Adjustment Of Kibble Amounts For Maintenance Weight Questions

[Guest Winnie2014]

Winnie has finally reached what I consider to be her maintenance weight - however, I now need to adjust her food amounts to reflect this. Her race weight was always around 55 pounds give or take, and I got her at 58 according to my vet at the 2 week visit.

 

Before she was getting 1 cup chicken per day in Kongs and as training treats (boiled and freeze dried) in addition to her food (3 cups) and food add-ins (1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp Olewo carrots). Her morning Kong is usually topped by 1-2 tbsp peanut butter (95-190kcal) and a 16kcal biscuit.

 

Her recommended kibble amounts is 3-4 cups at 336kcal per cup. Taking the chicken and treats into account, should I be feeding her 2 cups or 2.5 cups of kibble per day?

 

I was using this calculator for a 60 pound, "typical" dog at 336kcal dog food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/ and came out with about 1300kcal per day. Active comes out at 1492kcal.

 

How accurate should this be? Obviously feeding is not an exact science - but I don't want to be overfeeding my pup! She gets 3-30 minute walks a day with running 2x a week on the weekend.

 

I've got a kcal spreadsheet of Winnie's intake if you're really interested, but I think even that is too complicated!

 

Thanks for your help!

[JJNg]

Honestly, it doesn't have to be complicated at all. I look at each of my dogs every day, and if they're looking a little thinner (more obvious hips and ribs), I increase their feeding a little, and if I start to lose all sight of the hips/ribs, I decrease their feeding a little. I feed primarily kibble and make adjustments in 1/8 to 1/4 cup increments. Each dog's metabolism is different, and caloric needs vary based on a number of factors such as activity level, season, stress, illness, etc. So don't get too caught up in manufacturer's recommended amounts or caloric calculators.

 

Has your dog been gaining or losing weight on the current feeding amount? I couldn't remember Winnie's history so went back to your previous posts, and I thought you'd mentioned back in November that she was 58 lbs, so it seems like she's been maintaining her weight with the current feeding?

[Guest normaandburrell]

I would drop her food by 1/2 a cup per day if you want to maintain her current weight. You might want to note that greyhound's intake varies greatly according to their activity. While in training their caloric needs can double. The first time I left my grey in a boarding kennel for 2 weeks while we traveled, he dropped several pounds. They reassured me that he had eaten well. So from then on I increased the amount they fed him by a cup and he didn't lose more than a pound or so. He was just having so much fun playing with the other dogs that he was burning it off!

[Guest Winnie2014]

Thanks for the advice. I'll drop her kibble to 2 1/2 cups a day for the time being and see how she does. Would it be unreasonable for me to call the vet and ask them if they could weigh her for me? Winnie is my first pup so I want to do it right!

 

The Olewo carrots though are surprisingly high calorie! But her poop has been soft with some of our dietary changes (training treats, cheese), that I thought it might help. Still debating if they're helping as her poop has still been pretty soft.

 

She has filled out a little bit, excuse the potato quality of a 5:30am photo while Winnie was eating:

[DocsDoctor]

Winnie is very pretty! I'm sure the vet's would be happy for you to pop in just to weigh her - our vet will always let us do this, though I do ring first to check that the scales will be available, as they are kept in the consulting room. Ask the vet nurses to make a bit of a fuss of her too, and give her a treat - that will encourage her to see the vet's as a nice place to visit again. The first thing my old chap does when we go into the consulting room is look for the jar of liver treats on the counter!

[sobesmom]

Thanks for the advice. I'll drop her kibble to 2 1/2 cups a day for the time being and see how she does. Would it be unreasonable for me to call the vet and ask them if they could weigh her for me? Winnie is my first pup so I want to do it right!

 

The Olewo carrots though are surprisingly high calorie! But her poop has been soft with some of our dietary changes (training treats, cheese), that I thought it might help. Still debating if they're helping as her poop has still been pretty soft.

 

She has filled out a little bit, excuse the potato quality of a 5:30am photo while Winnie was eating:

Winnie is BEAUTIFUL!!!! It's a bit of a dark picture but from what I can see her weight looks fine. It's fine to drop in at the vet once in a while for a quick weigh-check. What's I'd suggest you do is just run your hands all over her. Get a feel for what a good weight looks and feels like. Soon, you won't need scales at all. You'll see and feel if her weight changes. Drop her food a bit if you think it's the right thing to do. In a couple weeks, you may need to bump it back up. No biggie.

[Guest Winnie2014]

Well she was 61 pounds at the vet so she did gain some weight. I'm happy with that so I am going to work to keep her around this weight from here on out.

 

I dropped her evening kibble down to 1 1/2 cups of food with all of the extras she is getting during the day. If she continues to gain then we will adjust food again.

 

Thanks again for the advice! Y'all are so awesome!

[Walliered]

I use mixed vegetable or french green beans in both of my hounds food. It gives them the feeling of being full without the calories. DaVid get a turkey neck for a meal every few days 'cause it helps with his teeth. Lady gets the electric toothbrush.

[Guest Winnie2014]

Well with the slight decrease in food, she's certainly gobbling up her breakfast in the morning! Which is a marked improvement over when I first got her and she would be iffy about breakfast.

 

Winnie is still getting plenty of treats on our walks to work on her leash reactivity (but lady I just want to say hi, they look like fun!) with other dogs, and her morning Kong is usually filled with some interesting things. Today I mixed up some cottage cheese with the chicken. No doubt it's going to end up on the carpet or the floor, but we'll survive.

 

We'll work out what I need to be feeding her for maintenance with time. I've been adjusting her food at night based on how many treats she gets during the day.

 

Thanks for all of the advice!

[sobesmom]

In no time at all you won't be worrying about it. She'll settle in and be FINE. Don't weigh her too often.