BeezSK Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Hey everyone, trying to figure out how much food to feed out BC. She's 27lbs and 17.5" at the withers. She's always been built quite light for a BC. I've been feeding her 3% of her body weight or about .75lbs a day. You can feel all of her ribs and her spine as well. Should I be feeding her quite a bit more? She's got lots of energy and is a very active agility dog. How do I know when she's at the right food level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna frankland (uk) Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 if she were mine i would simply up the amount i fed in instalments (ie increase today and watch for a week, if still skinny up again and watch for a week etc) till she was at a weight/build i was happy with then back off just a little to maintain. i like to be able to feel ribs, but not too much spine, but i have never had a real fine built bc! brighid is teeny and not hugely active, at 14 months she still gets just over a pound per day, tikki is 10 and weighs around 24 kg and he eats less than brighid. is she a real food monster? if she isnt and you dont think she would go daft, you could try letting her eat her fill perhaps? if i did that with mine, tikki would be sensible, brighid would too i think, squirrel the terrier mix would eat till she exploded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 I have been doing raw for about 7 years now. I also compete in agiliy. The way I figure out what amt to feed is by figuring out the best weight for my dog. I have a 19 in. female that is about 35-38 lbs. You should be able to feel the ribs, but they should not be like a washboard. I feed about 2% in trial season and 1% out of trial season. Some dogs are naturally lean, some are hard to keep weight on. Feeding raw is not a true science and there are no set hard and fast rules as to the amount you feed, it can be very hit and miss. What I would do is get a base weight from her at this point and go from there. If she is very active in that you train everyday and trial several weekends a month you might want to bump her intake up a bit for a month and do another weigh in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeezSK Posted September 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Ok, well I was feeding 3% before and we're up to 4% now. So I'll see how that goes for a couple weeks. She eats all the food given to her but I used to just free-feed her kibble and I don't think she was any larger than she is now. Wife disagrees though and thinks the dog has lost weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 IF you are concerned about her weight you might look at supplementing with Satin Balls. These are used by both Rescues and Confirmation handlers to put weight on dogs. Rescue to put weight on thin dogs that have come in, Show Ring because they like to see "well fleshed" or in my opinion "Fat" dogs. They will put weight on quickly and if you are having a hard time keeping weight on it is a good alternative to giving her more bulk than she needs. If you google the term "Satin Balls" you should come up with several hits for recipes. If you wife feels she has lost weight then I would do a weigh in now and then start with the satin ball and see if they help. It seems to me that 4% of body weight is alot per day. You might also want to check her thyroid, if it is out of wack it can cause her to have trouble keeping weight on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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