Feeding Times

[Hollis]

I've always tried to keep the kids on a 7a/7p ish schedule. DP is now officially a 3rd shifter and will take the morning feedings from now on. So that will likely move to 8ish or later.

I am more of a come home from work and get everything done before I settle in for the night in my recliner. This would more then likely mean dinner could move UP an hour for the kids.

Would it be a huge issue for there to be a 14-15 hour gap in-between dinner and breakfast? They all get a going to bed cookies so they're not totally without but still was hoping for opinions!

[Sambuca]

It will be fine. I'm a pet sitter and it's common for dogs to eat at 7/8am and 4-6pm. The dogs are all fine.

[buddibear]

My pack (4) have morning feeding whenever the sun breaks. It's feeding frenzie at 3 afternoon,their idea ,not mine. Makes for a looooooooong night. Each get a treat and a kiss at bedtime. My bedtime is 11-12. I wake them up for the treat! I understand the farm/kennel only feed once in the morning?

[Hollis]

Yeah I figured it was just in my head but wanted some reassurance. Thanks.

[Guest Swifthounds]

It should be fine. I only feed once daily - and raw to boot, so it's digested much faster than kibble - and it's not an issue.

[sobesmom]

It's fine. When I was a "new" greyhound owner - I stuck to a strict 12 hour schedule. 6 am, 6 pm feedings. Then over time, with more greys, and more changes in lifestyle, we became more flexible. Now - with only 1 grey at home - the schedule is VERY mooshy. Diana doesn't bother to get up in the mornings when I do to leave for work - so DD feeds her when they both roll out of bed, whenever that is! Apparently if the dog is content to stay snuggled up with DD in the morning, and not get up for breakfast when I'm up and going out the door - She's NOT starving! Same with supper - Diana eats when we do - anytime between 6 and 8 pm. No biggie.

 

Now our oher grey, Sobe, who has passed away - was different. He could read the clock! He would bark at EXACTLY 6:02 am and pm - to let us know - LOUDY - that it was MEALTIME if we didn't put his food down at exactly 6:00!!! He KNEW his schedule - and DON'T MESS IT UP!!! I miss that boy!

[maggiespet]

I feed once a day at 6PM. In the morning, they get something to chew while I get ready for the day - chicken foot, dehydrated sweet pot, pig ear. They both hold their weight and are not begging/whining all day for food. And I can predict their potty schedule like clockwork.

[Guest KennelMom]

they'll be fine

 

we feed once a day (raw) and the transition from twice a day (kibble) was MUCH easier than I thought it would be!

Edited June 15, 2011 by KennelMom

[Hubcitypam]

Due to my schedule my guys often get shifted a hour or two either way. No worries.

[Guest katethegreyt]

Should be fine = ) You may have to be more flexible with bathroom breaks though right at first.

 

Our schedule is also a bit soft... During the week, she gets fed when I'm about to leave for work (8:30ish), and then we usually feed her around 8 in the evening with a last walk between 10-11. Every once in awhile, if she is completely zonked out when I'm leaving for work, I'll just feed her at lunch between 11-12. She doesn't mind a bit. The weekends is when stuff gets all out of whack, haha. She sleeps until we do, so she may get fed anywhere from 9-11 = ) Then I'll usually just push back her food a bit in the evening if we are going to be up and about. Bathroom breaks get moved accordingly.

 

She's never had any issues with it, and I kind of think it's good for them not to have TOO strict of a schedule unless you are also a strictly scheduled type.

[3greytjoys]

You'll figure it out quickly if your hounds have trouble going that long. Some hounds will vomit bright yellow bile if they go too long without food. The cookies you give at night might help enough to keep stomach acid down.

 

(I need to feed 1/2 cup of their daily kibble before bedtime.)

[Guest Swifthounds]

If you're seeing bile vomit, the most likely cause is a set feeding schedule wherein the dog can predict when food is coming. In anticipation of food, their stomach begins to produce excess bile - in anticipation of food, not because the tummy has been empty - and a set schedule means that they know much sooner in advance when they will receive food. In the wild, the process of producing bile would being sometime at, or just before, the kill and the availability of food is never on a set schedule. Dogs are designed by nature to go up to several days without food without issue, to eat whatever amoutn is available when it's available, because they don't know when/where their next meal is coming.

 

For years I fiddled with the extra feedings and "snacks" on the advice of fellow greyhounders so that my hard keeper, Comet, wouldn't vomit bile. Eventually, in dealing with other issues, I began voraciously reading and in the course of that did some research on feeding and nutrition. I stopped the crazy feedings, randomized the feeding schedule, and never had another issue, even when I switched to feeding raw once a day, or sometimes feeding large meals one day and a small or no meal the next.

[Guest kydie]

I feed 3 times a day,,, at 5:45 (on the dot) the GSP comes running into the bedroom,, jumps on the bed, sticks his nose in my face,,, "get up I'm hungry" Then feeding at 2p.m. and again at 8 p.m. I divide thier daily amounts up for the 3 feedings,, this came about due to gasto issues with the GSP,, he needed small frequent meals,, and with a pack,, can't feed one and not the others

[Guest BassoonMo]

I wish we had a feeding schedule, but Easy has days where he doesn't want to eat or doesn't get around to eating his breakfast until noon. I'm not going to put out his food and let it get all mushy if I know he's not interested, so I just feed him when I think I can get him to eat it. Our Yorkie, on the other hand has her schedule and lets us know if we're late giving her dinner.

[cleptogrey]

i feed 2xs a day, but my times seem to really vary. if the pups are not running in the morning(soccer and fetch) then it's somewhere around 7-8am. if they run it's more like 10 am or so, depending upon how long it takes them to cool down. at night....we eat anywhere from 6:30-10pm. during the summer it's after an evening walk, thus our 10 pm dinner and their late night chow down. your dogs will get used to what ever you want them to, our dogs lack of schedule reflect our erratic eating pattern. i usually give them a bisket or 2 when i go out. that seems to hold them over.