[xxshaelxx]

So, for an eight month old pup weighing in at 31 lbs, and a seven month old pup weighing in at 37 lbs, how much should I be feeding? Should it still be the 2-3% of their weight? Also, does neutering and spaying have much of a difference? I've heard that when you neuter a dog, you should feed less to keep him from getting fat. Forgot the reason, but it was some scientificy-type reason...or maybe not. haha.

 

[rannmiller]

You'll want to feed them about 2 - 3% of their ideal adult weight. And that number is just a base guideline to start with. Both my 45 lbs dog and 25 lbs dog maintain their weight perfectly on right around or a little under 1 lb of food/day. Of course, the bigger one is almost years old but still pretty active but has a slow metabolism, and the smaller one is 3 years old and also very active. I'd say start with 1 lb of food/day and see how they maintain their body condition on it. If they get too fat, cut them back, too skinny, feed them more.

As far as neutering goes, it just depends on how active you keep your dogs. I'm sure your Sibes will have no problem keeping active! My 25 lbs guy is neutered and has no trouble staying lean.

 

[DaneMama]

The idea that animals get after being neutered or spayed is completely false, it's just an excuse to blame animals getting fat other than just plain over feeding. Any dog no matter what age or gender has the potential to gain weight. I see fat intact animals everyday at work. There's only one legitatmate reason not to fix your animals: If you plan on ethically breeding your them.

The 2-3% is a guideline on which to start. You might be finding yourself feeding more or less depending on activity level and body condition. You should be able to see the last few ribs and a nice tucked waist and tummy.

 

[LindaP]

You'll want to feed them about 2 - 3% of their ideal adult weight.

Just want to emphasize that. Not 2-3% of their current weight. Puppies eat a LOT.

 

[rannmiller]

Just want to emphasize that. Not 2-3% of their current weight. Puppies eat a LOT.

No kidding! my puppy eats as much if not more than my adult dogs and she's still a lean little thing (which is a good thing, don't get me wrong).

 

[xxshaelxx]

Okay, that's what I thought, but I was a little confused on that part when reading through the advice on preyrawmodel.com. I calculated it out for both, and Ryou should be 60-65 lbs full grown, and Amaya should be about 50-55 lbs. So she'd need 1-1.65 lbs of food per day, and Ryou about 1.2-1.95. So I'm figuring about 1.3 for Amaya and 1.7 for Ryou. That is, to say, that Amaya will actually eat that much. I have enough trouble getting her to eat her kibble and biscuits, no matter HOW I prepare it. Lately, it's been with some salmon added in, but she STILL doesn't want to hardly touch it. -.- Oh, and of course whether that will be the right amount for them once I've done it for a few weeks. XP

 

[DaneMama]

Try not to worry so much about the exact numbers, that is more work than you actually need to do. Remember we state the guideline of 2-3%, but that is subjective. Feed more according to body weight and condition. If they look like they are getting thin add more food, vice versa.

I will admit that we haven't ever measured out any meals for our girls...ever. Even in the beginning. We just know approximately how much each "meat cut" weighs and go from there. For example, we know that the average chicken quarter weighs 1 to 1.5 pounds which is about the same for turkey necks or wings. I can eye ball things pretty well and feed accordingly. You will soon learn what things weigh approximately and it will all become more and more easy with time.

 

[xxshaelxx]

That's what I figure. I want to start out with a base number, because I'm no good with measuring things out by sight or whatnot, and I certainly don't want to start out by feeding too little, or way too much. At least going with 2.5% gives me a base to start out on, and I can watch the dogs closely to see if they're packing on too many pounds or not enough then go from there. I figure that I'll probably end up feeding Ryou more and Amaya less, because Ryou seems to have a higher metabolism than Amaya. I mean, Amaya has been eating maybe 1.5 cups of kibble a day now and not losing any weight (but not gaining any either). She's not REALLY skinny. I mean, I can feel her ribs, but not greatly, and only slightly more so than I can feel Ryou's, and he's starting to look chunky, if anything, although, I attribute that to him filling out.

I'm rambling. haha.

 

[rannmiller]

Yeah give them each about 1 1/2 lbs of food per day with Ryou getting the slightly larger cuts of meat and you should be fine. For the record, according to AKC standards, males shouldn't get more than 60 lbs at the most and females no more than 50 lbs. Do you know how big their parents were? That's generally a good indicator of how big the offspring will get.

 

[whiteleo]

Once you start the raw diet, not eating won't be a problem! My female was the same way on kibble and a little under weight with digestive issues, as soon as I switched to a raw diet she definitely doesn't turn food away.

