# When to transition to two meals a day?



## Bmaez (Jan 3, 2016)

So we switched Finn off TOTW puppy to TOTW adult at around 7 months. He eats 1 1/3rd cup 3 times a day (4cups). He seems to be losing weight at around 10 months (4 lbs in less than a month) and I was told to switch him to twice a day (2cups) to slow down his metabolism. 

Is this a good time to switch and is he just losing baby fat? Am I working over nothing?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

How much does he weigh? Two cups is too little for an adult male. Much too little for a puppy. At 10 months he is still a puppy and is still growing, although more slowly.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Why do you want to slow his metabolism?I agree 2 cups once per day is not enough for a 10 month old male pup.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Puppies need nutrients to grow. A healthy puppy should not be losing weight, feed your dog.

Before I free fed, I used to transition my puppies to twice a day at six months.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

my understanding is that his daily ration would remain the same at 4 cups. this would be split between two feedings of 2 cups each. less frequent meals = slower metabolism, which is what her vet is suggesting. I don't see a problem with any of this. in the next 2-3 weeks if he is not maintaining or gaining... increase him a half cup.


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## BOSKY (May 14, 2016)

6 months is my plan. If Orion continues gaining weight and length at this rate he will weight between 45-50 lbs and be eating 3 3/4 cups, 3 times a day (or as much as he can eat in the 15 min period I allow him to eat). 

At 6 mo, I'll feed him morning and early night; 4 1/2 cups per serving. I'll increase cups as the feeding directions state on the back of the bag, based on age and weight.

I'll continue what I'm doing now with treats and snacks. If I see he didn't eat all of his breakfast, I add a few more treats and kibble to his Kong to ensure he gets the calories he needs. He'll eat anything, constantly, if it falls out of his Kong. 

At 6 mo, I'll also lower his protein intake to 25%. He is currently at 32%. I'm going to follow the "dysplasia-prevention" diet from 6 mo to maturity. There is some evidence that suggests this may help with degenerative issues that plague the GSD breed as the dog ages, by controlling the rate he grows, ensuring he doesn't grow too fast.


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## BOSKY (May 14, 2016)

Fodder said:


> my understanding is that his daily ration would remain the same at 4 cups. this would be split between two feedings of 2 cups each. less frequent meals = slower metabolism, which is what her vet is suggesting. I don't see a problem with any of this. in the next 2-3 weeks if he is not maintaining or gaining... increase him a half cup.



That seems low. My dog is at 3 cups, 3 times a day. He just had his second vet visit and was at weight. My next week, he'll weigh enough that I'll increase his cups to 3.25. 

What is the reasoning here, maybe I am doing it wrong?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

BOSKY said:


> 6 months is my plan. If Orion continues gaining weight and length at this rate he will weight between 45-50 lbs and be eating 3 3/4 cups, 3 times a day (or as much as he can eat in the 15 min period I allow him to eat).
> 
> At 6 mo, I'll feed him morning and early night; 4 1/2 cups per serving. I'll increase cups as the feeding directions state on the back of the bag, based on age and weight.
> 
> ...


You sound like me. I was trying to be very precise about my my dog's food intake, but at five months he still looked too thin and felt too thin, and we increased the food. At one point he was up to 5 cups a day on the lower protein food. I dropped it down a little when I couldn't feel his ribs easily. 32% is higher than I've ever fed him. He was on LBPF which I think is 26% and is now on adult food at around 24%. He is 9 months old and probably still growing, although his growth rate has slowed down. I found I needed to be flexible with food intake. Being that precise and rigid wasn't good for my dog. By too thin, I mean you could see and feel every rib and he was always looking for more food,


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## GreenCo (Sep 26, 2013)

BOSKY said:


> That seems low. My dog is at 3 cups, 3 times a day. He just had his second vet visit and was at weight. My next week, he'll weigh enough that I'll increase his cups to 3.25.
> 
> What is the reasoning here, maybe I am doing it wrong?


9 cups of food a day? That seems very high to me. What brand of food is this if you don't mind me asking.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

there's no way I'd feed a food that required my dogs to eat (truthfully 5) 6, 7, 8 and especially not 9 cups of food!! granted my boys are on the smaller side but at 10 months Tilden was on 2c twice a day... at 7 months Keystone was on the same and at 1yr I took him down to 3c total, still split between two meals. both dogs now 3 and 9 eat and maintain lean bodies on 3c total daily.


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## Bmaez (Jan 3, 2016)

Appreciate the input from everyone. We increased to 1.5 X 3 or 4.5 cups per day. He also started this thing where he doesn't want to eat so we've since added a combo or pumpkin/chicken broth. Some times adding small bits of hot dog to the bottom of the bowl to get him started


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Bmaez, I also feed TOTW. I can't answer how much you should feed your dog. I increased or decreased the amount, slightly, if I thought my pup needed to gain a few pounds or lose a few pounds. As for twice a day, you pup is definitely ready for that. I started feeding my pup twice a day fairly early on.


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## souvik6 (Jan 22, 2014)

Fodder said:


> there's no way I'd feed a food that required my dogs to eat (truthfully 5) 6, 7, 8 and especially not 9 cups of food!! granted my boys are on the smaller side but at 10 months Tilden was on 2c twice a day... at 7 months Keystone was on the same and at 1yr I took him down to 3c total, still split between two meals. both dogs now 3 and 9 eat and maintain lean bodies on 3c total daily.


Can you please confim how many grams = 1 cup as per discussion on this forum?

I have been feeding my boy 2 cups orijen daily since 10 months which equals to 150g per cup X 2 times a day.

I would have loved it if my picky eater could consume more but after many trial and error with different grain free foods this is the max amount he will have in a day. That too once or twice a week he will skip a meal or two.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

BOSKY said:


> That seems low. My dog is at 3 cups, 3 times a day. He just had his second vet visit and was at weight. My next week, he'll weigh enough that I'll increase his cups to 3.25.
> 
> 
> 
> What is the reasoning here, maybe I am doing it wrong?



Puppies need as much as twice the calories as an adult dog of the same weight. By 6 months old the rapid growth of puppyhood will have slowed down, and his calorie needs will decrease. At some point, even though he's continuing to grow, you'll need to start cutting back the quantity you feed or he'll get fat. For me it was just best to make adjustments based on the condition on the dog, either increasing or decreasing the amount of food in each meal as necessary to maintain a healthy weight. 

Even though my dogs are adults i still do a rib check frequently, running my hand down their side to see if i can still easily feel the ribs, but they are not overly prominent. When they were growing puppies i did if as often as weekly or more. 

What brand of food are you feeding? Calories can vary quite a bit among foods, so obviously feeding quantities would as well.


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## Dotbat215 (Aug 19, 2015)

Also important to factor in treats. My dog gets 1cup x2 per day, but he also gets fed during training sessions. We adjust based on what we use to train.


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