to look at your dog to see if he needs more food or not. You can't go by if he acts like he's starving or not. If he's lean without being skinny, he's fine. If he's skinny, feed more. Every dog is different and will need different amounts of food to maintain body condition.


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## Lucy Dog

Acana is not a good food to feed to a 13 week old puppy. It is a good food in general, but not good for puppies. Too much calcium is not good for a growing large breed puppy and Acana has too much. I'd consider a switch if I were you until at least the first 18 months.


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## roxy84

Lucy Dog said:


> Acana is not a good food to feed to a 13 week old puppy. It is a good food in general, but not good for puppies. Too much calcium is not good for a growing large breed puppy and Acana has too much. I'd consider a switch if I were you until at least the first 18 months.


someone earlier got a response from champion that the maximum Calcium levels in Acana grainless are 1.7%, the same as in orijen. if that is correct i think its fine for a large breed pup. besides, she didnt say she was feeding acana grainless. it may be one of the grain inclusive formulas, which would be fine as well.


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## LaRen616

4 cups sounds about right to me. Do you think your puppy is too fat or too skinny? I think that he is absolutely adorable and looks like good weight to me.


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## df1960

I feed the regular ACANA with grains. I can't say he looks skinny but I do fine he's boney, when you pet him you can feel every rib and you can definitely see his hip bones. I increased the amount this morning by 1/4 cup, so I'll see if that makes a difference. I'll try and get a few pics of him from the side and the top. Thanks for all the comments/replies. 
BTW, Love this forum!


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## Lucy Dog

roxy84 said:


> someone earlier got a response from champion that the maximum Calcium levels in Acana grainless are 1.7%, the same as in orijen. if that is correct i think its fine for a large breed pup. besides, she didnt say she was feeding acana grainless. it may be one of the grain inclusive formulas, which would be fine as well.





df1960 said:


> I feed the regular ACANA with grains.


I stand corrected twice then. Didn't know Acana is only 1.7% which is kind of pushing it because I don't like to go over 1.5%, but isnt too bad and I didn't even know Acana made formulas with grains.


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## roxy84

Lucy Dog said:


> I stand corrected twice then. Didn't know Acana is only 1.7% which is kind of pushing it because I don't like to go over 1.5%, but isnt too bad and I didn't even know Acana made formulas with grains.


i agree orijen/acana grainless are as high as i like to go at 1.7%. i know its an arbitrary number, but we all have to draw the line somewhere. if someone really want a grainless food for their gsd pup, it still looks to be the best option out there.

Acana had always made grain inclusive foods and only introduced their grainless line around 2008 (i think?).


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## tx250

What's a good % of protein for puppies? I was looking at Blue Buffalo large breed puppy food and the calcium level is 1.2% and the protein is 28%. Is there a range is should be in?


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## potatoe

most people say you should feed your puppy four cups a day [two in the morning and two at evening.] but others say three and a half is good. start with 3.5 and add more if he/she seems skinny or if he/she wimpers when you eat.


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