Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

So apparently dogs are different than horses... :D

The Menagerie
#1

I have recently started dabbling in dogs. I got off to a rocky start: dog 1 euthanized for being a dog killer, dog 2 killed by truck, dog 3 stolen from barn. I don’t want to jinx myself, but dog 4 seems to be doing just fine in all regards.

I started out feeding him what passes for “good” food from the supermarket but have since learned more about what ingredients to look for and avoid. With the food he is currently getting, the suggested daily quantity is 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups for a dog Caleb’s size (about 75 lbs now at 9 months).

He eats it in about 3 minutes. That leaves 23 hours and 57 minutes of NOT eating. I could feed him twice a day but anything I can do once a day is a benefit to my already-packed schedule. And that would make it six minutes out of the day instead of three.

I know that dogs are not like horses, grazing animals with a digestive tract designed by a committee. The dogs are happy to see their dinner but show no signs of destructive or self-destructive behavior from being without food for hours on end. Is this just what dogs are like? I am a cat person so I’m a bit used to the predator eating plan, but my cats tend to nibble all day, more like the horses.

#2

Dogs do NOT need to nibble all day like horses. Feeding once or twice a day for most dogs is fine. Twice a day is preferable for some large dogs / dogs prone to bloat / dogs prone to empty stomach syndrome. Many, however, do just fine eating once a day.

If you are worried about your dog being bored, not just hungry, you can feed in a way that takes much longer. For example, see what I posted on this (unrelated) thread about feeding in kongs:

Then, instead of feeding her in her bowl in the morning, feed her in kongs only. You may need multiple kongs for this, and you will need to provide water in the crate, too. Feeding her this way will keep her occupied and mentally stimulated during the day while she is in her crate. You may need more than one kong to get all her food in there, and I would mix it with more exciting things and freeze them overnight, too. (Make sure there will be a mini-fridge with freezer in your rooom.) If I’m going to be away for several hours, I put my dogs’ food in their kongs, along with cut up cheese and hot dogs and sometimes other things like chicken, peanut butter, mashed potatoes, etc. It’s mostly dog food, with some exciting stuff mixed in to entice them and keep them interested. I really stuff it all in there, so it is packed tight. Then I plug the opening with a piece of hard cheese and freeze it. This will keep her busy for hours. She’ll be interested in them because, if she wants to eat, she’ll have to use the kongs. My dogs weren’t so into the kongs when I only put a few treats or just peanut butter. When I stuff them this way, they LOVE them and stay occupied.

#3

I know lots of people who free feed (leave food out all the time), I know people who feed 1x a day and I know people who feed 3x a day.

Dogs seem to adapt to lots of feeding schedules no matter what they are.

#4

Also, do you do any treat training, like obedience training with food rewards, etc.? If so, then the dog is also eating more than just once a day.

If the dog isn’t having any problems (vomiting, etc.), then your feeding schedule is probably fine.

#5

I did free-feeding until I added the English Bulldog. She will not stop eating so we’re back to scheduled measured feedings. More work, I’m glad she is worth it.

OP, your pup is still growing so you may find his feeding habits & schedule change as he becomes more adult.

Also, very important, I’ve found very very few bagged foods have measurements for feeding that are good for most dogs. Talk to your vet; ours told us that if it is finished in less than 5 minutes it wasn’t enough. Make sure your vet is happy with the growth rate and weight of your pup… and if so then work on slowing him down.

Kongs are great as mentioned, but there are also feeding cubes (put the dry rations inside and it has to be played with to knock them out) or invest in a timed feeder.

Add frozen beef bones (or smoked femurs) to the menu for things that satisfy the gnawing urge and you should also find the wolfing of the food going away…

Good luck with #4!!

#6

I just re-read and saw that the dog is only 9 months and 75 pounds… At that size and age, I would be feeding twice a day and restricting exercise after eating to prevent bloat.

Also, is your dog bolting his feed? If so, you want to get him to slow down some way – either feeding in a kong or treat toy or by making a dog slow feeder. You can put an upside down bowl inside the dog dish, so the food falls to the side. It will take him longer to eat this way. Bolting feed is dangerous for a dog, as it can contribute to bloat.

I don’t think you can figure out how much volume the dog should eat by the amount of time it takes him to eat his rations; however that is an excellent gage for whether the dog is eating too fast. You have to go by what is keeping your dog healthy and at a good weight. Certainly if your dog eats to fast, you need to slow him down for good reason. But every dog is different in how quickly they eat and how much they need to eat to keep their weight. That large of a dog (and I have a big puppy, too, approaching 50 pounds at 5 months), you need to be especially concerned with the rate of growth, as a PP mentioned. I agree with that PP that you should ask your vet about it.

#7

Thats one big dog! I would suggest a RAISED feeding stand to help reduce the chances of bloat. For young dogs I would suggest feeding twice a day. Also the “feeding suggestions” on the bag are BS. Talk to your VET how much and what the best combination of food is for your dog and his breed.

#8

No to the elevated food bowl. Elevated food bowls are not a preventative as once thought and are believed in some cases to increase the chance of bloat. All of my vets in the past 10 years have said they should be avoided for large breeds and any dog prone to bloat.

I agree wholeheartedly on the bag feeding suggestions, though. They aren’t always accurate (okay, rarely accurate), especially for certain breeds.

