How much do you feed your dog?

[bonusacct]

My boy is 2yrs old. I’m wondering if I’m not feeding him enough. He weighs 70lbs, but his mom weighed 80 and his dad weighed 90. Should he weigh more? He currently gets 2.5 cups of dry food mixed with 1/2 a can of wet food twice a day. He’s constantly hungry too, he’d eat more if I offered it to him. So how much do y’all feed your pups? We’re also looking into home cooked food (not raw) so I’m open to suggestions on that type of feeding.

Edit: I should add that we’re staying away from chicken since my other dog is allergic.

Pics of the pup in question in the comments

Thanks in advance!

Update: So I called the vet yesterday, they said the last time he was weighed he was 68.2lbs but he could just me a smaller boy and that’s totally normal. She also gave me some tips on stuff I could add to his food to bulk it up a little. We’re gonna take him in for a weigh next week when we take our other dog for her appointment, along with a poo sample just to be sure there’s no worms.

Thanks so much for everyone’s advice! You guys are amazing!

 

[bonusacct]

https://preview.redd.it/khk4itzk4xp...bp&s=aea395cfa28619449629cd8761c56531c0cc740c

Photo of the boy.

 

[bonusacct]

https://preview.redd.it/tj8jq19n4xp...bp&s=1574b9f2c53b9d71fdd1dc7a5e5b768d9ef4aa46

One without the hoodie

 

[bundaiik]

@bonusacct The general rule I use is I start with whatever is recommended on the bag of food and then I go with how much of their ribs I can feel. You should be able to slightly feel their ribs.

Then I adjust the food amount up or down from there based on that.

There's no one correct amount to tell you as it varies from one dog to another.

 

[heatz]

@bonusacct My girls 1yr and some change, she’s “skinnier” than her sisters but I feed her 2.5 cups morning and night. Put a dollop of pumpkin and fish oil on it. I just follow the kibble bag for amount and that’s what our vet said to do too. For home cooked food I’ll normally boil frozen chicken breast and cube it up, scramble an egg, and toss in frozen blueberries/green beans. And of course her pupperoni’s at bed time and training treats throughout the day. A lot of it is lifestyle/activity levels too, one of her sisters is kicked back living the apartment life for now compared to mine who gets to stay outside and run around for hours on end if she wants too.

 

[bonusacct]

@heatz Any suggestions for other protein sources? My other dog (3yr old female pittie) is allergic to chicken so we try to stay away from it.

 

[heatz]

@bonusacct I am by no means a veterinarian so I couldn’t really give you a suggestion to try for your dogs. But for mine I’ve given venison and now I portion out a fair amount for her when processing a deer. I’ve heard turkey and fish are good too, I’ve only used fish oil. I’d honestly call your vet or a vet clinic and get their opinion/suggestions.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@bonusacct I agree with checking with the vet (mine said it's cool) but I'm adding a scrambled egg (non-stick spray, no oil/grease) to her night kibble.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@bonusacct Be careful comparing how many cups of food others are giving, this will vary based on the type of food & how many calories/the nutritional makeup it specifically has. Is the vet happy with his weight?

 

[bonusacct]

@imagebeastmarkbeast He hasn’t been to the vet in a few months so we haven’t had a chance to talk about it with him yet. Last appointment was about an ear infection so it slipped our minds. I’m definitely gonna give him a call soon though.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@bonusacct Good plan! Trust your gut in the meantime.

 

[daughteroftheonetrueking]

@bonusacct I have no idea how much my boys eat everyday. I just make sure their bowls always have food and water. They eat when they want to and leave it alone when they're not hungry. There are some days I fill the food 3-4 times and then other days where I fill it in the morning and it's still full when we go to bed.

 

[newness2012]

@bonusacct I feed mine twice a day + snacks.

About 2 cups of dry food with 1 cup of fresh dog food that contains egg, vegetables, and chicken about 1pm after we finish playing. (Sometimes I'll cook for him at this time as well)

Snack bones around 3:30

Then 3.5 cups of dry food mixed with 1 can of wet dog food around 7pm

Snacks at 10pm before going to sleep

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@bonusacct My girl just turned 1 year old and clocks in about 90-95 lbs.

5am - 2 cups kibble + 1/4 cup of no salt added chicken broth

7am - Treat ball / peanut butter kong / peanut butter lick mat

5pm - 2 cups kibble + 1/4 cup of no salt added chicken broth + 1 scrambled egg

7pm - Treat ball / peanut butter kong / peanut butter lick mat

 

[belovedmiyo]

@bonusacct Our 6mon old boy eats 7 cups of dry food a day, but I think puppies generally consume more than adults.

 

[danzeal]

@bonusacct I'd absolutely talk to your vet! My lad is a large boy and gets 2 1/2 cups with Nordic naturals and chicken broth topper in the morning and 2 1/2 cups with his joint supplements and sweet potato or a vegetable topper at night.

His treats are mostly veggies with the occasional raw meat bone, and 1 calorie training treats when the kids are working with him.

He gets a little more if he has put a lot of extra physical exercise in, but we're fairly active on most days.

Rule of thumb I was taught is you want to be able to palpate their ribs and they should have a curve inwards from chest to hip like ) ( in shape. If they're there, generally you're good to go. Remember the goal is never an overweight dog, especially a GSD. We want lean mean chomping machines!

 

[bonusacct]

@danzeal Thanks for your advice! He’s definitely a chomping machine for sure

 

[dailyjob]

@bonusacct 1/2 cup of wet food and 2 cups of dry food 2x a day. Our boy is about 85 lbs give or take. His son is just under 90 lbs with the same diet.

 

[sweetsunshine]

@bonusacct Mine gets 1 cup of dry mixed with 1/2 can of wet twice a day