How Much Do You Feed & Do Yo Wet It?

[Guest jvalente]

Sorry to ask so many questions but I'm just looking for some ideas.

 

We've been feeding a total of 6 cups a day, split between 2 or 3 feedings. And we were told by the rescue that you HAVE to wet it to avoid bloat.

[Sambuca]

How much you feed depends on the dog and the food. I feed 6 cups a day to one of my dogs, but for most dogs that is WAY too much. My other gets about 2.5 cups a day.

 

As for wetting the food, it also depends on the dog. Bu chews every piece of kibble he eats and doesn't need the wet. Sailor (he eats less) scarfs it down and I do wet his food to slow him down. If the dog eats really fast then I think water is best, but if they eat really slow then water isn't necessary.

[Time4ANap]

The amount really depends on the food. Usually the instructions on the food that go by the dog's weight are a close guide, but you will still have to adjust the amount over time to what works to maintain your dog's weight and health.

 

Genericaly saying x amount of cups is useless, because it depends on the calorie count of the food and many other factors. You may have to currently feed 6 cups, but on a different food the amount might be 4 cups for the same dog.

 

We wet it to make it slide down easier. Rocket is more of an inhaler than a chewer - and if it's left dry he tends to choke on a piece or two. Avoiding walks or running prior to and after a meal will help to prevent bloat as well. We usually allow 45 mins to an hour on both sides of a meal to avoid activity.

[Busderpuddle]

I actually feed the kibble dry in the morning and wet it and give a spoonful of yogurt in the evening. She seems to love it both ways.

[kamsmom]

I feed the girls about 3.5 cups per day and the boys get 4-5 cups per day. I do wet their food but it is more just for preference and not a rule. I just think they like it better.

[tydyelady]

I have a very big boy, 95#, and he only gets 3 cups of kibble per day - 1 in AM, 2 in PM. And yes, I wet it with warm water, he seems to like it better. BUT, he gets add ins too. He gets canned food in the AM, a turkey neck piece when we get home from work, and canned food and a square of homemade meatloaf at night. Plus cookies as we are leaving for work.

[Hubcitypam]

Can't answer the poll as Girlie (58#) gets between 2 and 2.5 cups a day -- more than 2 but way less than 3 so neither option fits.

 

I do wet it and mix in 1/3 can total per meal, split 3 ways. This is mostly because Poodlle HAS to eat with his shots so they all get some canned mixed in, but it is a couple of tablepoons.

 

Have a bowl of dry kibble in the kitchen all the time but no one hardly ever touches it. I fill that 1 qt. bowl maybe every 10 days or two weeks.

Edited September 28, 2011 by Hubcitypam

[Guest Amberm5151]

So I need advice, I feed eagle pack lamb. I have a 11 month old greyhound, the bag says 1 1/2 cup a day....my guess is that's way low. I offer 1 1/2 cup each feeding and she eats all in the morning and 3/4 of it in the evening. She doesn't poop a lot so I know she is absorbing a lot of the nutriants. What would you all suggest?

[jamngrey]

Swoop 78lbs gets 1 3/4 cup 2x a day Cassie 53lbs gets 1 c 2x-day wet

[cleptogrey]

76 lbs/4 cups of hollistic select- active maniac who plays soccer and tennis 2xs a day- until he drops

61 lbs/3 cups of nature's domain/holistc select combo- doesn't run as hard(she has track training)

walkies don't really tire them out, but they walk at least 2 miles or more a day

both are 4 years old, that also helps determine how much they need. my 8 year old gal, 60#s only needed 2 cups per day.

[Guest Vers]

Simba is about 88 pounds and gets a scant 3 cups of Holistic Select Sardine, Anchovy and Salmon total per day, lightly wet and split into two feedings, sometimes with a little bit of canned tripe or whatever I'm using to entice Stella's appetite added in. I have to watch his weight carefully. Most days I feed part raw with him; he gets a kibble breakfast and raw for dinner and he does well with that.

 

Stella is about 58 pounds and a picky eater who could still stand to gain a pound or two; she gets 2, 13.5-ounce cans of food (Merrick or Kirkland canned) a day with rotating add ins (boiled chicken breast, canned tripe, nitrite-free hotdog slices, sardines, etc.) Stella refuses raw meals and will only occasionally eat a turkey neck if the mood strikes her.

 

Both hounds walk between 2 and 5 miles a day. Treats are limited; they get a small cookie after each walk and a dried tripe stick after dinner. Training treats are usually small bits of dried beef liver or hotdog.

 

Please note that studies have shown that wetting dry kibble that has citric acid as a preservative can substantially increase the risk of bloat: "consumption of owner-moistened dry foods that also contained citric acid significantly increased GDV 4 fold (300%)".

[Guest kydie]

i feed 3 times a day, 1 1/2 dry and 1 cup of home made,,,, they get snacks of dehydrated chicken or tripe 2 times a day,, when the "birders" are hunting,, this time a of year,,,, their food is increased by 1/2 dry and 1/2 home made extra,, when they hunt an entire weekend they can lose up to 3 pounds,, the old girl gets less,,, 1 cup of dry and 1/2 cup home made,, but the same snacks,, when the grandson visits,,, God only knows what they get

[Guest Tabby]

Tabby actually chews each piece of food...Looks painfully long when she eats, but I let her do her thing. She takes a mouthful of food to her bed in the living room, drops it all on the bed, picks out one piece at a time and crunch, crunch, crunch each piece, and goes back and does it again! She gets 1.5 cup in the am and 1.5 cup in the evening. I do add the occasional sweet potatoe, rice, yogurt, etc. but that is b/c she likes it and she gets what ever she likes!

