# How much do you feed your dog?



## Lynnette (Feb 9, 2006)

I realize that the dog food manufacturers biggest concern is selling their product, therefore their feeding amounts may be "inflated", but this seems crazy to me. I feed my dogs Nutro Ultra dog food, expensive, yes, but I have done my research and I am happy with it, so I pay the high prices to accomodate my dogs' needs.

Anyway, here are the feeding guidelines on the food:

Suggested Amounts to Feed Per Day
8 oz. cups
5 lb. dog: 1/2 - 3/4 cup
10 lb. dog: 1 - 1 1/4 cups
20 lb. dog: 1 1/2 - 2 cups
40 lb. dog: 2 1/2 - 3 1/3 cups
60 lb. dog: 3 1/3 - 4 1/2 cups
80 lb. dog: 4 1/4 - 5 2/3 cups
100 lbs.+ dog: 5 + cups

I have two pugs, 1 is 35 pounds, the other is about 22, they are not overweight, (although they used to be), the male especially is just a large specimen of his breed, he has great muscle tone and definition etc. I also have 2 labs, 1 was extremely obese when I adopted him, he was 6 years old and as big around as a barrel, the previous owner had him on wieght control dog food, which I think is a crock anyway, but she was feeding him 2x what I feed him now, and she has seen him since and can't believe how much better he looks DUH! Anyway, the other is an 8 month old lab puppy, he weighs around 80 pounds and is starting to fill out.

My feeding guidlines:

Jake - male pug - 7 years old - 35 pounds - 1/3 cup per day
Sadie - female - 7 years old - 22 pounds - 1/3 cup per day
Max - 7 year old lab - 85 pounds - 1 cup/day
Luke - 8 month old lab - 80 pounds and growing - 3 cups/day

The big dogs get a milk bone each day and 3-4 snaps or Pedigree marro bones
The little dogs get 3-5 small treats, small biscuit, snap, or marro bones

My dogs are very healthy, no worries from the vet and no worries from me. How does everyone else feed their pets? Are the guidelines given on the assumption that no treats will be provided? Even if that is true, that seems like way to much food.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

Usually the feeding guidelines on the bag are WAY too high. Way back when I fed kibble I fed about 1/2 the recommended amount for both dogs and cats. Now that I feed raw I find that I also feed less than the "recommended" amounts. I guess it totally depends on the individual dog and the amount of work it does.


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## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

It can really depend on the dog and energy level. I take care of my friend's two pitbulls when she's out of town. One is about 7 and weighs in at about 70 pounds. She gets two cups of food a day. Her buddy is a 2 year old that might be 45 pounds on a good day. That dog gets 4 cups of food and any amount of treats she wants. She is a working dog and hasn't an ounce of fat on her. I'm always afraid that if she gets sick, she won't have any reserves, but she is healthy as a horse. When my friend first got her, she figured the pit was starved and that's why she was so skinny. Nope, just built that way!


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

My big outdoor dogs, who do a lot of running around, eat more than those "recommended" quantities, and none of them is fat. My Parson's Russell eats more than my border collie.


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## SeptemberWolf (Aug 23, 2006)

I've found the best amount depends on two main things - the activity level of the dog (rather than the breed or weight) and the quality of the food. When I had sled dogs, which burn a LOT of calories, they could put away one heck of a lot of high-quality 'performance' type food when they were in training or running.

I also use Nutro Max for both my Jacks (hey! that's a rhyme! ;-D ) - puppy mix for the pup and small-breed adult for the adult male. I use treats for various reasons and chew bones (dental bones and greenie-style) so I cut back on the food. If these dogs are active they do burn off the food - I feed the exact minimum amount on package for pup and less for the adult, but even less if we don't take walks and run around. 

There's also supposed to be less poo if you feed a good quality food.


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

I think it also depends on the breed and individual dog, but those numbers seem high to me, too. I feed my dogs Flint River Trout & Sweet Potato kibble, which is a high quality food. 

My 85 lb dobe girl (8 years old) is just a shade chunky (most laypeople wouldn't say so, but I like dogs to be lean and fit)--she eats 3 cups a day.

My 45 lb husky girl (9 years old), also just a shade chunky, eats 1 cup a day.

My 11.5 year old male Bernese Mt Dog (who should weigh about 85 lbs, but weighs 65 for an unknown reason--he has been losing weight very slowly over the last 4-5 years)--he eats 2-3 cups a day, or 4 if I put chicken broth on it and can convince him to eat. He's not the best example, though--several years ago I had him on Nutro, and he was eating 8 cups a day, always hungry, and was losing weight--due mostly to a wheat allergy. Now he's really only interested in treats and special meals (like the chicken broth).

P.S. They all have moderate to low activity levels these days. <sigh> Just too much going on around here anymore....


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I feed my dog all she wants to eat. She decides the amount. Some days she eats more and some days she does not eat at all. It will depend on the activity and also the temperature. If it is colder she will eat more than when it is warm. She knows a lot more about the amount of feed she needs than I do.


