I have a 5 month old puppy....what's up with his food?

Question

I recently switched from Puppy Chow to Eukenuba. I read the feeding instructions (go easy...1st dog...I am a cat person...she suckered me with those big brown eyes)

But anyway...I read the feeding chart on how much I should be feeding her and it seems to be so little. She is a Boston Terrier/Jack Russell mix and weighs all of 10 pounds. Eukenuba is saying to feed her 1 1/3 cups of food daily....this seems like so little. I was giving her an open food bowl but now I am doing what they say. (I am sure they know more than I do)

But like I said...this seems to be so little food for her.....

Are they right? Am I going to starve my dog?

Cats are soooo much easier!

EDIT TO ADD---

Her name is Miss Emma...she is the little girl I never had (my boy was suposed to be a girl and his name was going to be Emily)

She is flat SPOILED ROTTEN...and fits in quite nice in the zoo (1 quaker parrot, 1 cat, 1 6 year old boy and 1 hubby)

Answer 1

To answer your question, the guidelines on the back of the food bags are just a starting point. Some dogs need more, some need less. The way to tell if you are feeding to much or to little is to do a rib check. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, and your dog should have a visible "waist" when viewed from above. This means you are feeding a good amount. If its hard to feel the ribs, and your dog has no "waist" cut back a little. If more than the last rib or two are visible, feed a little more.

I would also suggest switching to a higher quality food. Puppy chow and Eukanuba are not considered a high quality dog food. I'm going to post guidelines on choosing a high quality food. Keep in mind a lot of high quality dog foods are designed for all life stages, meaning they can be fed from puppy hood through the senior years. Puppy food has to much protein which causes rapid growth, rapid growth leads to joint and bone problems. An all stages formula promotes a more desired slow growth and helps prevent future bone and joint problems.

Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Nutro Natural, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm.........

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.htm...

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html.....

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html.....

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&m...

Answer 2

When the numbers worry you, skip the numbers since they are just a guideline anyway and every dog is going to be different. I have a healthy 45 lb mix breed that eats less than your puppy! I have two shepherds that eat the recommended amount for their weight and do well with it. I have one shepherd who gets 1 1/2 times the recommended amount and that's what HE needs. None of my dogs ever stop running. I don't worry about the numbers and just look at my dogs to see if they need more or lss. You can do the same. Just go by how she looks and feels. If she is a fat or you can no longer see a waistliine and tuckup, cut back. If you can easily see her ribs, spine, and hips then she needs more food. If you can feel the ribs under a thin layer of flesh and she has a nice tuckup, you are feeding the right amount. Your dog will be a better guide than any numbers on a package so let her tell you what she needs. Since you're new to dogs, here is a basic feeding guideline and again, adjust as your dog needs it. At that age she should be getting 2-3 meals a day and be down to two meals by 6-8 months. By 10-12 months she can be on one meal a day but let her tell you if that's a good idea. Large breeds do well on one meal a day but some small breed dogs tend to feel a bit ill on only one meal a day. Whenever you cut out one meal, do it slowly so that she doesn't feel she's being starved. Of course, as your pup grows, she may become more or less active (judging by breed she could go either way) and you'll want to adjust food intake as necessary. Congrats on your new pup and welcome to the wonderful world of dogs!

Answer 3

With small and toy breed dogs like yours, it is very safe and easiest to free feed (especially if you don't think your dog is getting enough). Free feeding simply means leave a full bowl of it's food and fresh water out at all times and your dog can eat what and when it needs to. Refill as needed ....easy. This is not true of large breeds but is very safe for small dogs. That way you don't have to worry about how much you are or aren't feeding. I love these active little dogs and had two for a long time. They are great little pets and very easy keepers. Don't worry so much and just enjoy your dog. You will figure it out and your little dog will be happy and healthy. The amounts listed on dog food bags is a very general suggestion and each individual dog will vary in what they need. Take your cues from your dog and it's behavior. Does it act real hungry all the time?......feed her a little more more ... If she doesn't finish her food.....she could have a little less. Just don't over stress yourself your dog breed is just as easy to take care of as a cat but they just a more of an interactive fun and more affectionate. One tip just from someone that has owned and does own many dogs. Check the food you are giving your dog and pick a food that doesn't have Corn or "meals" in the first three ingredients. They aren't very healthy (even so called "Good" dogs foods aren't real healthy for your pet if you read the label) and aren't easily digested (corn isn't really digested at all and is useless to the dog). Therefore your dog will eat more just to get the nutrients it needs.Real meat should always be the first on the list. Better if the first couple (Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul brand dog food is a great choice for a nice price). You can also get it in a small breed formula. I think you'll like being a dog owner.....congrats on your new friend.

