# Just how much should I be feeding?



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

The breeder recommended feeding 1/3 a cup, 3x a day along with 1-2 spoonfuls of green tripe. The vet recommended upping his food to 1/2 a cup 3x a day with the same amount of green tripe. But he's had soft poops since I brought him home. Soft poop usually indicates that he's eating too much. He's supposed to put on some weight though. 

I looked at the calorie information of the food, and it totaled up to less than 450 calories a day on the breeder's recommended diet. When I upped it, it went up to 625 calories a day. When I looked at this website:

Metabolic Energy Requirements For Dogs

It recommended at least 1000 for a puppy of my pup's weight, which would mean I am drastically underfeeding him! 

But then, I looked up another calculator (http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/) and it came up with 450-500 calories a day as the recommended. Am I doing something wrong here? I want to harden his poops, but he is also supposed to be gaining weight. Should I consider switching foods after this bag or is it too soon to tell?

Any advice?


----------



## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

Don't use the MER formula found on that link, use the Waltham Forumula found below it. *

use this one: Amount = 110 x (body weight in kilograms)0.75

and for a puppy under 50% of its adult weight (usually under 4 months) multiply by x2, for one 50-80% of its adult weight multiply by x1.5, and for 80% to adult weight (1 year) x1.2

*


----------



## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

I see from your other post he is 14 pounds. So...

= 110 x (6kilos)^0.75

= 421

Now because of his age I would multiply by 2, so about 840 calories is what I personally would start him at and then adjust from there.

Really you need to look at his body condition. Every dog is different and that is where you will see if they need more or less...

BTW, the second calc you linked too clearly says it is for adults only.

Also soft stool can mean all sorts of things, not just eating too much


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I fed both of my dogs 3 cups 3x a day when they were puppies. 

Malice started getting 4 cups 2x a day by the time she was 5 months old.


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

BR870 said:


> I see from your other post he is 14 pounds. So...
> 
> = 110 x (6kilos)^0.75
> 
> ...


Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I can _very easily_ feel his hips, ribs, and spine. I've had two vets say he's too thin and that he should gain 1-2lbs at least to be healthy. He's getting a stool test done on Monday so hopefully nothing is wrong with that. 

I'll try upping his food again to 800. 



LaRen616 said:


> I fed both of my dogs 3 cups 3x a day when they were puppies.
> Malice started getting 4 cups 2x a day by the time she was 5 months old.


Those add some perspective too, thanks.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

It doesn't sound like he is getting nearly enough. Siren was eating about double what he is at the same age and her kibble was higher in calories. Does the bag have a feeding guide? That is often a good starting point. Then you adjust from there judging by the pups body condition.


Wanted to add that I've NEVER had a pup/dog of any breed that ate nearly as much as LaRens dogs. Not saying that she is over feeding them, as they are at great weights. Just that, IMO, it isn't typical for a pup to need nearly that much food.


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

BlackGSD said:


> It doesn't sound like he is getting nearly enough. Siren was eating about double what he is at the same age and her kibble was higher in calories. Does the bag have a feeding guide? That is often a good starting point. Then you adjust from there judging by the pups body condition.
> 
> 
> Wanted to add that I've NEVER had a pup/dog of any breed that ate nearly as much as LaRens dogs. Not saying that she is over feeding them, as they are at great weights. Just that, IMO, it isn't typical for a pup to need nearly that much food.


That's what I was worried about. I can't understand why the breeder wanted him to eat so little. The bag says 2 1/4 - 3 3/4 a day. I'm going to up it to 2.25 cups a day today and see how he fairs on that. I'm glad I asked you guys. If his stool test comes back without anything wrong I might try switching foods. This food may not be working for him. I'll wait until my bag is at least half way empty to try that though.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Each dog is different. My dog ate as much or more than LaRen's dogs and was the skinniest thing you've ever seen. He still eats about 5 cups a day and you can clearly see his waist. Just a fast metabolism. Its all a guessing game. Give him more and if he starts getting "fat" then give him less. Right now he needs all the calories he can get, he's going to go from 14 lbs to 50 lbs in a few months and that growth has to come from something. I wouldn't worry about overfeeding at this point.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

BlackGSD said:


> Wanted to add that I've NEVER had a pup/dog of any breed that ate nearly as much as LaRens dogs. Not saying that she is over feeding them, as they are at great weights. Just that, IMO, it isn't typical for a pup to need nearly that much food.


