Is it normal that my dog eats less than what kibble package stated?

[trevamerocki]

I rescued and adopted my dog about two months ago. I didn't know how much to feed when I first got him since the kibble I got was secon-handed and had no packaging. A friend of mine who had dogs throughout her life and currently have two different-sized dog suggested my to feed one cup per day, which I did.

After the current second-hand bag used up, I bought new ones and got to read the instruction for the first time. The packaging calls for 150g per day, and after weighting I realized I was only feeding 90g per day.

However, my dog went from 8.6kg to 9.4kg since I got him, and the vet said currently he is in the perfect weight range. Should I increase the kibble to 150g or should I keep feeding 90g?

P.S. Kibble isn't the only thing I feed him. He gets a chew treat everyday (a chicken foot, a piece of duck neck, a bunny ear, etc.); some yoghurt to trick him into drinking more water; a tiny portion of ground lean meat and veggie steamed and cooked in bone broth and egg, to trick him into drinking more water. Nothing too filling, just as supplement.

 

[sandra142]

@trevamerocki if he is doing well on what you are feeding him, then keep doing that. the info on the bag is just a guideline. I feed my dogs much less than the recommended amount on the bag because they had all gained too much weight. now they are all at healthy weights.

 

[mfinnergab]

@trevamerocki As another commenter said, the feeding instructions are just guidelines and do not need to be taken perfectly literally. If your vet said he is at a good body score currently then I would simply continue what you are doing- his treats sound great by the way!

 

[joshb91]

@trevamerocki I think you are balancing your dogs nutrition well! I do basically the same thing, also mostly unintentionally - I give my dog a lot of supplemental foods as well and I guess I just instinctually gave him less kibble to even it out. I've been running off the advice my vet gave me, basically said don't worry about overfeeding my pup because young puppies have fast metabolisms. But my pup is now 11 months so I'm dialing in on his nutrition to make sure it is balanced, and I measured how much kibble I give him daily and it is roughly 1/2 of what the packaging recommends. But I also give him organ meat, lean meat, eggs, yogurt, freeze dried whole proteins, single ingredient chews stuffed with canned food, veggies and fruits in small amounts daily as well. He is a perfect weight for his size, happy and energetic so I think we are on the right track!

 

[johnm8269]

@trevamerocki No, do not increase since he is at his normal weight for his breeding. And for the water, he will be drinking more in the summer months. Most of us pet parents do not always follow the bag directions because we have smaller dogs or bigger dogs and the cups depend on the weight of the dog. We depend on the dog how much he/she wants to eat, on the twice a day.

But you are doing great, no overdoing his eating and he is gaining weight. He will let you know if he needs a change. And always consult the vet for changes in the diet.

 

[legend28]

@trevamerocki Yes! For two reasons that I can think of. First, from the company's standpoint, it is better if their feeding guidelines cause a dog to be slightly overweight than underweight. Most people don't care if a dog is a little chubby (though they really should) but if a dog is a little thin people get very concerned. Can you imagine the PR/customer service nightmare if a company's guidelines caused dogs to be a little thin? The second reason... companies gotta make money. Feed more food = buy more food. Many dogs eat about 1/2-2/3 the recommended guidelines and do just fine. Bottom line: Feed your dog the amount they need to be a healthy weight. The bag guidelines are guidelines.

 

[refei]

@trevamerocki A good way to end up with a fat dog is to follow the feeding recommendations on kibble bags. As long as your dog is healthy it isn’t an issue.

 

[aigli]

@trevamerocki I’ve found the guidelines to be more than necessary. They want to sell more dog food after all. As long as they’re healthy I wouldn’t sweat it at all!