[Skylar]

I know what the bag says but I think based on the energy level of the dog that should vary. I am feeding mine 5 cups a day - 2.5 in the morning and 2.5 in the evening with a teaspoon of pumpkin and the digestive enhancer powder. Does anyone think this is too little or too much? Lucy is steadily gaining weight and is 46 lbs at 9.5 mos. and Sam is 68 lbs. He has actually lost weight due to the increase in his activity level since Lucy arrived.

 

[Guest]

I feed Jetta 2-3 cups a day (Canidae says to feed 2 cups a day for her weight and age) and she is the definition of healthy boxer weight right now.  Bo gets 2.5 cups a day (bag says 2, he is still skinny so I want him to gain some weight- 46 lbs 20" and 10.5 months old)

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Kiah gets 3 cups a day but we are very active (bag says 2.5 cups for her weight).  If it is really cold and we are not doing much she will get the 2.5 cups per day.

 

[15842]

Depends highly on the food as well as other factors such as activity level, growth spurts and metabolism.  If once they are fully grown they meet the standard, then you are feeding the right amount.
Example, Ringer is 74-75 lbs and has been for a couple months.  I got him at 64lbs from his breeder and he was being fed Beneful at somewhere between 6 and 8 cups a day!  He was still too skinny, always begging for food and wasn't growing despite the massive amount of food.  Now that I am feeding him Canidae and he is 10lbs heavier, I am only feeding him 3.5 cups a day.  He is a year old, plays most of the time I am home and burns a minimum of 30 minutes a day in the back yard in addition to the hour or so walks we take daily.
Pros from finding the right food:
No diarrhea
MUCH less poop to scoop
Allergies gone
No need for yogurt/pumpkin/digestive enzymes in food
Less overall cost for food
Less overall cost of ownership (fewer vet visits, no need for stool hardners allergy meds,...)

I don't think I exactly answered your question but hopefully there is enough info to help you answer it yourself.

 

[FREDOSMOM]

I really don't think it;s working out with the Blue Buffalo...our local stores don't sell Canidae so i think we're going to try Royal Canin next.  Fredo has liquid poo at least every other day...yesterday all day long. When we first started on the Blue ...he seemed perfect..now i guess we have to start all over again.

 

[HannaBanana]

I never judge by the bag - those to me are just guidelines.   I feed my dogs according to their figures as well as their activity levels.   I use the side of the bag as a starting point, then adjust accordingly.

Kash if he were on full kibble would get 1.5 in the am, 1.5 cups in the PM

Hanna would be 1 cup am 1 cup pm.

However if they were doing daycare, or excessive energy, I would increase it.    better to underfeed a bit than overfeed.   Its easier to fix a skinny pup, than a large one!

 

[Diesel-and-Kira]

I think I'm the only one here who free feeds. There's always food down. My dogs aren't scarfers though. They'll take a few pieces of food, run to the living room and chew it in there. Neither one has the attention span to just stand there and finish a whole bowl of food in one sitting.

 

[Haleysdad]

Haley is a petite boxer. She is only 42 pounds.  She is short in stature.  We feed her 3 cups a day.  The vet comments on our "athletic dogs".  She said we feed both more than she would recommend and said snacks are fine.  We do treat them alot.  Both play very hard together and are healthy.

 

[Skylar]

Dan - I am feeding the Nutro Ultra which I believe is a good food. I started with the additives (pumpkin and digestive enhancer) when Lucy had Giardia, and just kept with it after she was clear. They seem to like it and it is good for them. It sounds like I am feeding them more than most on here though based on the responses...

 

[15842]

I went through all the flavors of Merrick and had no luck and Merrick is a good food too.  Personally I prefer to have to do as little as possible when it comes to meal time.  That and I like to save the additives for acute problems and find a different solution for the chronic ones.  But, if I could get away with eating kibble myself, I would.  I love to cook but if I didn't have to hassle with it, I wouldn't.
Samson is freaking gorgeous, btw.

 

[Skylar]

[quote="dan.daugherty\";p=\"64744":2wkn4322]I went through all the flavors of Merrick and had no luck and Merrick is a good food too.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I feed both Charlie and Sadie Solid Gold Mmellinia, and they each have 2 1/2 cups in the morning and evening.  Both are very healthy, the vet says that Charlie is perfect in size and shape!  Sadie is shorter so I'm thinking that's why she looks a bit bulky, but she's definitely not overweight.

 

[sharonL]

I agree with what Dan said so I wont retype it all....Fiona also had the runs with Blue Buf and also the same with Canidae.  I think it is a little investigation to find a food that works best for YOUR dog that is for sure.  We finally settled on Purina One Salmon and Rice and she eats 2 cups in the AM and 1 cup in the PM

 

[FREDOSMOM]

I'm going to research the purina one. nutro and royal and try a new one soon...it sucks that I just bought a new bag of Blue and opened it already.

 

[Brandi]

I free feed harley.. he dont eat no more than around 3 cups a day.. but i always leave food down for him. he comes and goes and nibbles on it all day

 

[samsonsmom]

Angel gets a cup in the morning & a cup in the evening..Samson gets 3/4 morning & evening...Heavy exercise days they get Kongs as well plus a few treats  

 

[HoosiersDaddy]

I'm on the hunt for a new food. I'm thinking Hoos is allegic to something is wild blend. His stool is still soft and I have to use pumpkin. I'm gonna try Turducken. If that doesn't work, Its back to the drawing board

 

[abgmauldin]

Duke gets 2 1/2 in the morning and 2 1/2 in the evening and he gets lots of excercise i havent weighed him lately but when he was 8mo he was 65lbs and now he is 11mo. so he is around probably between 68 and 70lbs.  But he is a large boy and has been since he hit a growth spurt around 5-6mo.

 

[CrazieKC]

Milo gets somewhere around 6-8 cups per day...but he just eats it whenever he wants over a couple of days.

Kaci gets 2.5 cups once a day.

 

[luvmyboxers]

I feed mine Purina One Sensitive Systems.  1.5 cups in the a.m. and 1.5 cups in the p.m.