Right amount of kibble?

[Boykins]

Hi all,

This is my first post since joining the forum. I've been poking around in here a lot since we adopted Boykins back in July. She's six months old (as of today!), and last week underwent her spay surgery. appicon She's just a great girl and we absolutely love her to death. http://girlnamedearlboykins.********.com

We've been feeding her the kibble that was recommended by the breeder, and she as she's adjusted to her life with us, she's definitely become an "enthusiastic" eater. We're feeding her 2x/day, 1/2 cup each meal. Now that she's a bit older and bigger, should we increase that a bit? Perhaps 2/3 cup each meal? (There's a chart on the back of the kibble bag, but for the life of me, I can't figure out if their portion sizes are for one meal, or a full day.)

She seems to be a pretty normal size (17 pounds the day of her surgery), and may even be a tad on the thin size, for a frenchie. ;)

For those of you who aren't on the raw diet, how much food are you giving your frenchie?

Thanks!
sarah and boykins

[imogene]

How much you feed really depends on what you are feeding -that's why manufactures put feeding guidelines on their packages. But those are also guidelines and ever dog has slightly different nutritional needs. When I was feeding kibble we were feeding 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Canidae per day. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them, and your dog should have a waist line. Your dog is growing right now - and I wouldn't be too concerned with over feeding. If she seems to be ravenous - finishing her meals in seconds then I would probably up the amount. On the same note if she seems hyper and chubby you may want to cut back a bit:)

[luvnkitty]

Hi Sarah
Mia is 19 months old. She gets 3/4 cup dry and a spoonful of wet twice a day. She is on the big side for a Frenchie but not at all fat.... or at least we don't think so.
BTW.. Boykins is a pretty little girl.

[gmacleod]

The guidelines on food packaging is daily amount, unless stated otherwise (and I can't think of any manufacturers that do state otherwise ;)).

As for how much, that will depend on the food you're feeding, your pup's size and her condition. Start with the guideline on the packet, and adjust slightly upward or downward according to the pup's condition. The bottom line is that if her weight is correct, then so is the amount of food you're feeding.

However hungry she may appear, if her weight is correct, then she does not need more food. The idea that puppies should be given all the food they want is a myth (and a dangerous one at that). Overfeeding is just about the worst thing you can do for a puppy - they're better a little on the thin side than ever being too heavy (overnutrition can also cause growth disorders and exacerbate the development of genetic musculoskeletal conditions - so all round, something to avoid doing).

[Boykins]

Thanks for all the "feed"back (har har). I think we'll stick with the 1/2 cup feedings 2x/day. I would definitely rather have her at a healthy weight (and I'd say 17 pounds is healthy for a six month-old puppy). But thanks to everyone for your feedback.

This forum has been so helpful since we got Boykins. I'm so glad I stumbled onto it!

--sarah and boykins