 

[RCTRIPLEFRESH5]

The idea that animals get after being neutered or spayed is completely false, it's just an excuse to blame animals getting fat other than just plain over feeding. Any dog no matter what age or gender has the potential to gain weight. I see fat intact animals everyday at work. There's only one legitatmate reason not to fix your animals: If you plan on ethically breeding your them.

The 2-3% is a guideline on which to start. You might be finding yourself feeding more or less depending on activity level and body condition. You should be able to see the last few ribs and a nice tucked waist and tummy.

yo ushould see your dogs ribs?lol yo ucant see my dogs ribs and hes a healthy 75 pounds which is ideal for a golden male.(hes normal height)

 

[whiteleo]

Yeah, I've always disagreed with that scenario of gaging how to tell if your dog is too fat or too thin! With certain breeds, bull terriers as one of those breeds (not pit bull terriers) it is impossible to see their ribs, the conformation makeup of their bodies is strange at best, the newest addition to the pack who definitely was under weight at 37# the day I picked her up, no ribs showing what so ever. I believe you should gage it on parents size and the health of the dog.

 

[RawFedDogs]

yo ushould see your dogs ribs?lol yo ucant see my dogs ribs and hes a healthy 75 pounds which is ideal for a golden male.(hes normal height)

You can rarely see the ribs of long haired dogs but you certainly should be able to easily feel them. If you can't, he's overweight.

 

[RawFedDogs]

I believe you should gage it on parents size and the health of the dog.

Unhealthy parent dogs often have unhealthy puppies. How can you tell the health of an overweight dog? One of the guages of health is not being overweight. If you can't see the back 2 or 3 ribs, they are overweight. We have gotten too used to seeing grossly overweight dogs and thinking they are healthy because they look like a lot of other dogs.

Dogs didn't used to look like that until kibble came along. It is ruining the health of our pet population.

 

[whiteleo]

O.K. I'm talking about the healthy parent! I'm not talking about a dog that is unhealthy and overweight. And you can't tell me that there are not certain breeds that are pretty hard to see the ribs of thin dogs, if I could of shown you the pictures of Mackenzie at 37#, you definitely should have seen her ribs but couldn't.

 

[CorgiPaws]

That is, to say, that Amaya will actually eat that much. I have enough trouble getting her to eat her kibble and biscuits, no matter HOW I prepare it.

You've already gotten the advice you needed, so I won't touch in on that, but I will say my Boxer puppy had no interest in kibble whatsoever. I mixed in canned food, I mixed in fish, I heated it up. I mixed in water. She ate enough to stay alive, but was actually alarmingly thin.
When I put her on raw, I was concerned we'd be wasting a lot of meat if she refused it long enough it spoiled. Not even close. She is so excited to eat now. She LOVES her raw food, and has gained enugh weight to be a good looking Boxer. She has a definate waistline, dont get me wrong, but her spine and hips no longer stick out.

 

[xxshaelxx]

That's what I'm hoping for, Corgi, that she'll love her food once we switch her. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who has had experiences with that. Now I know who to go to for advice. XP But yeah, that's EXACTLY what I've done with Amaya's food, is mix in fish, canned food, water, and yeah. I think I already stated that, though.

Rann, thanks for pointing that out to me! I've been thinking 55 and 65 pounds for a while now. haha. I just went back and looked, and bitches are actually supposed to be 35-50 pounds, and Amaya is 31 pounds right now, so I don't feel so uneasy about her weight anymore, because she might not get much bigger now. I mean, I still think she'll fill out a bit, once she starts her raw diet (again, hoping that she'll love this, unlike her kibble), but yeah.

Not only that, but cheaper to feed even. XD

As for their parents, Amaya's dad was a little small, I know that much, because he had a harder time in the show ring because of it (nine points, but had to retire due to financial issues of his previous owner). Her mum I'm unsure about, because I've only seen her once, and it was in a kennel, but she certainly looked about the same size as dad, so a bit on the big side maybe? Ryou's mum was small, about a little bigger than Amaya, and his dad was pretty big. So I'm expecting Ryou to actually get to the full size for the breed standard, and HOPEFULLY no bigger! I don't want a dog that doesn't conform to the standards!!!

As for their weight, I can feel Ryou's ribs easily when I pet him. There's maybe just enough skin and fat to pinch, but nothing more, and his hip bones aren't protruding. I know this because he used to be a little on the skinny side, and his hips were protruding. Now they're normal, like Amaya's. Amaya's ribs, however, are a little more prominent. I'm attributing this to the fact that she doesn't eat like I want her to. And I'm guilty of giving her a lot of extra stuff, like biscuits and treats, to make up for the lack of kibble she eats. No more of that once they go raw, though. I want to find something raw that I can cut up really small that they'll absolutely go bonkers over for treats. I won't feel comfortable giving them normal treats anymore. *grumbles about spoiled dogs getting fed better than the husband and me*