abker17 Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 :) I've finally gotton my parents to switch the dogs food to Kirkland brand. It's not the best out there, but it's the best that I can get my parents to buy. Plus I've seen a lot of improvment over this short period (About a month and half now I think) Abby's coat is a lot softer and fuller, her eyes are clear, and she seems happier. Cracker is the same way. Now both girls seem to be happy, all fleas are gone and the sores the fleas caused on Cracker have gone away. :) But now there's one more problem to address. The girls feeding times. Usually I feed them once in the evening, a big bowl of food. I've relised that I should be measuring it out would be a better idea, and also feeding them twice a day would be good. I feed them both wet and dry mixed together. On the bag of food and the can it says that dogs 40-60 lb dogs should have 1/2 can and 2 1/4 cups dry. :-? That seems a bit much to me. Both dogs are about 45 lbs. Abby gets a 20-45 min walk on school days, with an 1 1/2 hour walk on weekends and days off. Plus if I have the time she practices agility for about an hour sometimes more. Cracker gets about a 20 min walk everyday. They both seem to do well on thier exercise schedules. So I need help deciding how much they should be fed. Do u think that the amount the food lists is to much? Any help is appreciated, and sorry that I sorta rambled on there. :oops: :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abker17 Posted November 7, 2003 Author Share Posted November 7, 2003 Oh yes, and one more thing I'd like to ask about. I've heard a lot about adding supplements to dogs food, things like fish oil, olive oil, and garlic. How do these help u're dog? Should I be giving any of them to my girls? I know this has been discussed before, so any links to previous discussions would be very helpful, or any web sites u might know of. Thanks. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 personally i prefer feeding two meals. i believe it's less harsh on the dog's metabolism as far as blood sugar levels etc. are concerned, especially if the animal gets a lot of exercise or works. how much you feed depends on the shape your dogs are in and a number of other factors. if they aren't overweight, they are eating the correct amount. what's printed on the label is only a guidesline. the amounts you mentioned sound about right on a per day basis, so if you feed 2 meals, divide it up. if you think it's too much, reduce the amount, keep an eye on your dog's weight and if necessary increase the ration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha sheltie Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I prefer to feed either 2 or 3 times a day. Two works for me now but in the summer, I plan on feeding 3 times because it's better for their metabolism. Feeding once a day is kind of risky because if you were to eat only once a day, you'd gobble all your food at once right? Eating too fast can lead to bloat (or so I've heard). As for supplements, I'm planning on giving my boys flaxseed oil and brewers yeast. I recommend giving eggs once in a while. It's done alot to my two boys. Ever since switching from high quality kibble (Innova) back to raw, I've noticed a small change. After adding eggs twice a week, everything has improved so much. My 6 year old has the energy of a puppy. Also, many people like to give their dogs yogurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 there are several things you can add to your dog's food to support his/her health. dosage would depend on what and how much is already present in the food you are feeding. e.g. most low to mid range brands do not contain probiotics or significant amounts of omega fatty acids. omega 6 and 3 fatty acids, probiotics, enzymes (both metabolic and digestive), vitamins, various herbs and so on. it's always safest to supply the above in a natural form, not only is the quality much better but you also do not risk oversupplementation and resulting health issues. missing link, nupro, doc krugers or the wellness supplements are excellent choices. instead of flax oil i prefer fish oil though (e.g. salmon oil). yogurt is a food most dogs love for the taste, but if you want it to have a real effect, make sure you feed a brand that has viable, live cultures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Meg gets fed in the morning 3 cups of dried food slightly moistened (Pedigree advance..no comments on pedigree please..she has always been on it and with such an active high basal metabolism its the only food that sustains her blood glucose levels and I am happy with the nutritional value). If she is going to a show, she would get less than half her daily ration, just to make sure there is something to give here energy. Also she gets vitamin E capsules, brewers yeast and garlic. Vit E is great for their heart muscle and also for dogs skin. I believe all dogs should be on it! Zoe my Golden is an old girly so she gets 2 pieces of toast in the morning then at tea time quarter of a bowl of bakers complete moistened with half a tin of pedigree senior, with the vitamin E, brewers yeast and garlic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midori115 Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I feed Oscar a bowl of kibble at bout 7AM and a bowl of kibble at about 8PM. Every once and again he gets an egg or a bit of yogurt in his food. He also gets a treat ball with some kibble and maybe carrot in it when I get home from work. But that's mainly to keep him busy so I can change before we go out to play .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abker17 Posted November 8, 2003 Author Share Posted November 8, 2003 Thanks to everyone for all u're help! :D :D :D I'm going to feed the amount on the can, just decrease it by a little. If they seem to need more, or it still be to much then I'll change it. I'll also look more into supplements and start the pups on that. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pei obssessed Posted November 8, 2003 Share Posted November 8, 2003 abker, with Cracker being less active, I would feed her less than Abby--maybe feed a little less than the recommended amount to Abby (since the recommendation is for dogs 40-60lb and she's only 40 lb), and then feed Cracker around 1 1/2 cups. I know I tend to be a little paranoid :lol: about overweight dogs, but I really think that they're happier and more energetic if they're kept slim even as they age... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abker17 Posted November 9, 2003 Author Share Posted November 9, 2003 Thanks for u're concern Pei. :wink: :D I think that's a good suggestion, I'll down her amount by am little. :D Thanks. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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