When they were puppies or now?

I got both of them when they were 11 weeks old.

Malice was/is fed Wellness Super5Mix for LBP, at 12.5 weeks old she weighed 23 pounds. She was fed a total of 3 cups a day 3 times a day until she turned about 5 months old and then I started feeding her 4 cups a day 2 times a day. She is thin, you can see some rib and you can easily feel them. She is always on the go and has a ton of energy. I will be posting pictures of her today so you can see how she looks. 

Sinister was fed Solid Gold Wolf Cub, he got a total of 3 cups a day 3 times a day until he was 6 months I believe and then I started feeding him 4 cups a day 2 times a day. He has been eating Wellness Core for about 4 months now. He is 28' at the shoulders and weighs between 80-85 pounds. I will take some pictures of him today and post them too.


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

LaRen616 said:


> When they were puppies or now?
> 
> I got both of them when they were 11 weeks old.
> 
> ...


Your dogs sound like my friend. He legitimately eats about 4000+ calories a day and remains constantly on the skinny side. He eats so much and he never gains weight.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

See what I mean, Sinister get less food than Rooney and Rooney is about 26" at the shoulders and 80 lbs. He's longer than your average GSD so that's where he puts the weight. I give him 2.5 cups of Fromms Gold in the morning and 2 cups of pre-made raw at night. I bet I could up that and he still wouldn't put on weight.


----------



## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Kaos gets 1/2 cup x3 and at night another 1/4 cup plus some (never measured) canned food in her Kong

At this point if I increase any of those meals her poops goes soft

She's seems to be at a good weight


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

LaRen616 said:


> When they were puppies or now?
> 
> I got both of them when they were 11 weeks old.
> 
> ...



PLEASE NOTE: I said that your dogs were at great weights!!!!!! I've seen pics and neither one has ever looked overweight.

That said, what you SAID, is apparently not what you MENT. 

You said 3 cups 3 times a day. That = 9 cups. After your last post, it was written differently. So NOW I take it to mean 1 cup, 3 times a day which would =3 cups a day. HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!! LOL 

3 cups TOTAL a day sounds pretty typical.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

BlackGSD said:


> PLEASE NOTE: I said that your dogs were at great weights!!!!!! I've seen pics and neither one has ever looked overweight.
> 
> That said, what you SAID, is apparently not what you MENT.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I wasn't offended or anything, I didn't take your post like that, I was just thinking "how much food were those dogs getting". :laugh:

You know what, I keep doing that, I have written it like that in another post and someone had to correct me! Excuse me, I am crazy. :crazy:


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

So LaRen, they're eating 9-12 cups a day, or 3-4 cups a day? I'm confused?


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I'm so glad you didn't take it like that.

Here I was thinking GOOD GAWD those dogs eat a LOT. How can they not be obese????????? LOL

Siren is 26 inches tall and weighs 75ish lbs. (haven't weighed her lately, I would be shocked if she weighed more than that, could be a bit less.) She only eats 2 2/3 cups total a day. (Split into 2 meals.) And she eats TOTW do it isn't like she is in a high calorie food.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Emoore said:


> So LaRen, they're eating 9-12 cups a day, or 3-4 cups a day? I'm confused?


Sorry, I didn't mean to lose my mind! 

They both eat a TOTAL of 4 Cups of food a day.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

BlackGSD said:


> I'm so glad you didn't take it like that.
> 
> Here I was thinking GOOD GAWD those dogs eat a LOT. How can they not be obese????????? LOL
> 
> Siren is 26 inches tall and weighs 75ish lbs. (haven't weighed her lately, I would be shocked if she weighed more than that, could be a bit less.) She only eats 2 2/3 cups total a day. (Split into 2 meals.) And she eats TOTW do it isn't like she is in a high calorie food.


