# Feed once a day or twice or...?



## drew_in_oregon (Jan 29, 2005)

I've always fed my 7yo once a day at 6pm - Natural Balance kibble + NB wet or tuna/salmon.

Is that the best feeding schedule or would twice a day (same amount but divided into morn/eve) be better? Is there any best practice or wisdom on feeding frequency?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I can't survive on one meal a day(even if its the same quantity--its all in the mind) Therefore I think twice a day would be good


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Koda prefers to eat twice a day


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I like to feed twice a day so that I don't have that much food in their stomach at any one time and they seem more satisfied.


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

When I had my past dog we fed twice a day. Some feed once a day depending on body condition, activity level, food type, and so on. How much does the dog weigh? How much are you feeding in one meal? Do you add anything else besides the canned/tuna/salmon? So I would consider if the dog looked to be in good condition on the routine you have now, if too skinny I would feed twice per day. Remember to start with smaller meals and up it until he can eat twice per day without stomach upset.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

They would probably prefer twice a day, but honestly it doesn't really matter. Do whichever way you prefer. My pap was on once a day feedings and she did fine. Only reason I switched to twice a day feedings was because I got my GSD puppy and puppies definitely should eat 2-3 times a day. Nowadays I'll do twice a day feedings, but sometimes my GSD will not finish his meal so he won't get a 2nd meal that day unless he finishes the rest.

Some people use the gorge/fast method with breeds prone to bloat; it's pretty popular with Great Dane people if I recall correctly.


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## mosul210 (Mar 23, 2012)

I feed my boy's regular meal in the mornings and he always gets a snack (usually a smaller portion of his kibble) in the evening. So far that seems to work well with him.


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

I used to think it didn't matter, but I was looking through some abstracts of bloat research. What I took away from my reading was that the two biggest risk factors for whether a specific dog will bloat is age--the older a dog, the higher the risk--and the amount of food consumed at any one time--not total per day, but in any one feeding. 

So, I try now to feed less than 3 cups at a time. if the dog needs more than that, I feed more meals. 

It's not exactly a scientific decision--but I figured it was an easy enough rule of thumb to try to minimize the chance of bloat and torsion.


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

I'm with Christine - I have no idea if there's any definitive evidence that two meals a day are safer than one, but with a breed that has a genetic predisposition to bloat I'm not taking any chances.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We feed Joey twice a day. I think it's better to space the meals out rather than one big meal.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I feed twice a day for the same reasons listed above. But also, due to my busy schedule, I may not notice if I have a dog that is 'off' while I'm rushing around in the morning. However, I will notice if a dog isn't eating it's breakfast, or only a small portion of it. I feel it gives me a head start in the event there is a problem with my dog(s). Of course the same can be said with the evening meal.


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## koda00 (Apr 27, 2009)

Twice


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I feed twice a day. The morning meal is given by my husband and I do the evening meal. That way we both feed her and use that as a training opportunity that has stayed since she was a puppy. Also if I use a lot of treats during the day with training I will adjust her evening meal. 

I continues with twice a day because of advice given on this board regarding bloat.


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## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

I feed 3 times per day. I had a dog die from bloat in the past, so I will do everything I can to avoid bloat in the future, even if what I'm doing doesn't significantly reduce the risk.


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