[GoldenGirl]

So the transition has gone so well, it looks like Koda is gaining weight. He started out around 85lbs (should be 80) and I've been feeding him two meals a day, approximately one pound in each meal.

I'm guessing the only true pound meal he gets is a chicken quarter and he gets that maybe 3 times a week right now. Everything else (chicken backs, turkey wings, turkey necks, pork necks, fish) have been less per meal.

I guess my question is should I be cutting meals out? He only gets one of something each time so I can't cut there.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!

- Jean

 

[DaneMama]

Feed him only once daily or only two meals every other day. We only feed once per day so he should be able to handle it no problem.

 

[MollyWoppy]

I can relate to what you're saying, when we first switched over to raw, my dog became quite the little porker. Well, not really that fat, but she put on enough weight that friends started commenting. She really enjoyed her new food which was such a change that I decided to keep the same portions but upped her exercise.
Now that the weathers got pretty warm down here and we croak if we run or bike too much, I've cut out one meal every second day, reduced the overall size of her portions and made sure she's not getting as many treats as normal.

 

[magicre]

So the transition has gone so well, it looks like Koda is gaining weight. He started out around 85lbs (should be 80) and I've been feeding him two meals a day, approximately one pound in each meal.

I'm guessing the only true pound meal he gets is a chicken quarter and he gets that maybe 3 times a week right now. Everything else (chicken backs, turkey wings, turkey necks, pork necks, fish) have been less per meal.

I guess my question is should I be cutting meals out? He only gets one of something each time so I can't cut there.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!

- Jean

when i run the calculations on your dog....at the ideal weight of 80 lbs and 2%...i get 25 ounces per day....26 if you round up...

if he is getting close to two pounds a day....that's almost a half a pound extra per day that he's getting.

i noticed that raw is no different than kibble in servings....my little guy lost his girlish waist line....he had been getting an extra ounce or two a day, but he only weighs 18 lbs. so going over by a little was a little too much.

i'd cut back a little...not much...and he'll lose the weight...

does he get a lot of exercise? you can always increase that...

 

[GoldenGirl]

Feed him only once daily or only two meals every other day. We only feed once per day so he should be able to handle it no problem.

I didn't feed him dinner last night and he was none too pleased! You think that he was being starved the way he was acting.

Koda's going to have to get use to it because this is going to be the norm for awhile.

Thanks,
Jean

 

[GoldenGirl]

when i run the calculations on your dog....at the ideal weight of 80 lbs and 2%...i get 25 ounces per day....26 if you round up...

if he is getting close to two pounds a day....that's almost a half a pound extra per day that he's getting.

i noticed that raw is no different than kibble in servings....my little guy lost his girlish waist line....he had been getting an extra ounce or two a day, but he only weighs 18 lbs. so going over by a little was a little too much.

i'd cut back a little...not much...and he'll lose the weight...

does he get a lot of exercise? you can always increase that...

2% of 80 is 1.6 so I rounded to approximately 2 pounds per day. He never got that much on any given day but it's apparently too much for him to maintain his weight.

We'll see how holding back a meal goes.

Thanks,
Jean

 

[CorgiPaws]

Maintaining healthy weight on a dog is simple.
If they're looking chunky: feed less, walk more.
If they're looking thin: feed more.

The 2-3% is a simple starting point but by no means is it a rule. Some people will end up feeding 1% and some 4%. For example, my ~20lb Corgi, who is very very active maintains beautifully on 8-10 ounces per day, split in two meals of approx. 4-5oz. The tiny portions look like no food to me, and he eats in less than thirty seconds, but his body condition tells me it's just right for him.

Occasionally I'll get lazy and end up making meals bigger than I should, and when that happens, I just start skipping meals here and there.

 

[DaneMama]

Since we tend to say 2-3% of their ideal adult weight, 2 pounds for an 80 pound dog is right around the middle of that. But now you know that 2 pounds per day is just a bit too much. This is why the 2-3% is just a guideline on where to start your rations, because every dog is going to utilize and store energy differently.

It will take some time to get used to only eating once per day, but he will soon learn to hold out! Keep up the good work :wink: