# Am I overfeeding?



## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I have always fed our dogs on a schedule though if any is left I do leave it down as long as they have no weight concerns which none of my dogs have. However, Zoey had her vaccines yesterday and weighed in at a beastly 30 lbs. We feed Kirkland brand chicken and rice formula and since they don't make a puppy brand my vet originally said to free feed for the first 9 months. So three times a day Zoey gets 1-1 1/4 cups of food per meal- she is only 11 weeks old. Is this normal for a GSD or is it time to reduce her feeding. My vet says allow her to eat all she wants now because she's young and growing so rapidly, gets tons of exercise, and monitoring for the next few months is fine. I however do not like obese dogs. It puts undue stress on the joints and bones while causing the same ailments we see in obese adults. So I guess my question is how much is too much at 11 weeks?


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## pinkanml (Sep 3, 2007)

As long as you can still find her ribs without pressing in much I'd stay you're feeding her the right amount. Each dog/pup is different and there is no magic number as to how much to feed any individual. Just pick an amount, feed it for a while, and do rib checks every week to see if they're gaining or losing. 

Any pics?


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

I fed Angeles Iams large breed puppy as a puppy and followed the directions on the bag. You could see the amount of calories in the Iams large breed puppy by visiting http://www.iams.com and see how much they recommend and then convert to the Kirkland's adult. One thing to note - puppy food has more fat and calories normally. 

I fed Angeles 3 x a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and kept a check on his weight by checking to see if I could pinch an inch behind his ribs...If I could, then I just cut some back. There were some days he ate more because he was going through spurts. If your vet feels she is the right size and not growing too fast then you are probably okay. But i wouldn't free feed.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I guess we're fine then her ribs are easily felt- I just thought 30 lbs. was a little big,lol My vet says she's well built and solid not at all obese. I don't have any full body shots yet, but she has a cute head shot in my intro. Her father is a larger GSD not standard size at all though her mom is perfect so she may just end up a big girl though fit


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

When I say free feed I don't mean the bowl is refilled all day. She gets three bowls, but if she leaves a little I leave it and do not refill till her next meal time


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: DaniellecWhen I say free feed I don't mean the bowl is refilled all day. She gets three bowls, but if she leaves a little I leave it and do not refill till her next meal time


Ahhhh okay - now I get it


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