# She eats it all



## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

Um, I think that once she becomes an adult, a full cup a day may be too much. My Annabelle was 8lbs and only got 1/4 cup twice a day. Now, she begged for food...but any more and she gained in a hurry. I think I'd wait for a while and see what happens with Zoe.

I thought Willow was overweight, too. Turns out she's not.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

hopetocurl said:


> Um, I think that once she becomes an adult, a full cup a day may be too much. My Annabelle was 8lbs and only got 1/4 cup twice a day. Now, she begged for food...but any more and she gained in a hurry. I think I'd wait for a while and see what happens with Zoe.
> 
> I thought Willow was overweight, too. Turns out she's not.



That was so sweet for you to answer me considering what you have been thru with poor Willow. How is she doing today?
My vet said it was fine and to go my the bag. I assume if it was too much she would not eat it. :dontknow: She does enjoy eating and on the other hand I do not want her to be hungry. 
It seems they should make the amount be from dogs 5-12 lbs and not 20lbs. A dog 5lbs wouldn't need the same amount as a 20 pounder.


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

We now feed slightly under the "recommended dose". Both ours would eat whatever you put in front of them unfortunately and when you factor in anything you are using for training treats it can soon add up. I wouldn't say Zoe was overweight - your vet is a good guide for that as it really depends on her build and parents size. Pippin was about the same at Zoe's age and has now settled into a chunky muscular 10lb (ish).


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

The amounts listed on dog food bags are only an estimate, and the actual amount needed varies by the dog's age and activity level. It also depends on the Kcal/cup in the kibble. Sunny is 9.5 lb. (he should be 9 lb.) and eats a measured level 1/4 c. of a kibble that has 430 Kcal/cup twice a day. I rotate kibbles, and soon, he'll be on a kibble that only has 398 Kcal/c., which should help him lose that extra half pound (1/2 lb. on a toy is a lot!).


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

georgiapeach said:


> The amounts listed on dog food bags are only an estimate, and the actual amount needed varies by the dog's age and activity level. It also depends on the Kcal/cup in the kibble. Sunny is 9.5 lb. (he should be 9 lb.) and eats a measured level 1/4 c. of a kibble that has 430 Kcal/cup twice a day. I rotate kibbles, and soon, he'll be on a kibble that only has 398 Kcal/c., which should help him lose that extra half pound (1/2 lb. on a toy is a lot!).


 Way too confusing for me. The vet assured me it is fine. He said puppies need more food
kcal/cup is 408... what does that mean? Is that good?


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I went to the vet because Zoe ate the button off my sons cap within two secs and the next day she was throwing up, she is fine thank g-d today.

I asked him again about portion size because i was concerned i am overfeeding her. She weighs 7.2 and was closer to 8 last time. i went from a 1/2 a cup twice a day to 1/3 twice a day because all I read on PF.

He told me to go back to 1/2 a cup twice a day and I am not overfeeding her.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

That's just it, you need to go by your dogs body condition, not what the bag says or a vet says or a friend says. Just like people different dogs, different metabolisms, different activity levels. As long as your puppy is growing and not getting fat and is not too skinny, keep doing what you are doing. I suspect you will need to cut back when your pup reaches full grown but maybe not. My adult dog food has 360 cal/cup so slightly less. Just like people, it all adds up to calories in/calories out.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

wow that seems like alot I feed Beatrice 2 tablespoons of food three times a day or just over 1/3 a day she's 24 weeks and 5.6 pounds according to the vet she is at a good weight and I was feeding her too much whem I first got her because she was having lots of large soft stools.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

twyla said:


> wow that seems like alot I feed Beatrice 2 tablespoons of food three times a day or just over 1/3 a day she's 24 weeks and 5.6 pounds according to the vet she is at a good weight and I was feeding her too much whem I first got her because she was having lots of large soft stools.


She does poop often, I have no idea. He told me puppies and some even grown dogs poop often. H e felt her ribs to show me she is not overweight. She gobbles it up and seemed hungry when i did 1/3 cup twice a day. She still gobbles up a little less than half twice.
She is seven months, i guess I can cut down when she is not a puppy.
When I bathe her she does seem all boney and nothing to her.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Puppies do poop alot. but Beatrice wasn't making normal poops they were very soft not firm almost like diarrhea. 
Zoe is a much bigger pup she needs more food than Beatrice, and if you can feel her ribs you aren't feeding her too much


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Honestly I have no idea how much mine eat. They are free fed. I put 1 cup in the Bowl in the morning, and one cup in the evening. So I guess they are each getting 1/2 cup twice daily. They eat sporadically through the day and have a morning poo when they wake up and go outside, and then 1 poo in the evening. They are firm. They are on the " I and Love and You" red meat recipe.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> Honestly I have no idea how much mine eat. They are free fed. I put 1 cup in the Bowl in the morning, and one cup in the evening. So I guess they are each getting 1/2 cup twice daily. They eat sporadically through the day and have a morning poo when they wake up and go outside, and then 1 poo in the evening. They are firm. They are on the " I and Love and You" red meat recipe.


Are they sharing or each having a 1/2 cup twice a day? Zoe Poops when waking up and then every time we go out.( about 4 more times)


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

They eat out of the same bowl.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

PoodlePaws said:


> They eat out of the same bowl.


We then half a cup twice a day is going to two dogs.lol Zoe is eating that herself, little piggy.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Each dog gets 1 cup per day. Divided in half


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Maybe I'm being confusing. Each dog is fed one half cup of food in the morning and another half cup of food in the evening. Since I have two dogs I go through 2 cups of food per day.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

This shows the different metabolisms! I have an 8 pound chihuahua and a 4 pound poodle and they get a TOTAL of 2/3 cup a day split between the two of them. 1/6 cup each twice a day. Their weights are perfect.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Go by Zoe's condition -- N2Mischief is so right! If the vet says she is OK and you can feed more, if you can feel ribs, and if she is happy and lively, then it seems you can feed her what she'll eat for now. She's light so she should be pretty easy to weigh at home, too.

I was giving Pericles what it said on the bag, but he was cleaning it all up, and I have been giving more plus treats. He is very lean. I swear that every time he wakes up he has grown.

Also many dogs poop a lot, even into adulthood. 

What's important is keeping a pattern and if the pattern changes then you need to see if there could be a problem (a pattern change could also just be Zoe's system maturing). For example, when Pericles came here at age 10 weeks, he pooped pretty much every time he went out, which was 10+ times per day. Pardon the detail, but it was all pretty narrow gauge. Within a few weeks the poop was much larger, and firmer. 

For the past couple of weeks (he is now 17 weeks) he does a huge poop in the morning when we get up, then just before lunch, and now he really only does one in the evening. He eats three times plus lots of training snacks.

You are taking such good care of Zoe, I think she must know it!


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