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## BUDSMOM (Jun 21, 2006)

a vet told me this a long time ago and i think it is good information. a lot of dogs get dumped because they poop too much or all over the house. if the owner would take the time to read the food instructions and feed according to the recomendations the dog wold not be overfed. a lot of people just dump a bunch of food in a bowl and go on their way. dog eats way too much.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

my great dane eats about a coffee can a day of 9% fat food, and she is fine.
I feed her a lowfat diet, because do to her size, she has very low metabolism.

my pitbulls eats 3 to 4 cups a day, but I switch their food types. most eat 12% fat food in the summer, and 20% fat food in the winter. I have a couple that eat the 20% fat food year round, or else they would look like skeletons.

alot of poeple dont realize different foods have different fat percentages.

all average grown dogs, except senior should eat a food that is in the 12 to 15% fat range. If you have a working dog or a dog with high metabolism, get a food with increased fat content. protien should be in the mid 20's% range. never 30%, unless you are running sled dogs or something.

hisenthlay, for your bernese, try a food with a higher fat percentage. also, take him to the vet for a diabetes test and a thyroid check. there maybe a problem causing the steady longterm weight loss. we are dealing with this very same problem with a 12 year old pit rescue, and a 10 year old siamese cat. the dog is diabetic, and the cat has a thyroid condition. althought the weight loss in the dog was sudden. the cats was slow and steady over the course of 2 1/2 years.


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## Corgitails (Jun 2, 2003)

Indy gets 1/2 cup of Chicken Soup (Senior) food daily, along with as many green beans as he wants, as he has my mother convinced that he is in serious danger of starving to death if he doesn't get three meals a day.  He's 35 pounds, which is a bit heavier than I like him, but still okay. (I'd like him better about 33.5, but he's not doing agility right now and he IS very active, so it will come back off this summer when he gets to spend more time outside at the farm.)

Mal gets 4.5 cups of Chicken Soup Puppy food daily but doesn't usually finish it. He's 62.5 pounds right now and on the thin side. I need to make up a batch of satin balls and see if that will help- some of it's just normal teenagerness, though.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

We watche Goldies fool intake because e is older and inactive and also has arthritis. I can't remember the name of the dog food he gets but I measure between 1 3/4 cups to 2, depending on if he is going to get any treats. I make defatted homemade broth for him and he gets one cup of that. He's fed at night.

In the morning, he gets either a rawhide treat or a store bought, raw, bome plus a small square of cheese with an aspirin in it.

Back to treats. he absolutely loved pizza crust, so when we have pizza, I cut back on his food to accomidate(sp?) the treats.


His weight fluctuated. The vet likes 70-75 pounds on him, but it climbs in winter to about 77 to 78. In summer, it isn't a problem.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

When I fed kibble years ago I had some male collies that would eat 6 c of Nutro natural and still be lean...I would have fed more but it scared me to even feed that much kibble. They did not have worms, were not ill, but were very active and some were growing still (under 3 yrs old). Then I had my mature girl who was pretty lazy, though she was as large as a small male- she only required 1 c to keep her at 60 lbs.- heaping cup and she would be 75 without batting an eye. Most of the active girls ate about 3-4 c. depending on age. Now I feed raw though and feed less than the reccommended amounts except for winter time when we are right at the recommended amounts. 



Lynnette said:


> I realize that the dog food manufacturers biggest concern is selling their product, therefore their feeding amounts may be "inflated", but this seems crazy to me. I feed my dogs Nutro Ultra dog food, expensive, yes, but I have done my research and I am happy with it, so I pay the high prices to accomodate my dogs' needs.
> 
> Anyway, here are the feeding guidelines on the food:
> 
> ...


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

My vet said an average dog needs 10 calories/lb. of body weight, so a 15 lb. dog should get 150 cal/day. Does the bag give the calories per cup or ounce?


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

that is interesting. I think some of the more expensive foods do have that info on the bag. I will have to check and see how accurate that actually is. (with my dogs anyhow)


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Our Border Collie/Aussie pup gets 1 cup am and 1 cup pm of Nutro Puppy and our four year old Pug gets 3/4 cup am and 3/4 cup pm of Nutro weight control. They both look great.


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

My dogs have learned to open the feed bins so there is no telling :shrug: They are lean and shiny, except for Phoenix, the 'houla. She's gained weight since spaying which I don't understand since she eats the least and is very active all day.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

My dog feeds himself. I open the top of a sack of dogfood and roll the edges down as he empties it.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

tango, put your spayed dog on a food with a lower fat content. that should help.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I think alot of people start overfeeding by thinking puppies are supposed be little butterballs, when truly a bit on the lean side is better. Not starved or deprived, just not taken to the buffet daily, KWIM? Alot of people do not even realise their dog/cat is overweight, so such large amounts of food are nromal to them.


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

lonelyfarmgirl said:


> tango, put your spayed dog on a food with a lower fat content. that should help.


Yeah, that is probably what I'll do if it doesn't taper off. I suspect she's eating more than her fair share of deer since she doesn't eat much kibble.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

My border collie is so picky and active that she gets what she'll eat. For the most part has a free choice dry Canadae, with an occasional switch over to Proplan. Which is a pain in the butt to do, but seems to be needed.


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