How much to feed my large dog?

[luin31]

He eats the purina pro lamb and rice food. He’s a lab mix of some sort, and I used to feed him 4 cups a day. 2 in the morning and 2 at night. However, he gained a bit too much weight and I reduced his food. I’ve experimented a lot with different amounts and recently I’ve been feeding him around 2 and a half cups. His weight has not changed a ton, and I’m beginning to believe that this is just his natural weight (even though the vet said he was a little overweight.)

So is the 4 cups suggestion on the bag the right move? That always seemed like a lot of food to me, but I want some second opinions.

 

[sevilodorf]

@luin31 The bag estimations are often a little on the high side. If your vet said your dog is a little overweight I definitely would not just assume that’s natural.

Try this calculator:

https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/calorie-calculator?type=dogs

 

[hogynllan]

@luin31 If cutting down the amounts hasn't helped, more exercise may be helpful. Or switching to a food tailored for weight loss.

 

[24marco]

@luin31 The calories per cup can vary a lot.. I feed my 104 lb active shepherd 4 cups Pro Plan sport Lamb and Rice 27/17 which is 474 ancalories per cup. She is not spayed.

The Shredded Lamb and Rice has 350 calories per cup.

If your dog is neutered and/or not especially active I'd stick with lower calories per cup so he can eat enough to feel fuller.