Answer 4

Nah. For a little dog, that's about right. Especially if you are feeding Eukanuba small breed puppy, that one's pretty high in calories per cup. You need to multipy anything you give her by about 15 to make it relative in human terms, so 1 1/3 cups of food to her is equal to about 20 cups a day for a human being (not that humans eat dog food...lol). This is why little dogs end up fat so easily. But the number on the bag is just a guideline, adjust it as you go if she's getting too thin or too fat on that. And the more active she is, the more you need to feed.

It's hard to know by the scale what your dog should weigh because there's such a variation on size. This works better.

http://www.purina.ca/dogs/nutrition.asp?article=292

Answer 5

I guess it all depends on your individual dog. With my dog I leave a full dish of food out at all times because she is not an overeater. If anything, she undereats which is why I always leave food out for her. That way she can eat when she's hungry, not when I tell her to. She's extremely healthy and has a perfect physique (that's what her vet says). If your dog keeps eating and eating when you leave her a full dish out all the time then I would just follow the feeding instructions on the bag. If you feel that the portions aren't enough then try giving her a little more...just watch to make sure she doesn't start becoming overweight as that is stressful on her heart and organs just as it is a human.

Answer 6

No, that's not going to starve her. Most dog food companies actually estimate on the high end, when giving feeding instuctions.

You have a high energy dog there, however, so keep an eye on her. She may burn more food than other dogs...depending on how much exercise she gets.

Good luck. I love terriers, but they can be tough for first time dog owners.

I'd recomend taking her to an obedience class. I recomend it for all dogs/owners, but especially for the smart/high energy breeds. Which you definitely have. ( I know you weren't asking for that advice, but what the heck, it's on the house....:)

Good luck to you!

Answer 7

Eukanuba is not a great food. To find food with better ingrediends, visit:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
and
http://www.4pawsu.com/dogfood.htm

And there are a lot of good reasons to not free-feed, so it's good that you're not doing that any more. The charts on food packaging are fairly accurate - you really want to avoid overfeeding, especially with a smaller dog. It's a huge strain on their joints and ligaments to have to carry even an extra pound. You should easily be able to feel your dog's ribcage through their skin. HTH!

Answer 8

Cats are easy, but your puppy will love you like no cat will. Follow the instructions with the pet food and watch your little girl....is she stuffing herself....is she content after eating. Once you get to know her and her personality you will be aware of her likes and dislikes and if she is just a little oinker. Your best bet would be to have her examinded by a vet and make sure she has been wormed and free of parasites. Have the vet give you information about how much to feed her. If she is only 10 pounds her little belly is about the size of 1/2 cup. Also, you might want to give her water after about 45 minutes after she eats so she stays full longer. Congrats on your new puppy....whats her name? Good recipes on www.stubbytails.com

Answer 9

You should NOT be feeding your puppy Eukenuba!!! It's so ucky for pups and dogs! She will be pooping more than she should be, and I believe the reason they call for so little is because the ingredients in there are sooo fattening! The first ingredient listed has the largest quantity. You want to avoid corn (they use it to fatten pigs, same as dogs), beef(cause dry flaky skin), any form of starch(potatoes, beet pulp, and corn), any kind of by-products(this is the feathers, beaks, feet, etc), You may not be able to avoid all of these nasty products together but just watch out for it. Another thing you want to avoid is chicken or beef meal it's basicly the same as by-products. Ucky.

A really good brand is Wellness or Flint River. It's all natural, but kinda expensive. Any all natural product will be really good for your lil pup. If you can't or just don't want to spend alot of money on dog food, then I suggest Science Diet.

I know yo might not want yo switch your pups food again, but it's worth it trust me. It'll save you money and time in the end by not having to frequent the vet for problems and you won't have to pick up as much feces as before.

Answer 10

Keep an eye on her as Eukenuba does not agree with all dogs. However when you feed a more expensive dog food then most of the time you can cut it back as they don't need that much.

Look at it like this. Dogs eat for *fuel for the bodies* and with Eukanuba it is jam packed with fuel so it just takes less.

HOPE THIS HELPS
GOOD LUCK