Malice looks small to me, of course she is only 7 months old and alot of dogs look small compared to Sinister, I cant believe that she is eating 4 cups a day, I would think that it would be too much for a female but her ribs tell me otherwise.


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

LaRen616 said:


> Sorry, I wasn't offended or anything, I didn't take your post like that, I was just thinking "how much food were those dogs getting". :laugh:
> 
> You know what, I keep doing that, I have written it like that in another post and someone had to correct me! Excuse me, I am crazy. :crazy:


That happens to me too, don't worry. Sometimes even after proofreading my post I go back a day later and I'm like "what was I even thinking when I typed that".


----------



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

I've never worried about how many calories my dogs eat a day. Even when they were puppies, looking at their condition gave me all the information I needed to know if they were getting enough food, or if I needed to bump it up a little or cut it back a bit. Just as people have different metabolisms and don't all require the same number of calories a day to stay at their optimum weight, it makes sense to me that dogs wouldn't either. I have no scientific evidence to back that up, I just think it's a reasonable assumption. 

With puppies growing so rapidly at that age - they may put on as much as 10-12 pounds per month or more, their food requirements are going to be constantly changing as well, which is why it's easier for me to look at them and touch them. I remember doing that almost every day when mine were puppies, I'd run a hand down their sides to see how the ribs felt. 

The only time I'm aware of the number of calories I'm feeding is when I'm switching from one food to another, with the new food having a higher or lower amount of kcals per cup than the old food. I can then calculate how many cups of the new food will deliver the same amount of nutrition as the prior food, in order to maintain the same condition.


----------



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

LaRen616 said:


> Malice looks small to me, of course she is only 7 months old and alot of dogs look small compared to Sinister, I cant believe that she is eating 4 cups a day, I would think that it would be too much for a female but her ribs tell me otherwise.


She's at the age where her rapid growth of puppyhood has started to slow down, so you may find that you'll need to cut back soon. A puppy needs 1-1/2 to 2 times as many calories as an adult dog of the same weight, but that requirement obviously slows down as they near adulthood. I remember making a lot of adjustments around that time when my dogs were young. Keefer used to eat 4 cups a day when he was a puppy, but now, at 6 years old that's too much, even though he's much bigger.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> She's at the age where her rapid growth of puppyhood has started to slow down, so you may find that you'll need to cut back soon. A puppy needs 1-1/2 to 2 times as many calories as an adult dog of the same weight, but that requirement obviously slows down as they near adulthood. I remember making a lot of adjustments around that time when my dogs were young.


I guess that makes sense, right now I think she looks great, she's thin but not too thin.



Cassidy's Mom said:


> Keefer used to eat 4 cups a day when he was a puppy, but now, at 6 years old that's too much, even though he's much bigger.


So he eats less than 4 cups........... Sin needs his 4 cups sometimes I give him 4.5 cups, he is also at a great weight IMO.

I'd like your opinion about how they look when I post their pictures later today.


----------



## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I remember with Dante (He was 16ish weeks old when I got him) he would look perfect and then have a growth spurt and be a little ribby so I'd up his food some. Funny how many people told me I was starving my dog :rofl: since he wasn't a fat puppy


----------



## Jackiefitz (Jan 16, 2012)

How often should we feed our 9 week old white German shepherd? We are at 2 feedings a day. Once in morning and then around dinner time. It will be hard to do more since my husband and I work full time. I am already sad to leave her alone all day so young.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Jackiefitz said:


> How often should we feed our 9 week old white German shepherd? We are at 2 feedings a day. Once in morning and then around dinner time. It will be hard to do more since my husband and I work full time. I am already sad to leave her alone all day so young.


Three times a day is really best. Is there any way you could get a dog walker or neighbor to come over at lunch to let her out and feed her, at least for a month or two?


----------