#9

well, I have heard (about 10 years ago) that floating the kibble is good for them in regard to speed and bloat. Not to mention extra liquid is hardly ever bad.
(when I get to feed my mom’s dog, I rinse the cat food container out and dump it on the kibble… they love it)

#10

Also neutering effects the amount of food required. He IS neutered isn’t he?? Generally an altered dog need 1/3 to 1/2 less than the amount of food recommended on the bag.

#11

Yes he is neutered.

No he does not bolt his food. He doesn’t even stay at his dish until the food is gone – he’ll run around, say hi to his peeps or his buddy dog (fed a distance away), but return to the dish without a hugely long break. So three minutes might be an exaggeration but ten minutes is probably longer than it takes.

He is keeping his weight – I’d say he’s just about at perfect weight, a lean shiny muscly wiggly shape with a gorgeous coat. He might not be 75 lbs (I do a lot of estimating!) – he was neutered at 5 months old and he was 65 lbs at that time. He has gotten taller since then but seems lankier too, like an adolescent/teenage doggie; the real weight gain will probably be when he starts really filling out.

#12

[QUOTE=Alagirl;5555827]
well, I have heard (about 10 years ago) that floating the kibble is good for them in regard to speed and bloat. Not to mention extra liquid is hardly ever bad.
(when I get to feed my mom’s dog, I rinse the cat food container out and dump it on the kibble… they love it)[/QUOTE]

I had a Dobe bloat because I soaked his food :no:

Foods that contain a certain ingredient (I forget what) can increase your chances of bloat if fed wet. The food that I mistakenly fed soaked was a Prescription Diet…maybe R/D??? This dog was on W/D for chronic active pancreatitis and the vet ran out and said the R/D was identical. It was obviously not and I was admonished for wetting it (even though these people knew this dog ate only soaked kibble as he had boarded with them numerous times and he was a regular patient with his issues…I no longer use that vet).

Perhaps this is all not true as I don’t believe much those people told me at this point but it was the quickest, scariest bloat I have experienced. The dog looked like he had swallowed a medicine ball within 20 minutes of eating and just barely made it through surgery.

As far as the recommendations on the dog food bags I find they encourage over feeding more than under. I have very active dogs and I feed them less than what the bags suggest for inactive dogs and they look fine. I do like them almost ribby though and think most dogs I meet are fat. I feed Nutro Natural Choice right now and have also fed Orijen.

I would not worry about underfeeding him too much provided he is getting a good quality food but I have always had Dobes and Terriers so I am not super familiar with feeding other types. I did have a Newf once but do not remember much about how I fed her.

He looks really cute by the way!

#13

What a scary incident indeed! :eek:

(that’s why I said it’s dated info, every couple of years something else comes out we have been doing wrong all these years)

I don’t even read feeding recommendations. If you have to go by those, you need to rethink your pet keeping strategies. :lol:
My last 2 I had on a store brand and both got a cup AM and PM, the Dalmatian was pretty chubby on it, the Beagle mutt had stuff going on that had her fat at one time, skin and bones at another.

I do like them trimmer and I do agree, most dogs these days are fat.

(that’s why I do like to keep the bowls empty every now and then. It has a lot of benefits :))

#14

I like Canidae or California Natural for my 3 dogs. I feed twice per day as that is what works for my schedule. When the lab was a puppy he ate 3 times per day.
The lab gets 2.5 measured cups twice per day of the Canidae. He eats it 3 minutes or less. All of my labs inhale their food.
It takes him less time to finish his 2.5 cups than it take the 30 lb Eskimo Spitz to finish his 1/2 cup.
I do wet the food since the old girl (13-16 years old) prefers hers wet. I just put water on it and put the bowls down right away so it is more a gravy since it doesn’t have time to soften the kibble before it is consummed.

Because I grew up with labs dogs that eat fast are normal to me.

One suggestion that I thought was cool for dogs that bolt their food is to spread the food out on a cookie tray. They find it hard to get a big mouthful at a time to bolt it.

#15

For those of you with bolters…this dish helps a bit:

http://www.brake-fast.net/

I prefer my Dobes to eat out of stainless steel since they get chin-acne from plastic but I will take chin-acne over bloat/GDV any day.

#16

We have 6 dogs, who range in size from 5lbs. to 85lbs. We feed twice a day. Two must have grain-free, the rest get Nutro. We’ve had to separate them, due to the fact that the Corgi will eat his and everyone’s food if given the chance.

I like the twice daily routine. Our dogs are less ‘beggy’ when fed this way, and tend to not get into the feed in the barn (our big dog is the culprit most times–he seems perpetually hungry) by knocking over the bins. God help me if he ever develops opposable thumbs.

I feed by eye–big dog gets nearly 4 cups dry a day, and we go down from there to the wee boy at 1/2 cup divided, daily. We generally add a spoonful of wet to make us feel good;), or an egg if I have extra from the hens. Everyone stays fat and happy. I guess the beet pulp they all steal, along with horse turds also contributes to their general well being.

#17

There are stainless steel slow feeder bowls as well.

#18

[QUOTE=sisu27;5557315]
For those of you with bolters…this dish helps a bit:

http://www.brake-fast.net/

I prefer my Dobes to eat out of stainless steel since they get chin-acne from plastic but I will take chin-acne over bloat/GDV any day.[/QUOTE]

Stainless steel bowls with raised centers for food bolters are available. I have one for my ridgeback. I just cannot remember where I got it, probably Foster and Smith or maybe Petedge. Works great.

#19

[QUOTE=Phaxxton;5557629]
There are stainless steel slow feeder bowls as well.[/QUOTE]

Oops, sorry I did not see your post before I posted mine. :no:

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse