How Much To Feed (Photos Added In Post 10, 18)

[tornadosgirl]

It's been several years since we've had a puppy in the house. We just got Deano and he is 2 1/2. We feed one can of Pro Plan in the morning and two cups of Nature's Recipe kibble in the evening. He weighs 72 pounds (and is slightly taller than our 82 pound Finn) and I think he should gain a few pounds. I think we could increase the kibble and we should probably get the puppy version versus the adult that we usually get.

So any ideas on how much to increase on the kibble? What about puppy versus adult? When are they considered an adult?

Edited April 5, 2013 by tornadosgirl

[Feisty49]

I'm not up on puppies per se, but don't puppies go from puppy food to adult food about 12 months of age? Two and a half sounds pretty old to be on puppy food.

[a_daerr]

I can't really comment on a 2 1/2 year old, but we've had Truman since 15 weeks old. He's now 18 months and eats A LOT... About 6 cups of kibble a day with various mix-ins and canned food. I wouldn't over feed, as it takes them a long time to fill out. I'd try 3-4 cups a day (depending on the food) and tailor it as needed.

[JJNg]

A 2.5-yr-old is an adult and doesn't need puppy food. It's recommended to switch from puppy to adult food at skeletal maturity, which for a greyhound is probably around 10-12 months old. I usually try to feed equal meals in the morning and evening. He's getting a lot more calories in the evening meal of 2 cups dry compared to the can in the morning.

 

How does he look? Are you seeing a lot of ribs, spine, and hip bones? If he needs to gain weight, I'd probably adjust your current feeding and start with 1.5 cups of dry plus 1/2 can both morning and evening. See what his weight does after a week or two on that amount, and adjust as needed.

[tornadosgirl]

A 2.5-yr-old is an adult and doesn't need puppy food. .....I usually try to feed equal meals in the morning and evening.

 

How does he look? Are you seeing a lot of ribs, spine, and hip bones? .....

Thanks. Just to clarify, he is getting adult food now. I don't see his spine or hip bones, but I do see his ribs. So I think I will increase his food. Another question, why do you feel it is important to feed equal amounts morning and evening?

[cleptogrey]

he's an adolescent soon to be a mature dog. that hits somewhere in his 3rd year. felix came to us at 7 weeks and i never fed puppy food- my vet said a good quality adult and we never had any problems. around 2.5 he was eating the same amount that he eats now- (now maybe1/4- 1/2 cup less ). that's 2 cups in the morning, 2 cups at night and a couple of milk bones during the day when i leave for work. my dogs have NEVER had any canned food what so ever. so, your boy is getting enough calories(the canned really adds up). it's just time and patience, they all fill out.

[cleptogrey]

order of pics

age, 6, age 2.5, felix at 2.5 years, a tad shorter than he is now http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2635691/sn/1308755059/name/n_a and not as filled out in the front

and at 6http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2635691/sn/466022502/name/nemo+storm+007.jpg

[JJNg]

I don't see his spine or hip bones, but I do see his ribs. So I think I will increase his food. Another question, why do you feel it is important to feed equal amounts morning and evening?

 

if you don't see hip bones, he's probably close to a good weight. You should be able to see the last 2-3 ribs at a healthy weight in a greyhound. Feeding the same amount morning and evening is probably more of a personal preference, but if the meals are fairly equally spaced apart, I just feel it keeps things more even through the day to have equal amounts. If the interval between the morning and evening meal is significantly shorter than the overnight period, I imagine it would make sense to feed more at night. And some people only feed once a day, and many dogs do fine on that too.

 

your boy is getting enough calories(the canned really adds up).

 

Canned food usually has less calories for the same volume compared to dry food because it's much higher in water content. It varies between brands, but generally speaking, I find that 1 regular-sized can (usually 13 oz) is about equivalent in calories to about a cup, or slightly more than a cup, of the dry food.

[GeorgeofNE]

2.5 is NOT a puppy.

 

You should be able to see some ribs and the points of his hip bones. Otherwise he's overweight.

 

How about posting a picture??

[tornadosgirl]

He is currently 72 pounds. Here is a photo of Deano. Sorry for the quality, a better camera is on my wish list:

 

[a_daerr]

IMHO, he looks a little bit on the thin side. He's definitely not emaciated or severely underweight. If he were my dog, I wouldn't push too hard to get him to gain in a hurry. Just feed him as you normally would. If he still acts hungry, give him some extra cookies and mix-ins. It's amazing how quickly they lose muscle and gain mass once they're home on a regular diet.

[Guest BlackandTan]

^{Deano is a hunk!}

^{I like my dogs near racing weight personally, a few pounds is alls I like to add on them.}

^{My pups get 3.5 cups a day and a turley neck, with a kong in the am and carrots at dinner time..}

^{This is Matt btw.... Give Deano a big hug from me!!}

[racindog]

He looks like my Slim did. The vet (board certified) told me that I would never be able to "put more meat on his bones" as some of them were genetically programmed to be that way and not to worry about it that he was healthy. He was right. Deano looks greyt to me.

[cleptogrey]

my dogs always look thinner lying down, can we get an upright pic??? am i the only one who thinks she's fine??? remember she is still young. give her a year or 2 to finish filling out.

[Sambuca]

my dogs always look thinner lying down, can we get an upright pic??? am i the only one who thinks she's fine??? remember she is still young. give her a year or 2 to finish filling out.

I agree with this.

[tornadosgirl]

I will post a photo soon. Camera battery just died. I went to take a photo, and you would think I had pulled a gun on him- he freaked out and bolted from the room. I tried giving him a treat (which he loves) and you would think I had offered him poison! I will have to catch him when he doesn't see me with the camera.

Edited April 4, 2013 by tornadosgirl

[Guest SoulsMom]

Congrats!! (Need a backstory please ;-)) When Zoe came to us at 8 yrs old she was quite thin. We started giving her boiled macaroni with her kibble to plump her up then started her on raw. It worked

Edited April 4, 2013 by SoulsMom

[tornadosgirl]

Here is a photo of Deano standing

 

[Guest goofydog]

Upright pic looks great. I'd try to keep him between 72-74or 75. Handsome boy.

[Feisty49]

If he were mine, I'd like another pound or two (I prefer seeing 2 ribs instead of 3) but overall, he looks good.

[BellaBean]

I think he looks good. He's still got a lot of muscle from racing. I wouldn't put too much weight on him. I keep Gigi between 60-63 which was her race weight, actually she pretty much keeps herself there, she not very food motivated, but you don't want to put too much weight on him.

[cleptogrey]

Upright pic looks great. I'd try to keep him between 72-74or 75. Handsome boy.

agree, i tend to like my dogs thinner. he will continue to gain weight as he matures. just 1/2 c of kibble daily will make a difference. you don't need to go bonkers upping his food.

[GeorgeofNE]

my dogs always look thinner lying down, can we get an upright pic??? am i the only one who thinks she's fine??? remember she is still young. give her a year or 2 to finish filling out.

 

No, you're not! You can see all of George's ribs when he's laying down too.