[philospher77]

Katie (56 lbs) gets 2 cups of Call of the Wild ... the fish based one, can never remember their names. And lots of treats, since I need to do a lot of confidence building exercises and counter-conditioning with her. For that, I tend to use Stella and Chewy's, which are freeze-dried patties that she really seems to love. And then the occasional odd bit of human food, normally veggies and fruit. But you do need to look at what the bag says. I love the companies that tell you the calories per cup/treat, so that I can keep it relatively constant. And be aware that switching flavors within a brand can affect the caloric density of the food, so you have to check then as well as when you switch brands.

 

And I will wet some of the food when I add supplements, but I hand feed most of hers, so that's all dry.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Rebecca

[Guest GreyGary91806]

4 Cups daily with a probiotic at each meal. 1 cup of water mixed in as well

[Guest Celestrina]

Angie is 65lbs and gets 1.5 cups dry (Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream), 1/4 cup canned (Natural Balance Venison and Sweet Potato) twice per day. They are mixed together with a little water.

[Guest GreyGary91806]

Should add Gary is 84 lbs

[Guest maidmarcia]

80lbs and gets 4 cups of Kirkland a day, split into 2 cups at 8am and 2 at 8pm. I always wet it because he inhales it too quickly and chokes on it.

[Guest WhiteWave]

Greyhounds:

Riddick 6 months old 50lbs - 4 cups total divided in 2 feedings. Can and water added.

Ronon- 6 yrs old 80lbs 3 cups fed once a day with water and can food.

Xander- 2 yrs old 70lbs 4 cups fed once a day with water and can food.

 

 

IMO 6 cups is a lot of food for most dogs. Our 130lb very active Great Dane eats 4 cups a day. She did eat 5-6 cups while growing, but has leveled out at 4 cups. My 115lb Dogo eats 2 cups. 70lb Amstaff eats 1.5 cups.

[beledi]

How do you figure the calorie ratio?

[Guest Gert]

I voted 3 cups/day, as we give more than 2 cups. But, actually, my three get 1 1/4 cups twice a day. So, none of the options really fit.

 

I do wet their food. As some other folks have mentioned, my three tend to cough/choke if their kibble is dry.

[tammystroops]

I have a small type of bucket that I use for the biggest meal of the day for the furkids.

 

in the am around 6 they get dry kibble. about a cup each

 

then around 3 or 4 they get their big meal

I put about 6-8 scoops of dry kibble in the bucket.

 

I mix the kibble with either homemade food, OR two cans of wet food, OR some type of fish

 

I will add some warm water and mix it up well.

 

I put about 2 cups per dish per dog.

 

they seem to do well and they all know they are all getting the same thing.

[Guest itsagreytlife]

Selah is about 63 lbs and gets 1-1/2 cups kibble a.m. and then p.m. (total 3 cups/day). I wet the a.m. with 3-4 tblsps warm water and mix. At p.m. I mix in 3 pumps of salmon oil. She inhales and tends to cough up the kibble every so often. She gets small training incentive treats thruout the day and keeps a beautiful girlish figure! Oh, she is also starting to get 1/4 raw chicken a couple p.m.s a week in place of her kibble. Am starting to see improvement in the tartar on her back teeth! Yea!

 

Does anyone else's grey get hyper right after dinner (p.m.) and want to run and play immediately afterwards? Becoming more common with Selah with the cooler weather. Very difficult to keep her calm for 30-45 mins after eating. She poops BEFORE eating, so its not the relief (or whatever) of eliminating that is giving her that extra umph. Just wondered if anyone else has this issue.

[3greytjoys]

Since each hound's metabolism and activity level is different, I watch hounds visually and adjust their intake accordingly. Generally, a healthy "pet" Greyhound weight is being about to see the last 2 ribs, plus feel the 3rd to last rib.

 

We feed a greater quantity to new hounds off the race track so they can gain weight slowly. Our varieties of kibble range from 350 calories per cup, up to approx. 504 calories per cup. For the most part, we follow manufacturers' feeding charts, but we definitely need to feed a greater quantity of the lower 350 calorie kibble to keep enough weight on the hounds. The poop quantity increases substantially with the lower calorie foods. I much prefer feeding the high quality, more dense 400+ to 500+ calorie foods.

 

One of our inhaler hounds landed in the ER choking on a piece of dry kibble. That was a $200.00 piece of kibble! Like many others, we do add water to kibble. Now, I am more careful to swirl the water around to make sure all the kibble is moistened.

 

Our hounds rest from walks a minimum of 1 hour before meals, and 1 hour after. (2 hours before/after meals if running.)

Edited October 5, 2011 by 3greytjoys

[Guest sirsmom]

Our 3 year old lurcher (grey mix) is 60 lbs and gets fed two cups a day total of Iams mixed with Purina One. Her figure is slim but not skinny. I do add fish oil since it is not included in the kibble ingredients and small bits of meat or cheese & veg (only a few teaspoons per meal.