# How much to feed?



## Vivien (Aug 11, 2012)

How do you determine how much to feed your dogs? Both my dogs are on orijen adult.

Krystal is a 9 mth 7.7 pound female toy while Rusty is a 14 mth 10 pound male toy. Both eat 3/4 cup each per day. Krystal will eat slightly less than her given amount and Rusty will finish her food if there is a balance. 

Is this enough? How do I know if I am feeding them the right amount? 

Thanks!


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## sophiebonita (Jul 10, 2012)

Heh I just asked this question here and on dog food forum (great site btw) and the general recommendations I received were about 2% of projected adult body weight. 

I'm feeding premade raw and the online calculator was 2 oz higher than I thought it should be. I'm erring on the light side as I know from experience it's hard to get extra weight off once it's on. I could always up the intake if pup isn't gaining enough I guess. The general consensus was to go on the low side. Hope this helps. 


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Remember that raw, and wet food, contains water, so will weigh more per kilocalorie than kibble. I found the best way was to feed slightly less than the manufacturer's recommendation (especially if you are also giving treats, Kongs, etc), and to check weight and ribs regularly. There comes a point - quite suddenly around 10/11 months with both of mine - where they stop growing and their weight can shoot up if you don't adjust the food intake.


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## sophiebonita (Jul 10, 2012)

Fjm, is this time range for spoos or does it hold for minis and toys as well? I think I read somewhere that the little guys and gals reach full growth quicker than their larger counterparts. 


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine are toys - they grew fast to around 6/7 months, slowly for another month or two, filled out a little, then ballooned! I had to cut food back quite significantly to find the right maintenance level. (If I paid as much attention to my weight and diet as I do to my dogs, I would not have had to do a chuck out of the thin end of my wardrobe...!)


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## Vivien (Aug 11, 2012)

Both Krystal and Rusty are 10 inches. Krystal seems thinner so I was thinking of increasing her food. But she's not a big eater. She eats slowly and stops when full. Hence, I was wondering if I am feeding enough or too much.


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