Do you schedule feed or free feed?

[Champ Waring]

when Girl ate kibble she got 3/4 a cup morning and nite. it don't look like a lot, but we don't need as much as you fink. since i'z very very active, i used to get a whole cup at each feeding when I ate kibble. i also used to eat like a maniac when i first came into rescue...granted i wuz a walking skeleton and wuz just psyched ot have regular food. mom used to feed me handful by handful, making me sit or shake or lay down for each handful. great way to work on obedience/tricks and it slows us down eating. i eventually learned not to inhale my food and wuz able to fed like a regular dog again

i also wanna share sumfing i read recently dat i fink is very true....do u use a guideline or chart to feed ur human kid? Probably not. we seem to fink all dogs need da same amount of food (not to mention da assumption dat all dog food is created equal HA!). we don't take metabolism or individuals needs into account like we do wif humanz. if ur bullie'z lookin pudgey, cut back on da food. if he'z really active and lookin a little skinny, bulk up a little. just as u would wif ur skin kid.

 

[catorres8988]

i schedule feed spike...once in the morning and once at dinner... i have always done this since he was a pup... i hate how he gobbles all his food like in less than 3 minutes no joke i sat there and times him once...i tell him to slow down and he just looks at me and continues eating...lol... i do notice that after he eats he always seems like he is still hungry but then i hear him BURP and i know he is ok.

 

[kazzy220]

One day we came home and he had (somehow) knocked his weekly rations off the counter and ate about 10 cups of food. I immediately called the ER, and they simply asked "does he look like he's in pain?" Vegas was currently sitting, belly bulging, staring at my husband as he's eating dinner. My reply to the Vet.."ummmm, no. He's actually begging for food." They determined that he would be fine, but if anything changed, to take him in. I think I forgot to mention that he was a bulldog.

That story made me giggle out loud.............

 

[kazzy220]

We schedule feed ... 1 cup in morning and 1 cup in night, but now we are switching to a much better food (FROMM) then we are thinking of maybe trying 3/4 cup at each meal. Maggie only weighs 39lb!!!!

If we did free feed .......... well Maggie would probably sleep with her face in the food bag.

 

[Libra926]

I edited my post to read. 3/4 c twice daily. I don't know if that was clear or not. She always hangs around the bowl "licking" it. And she's alway checking to see if Vegas left her anything. I feel bad for her. I really want to up her twice daily feedings to 1 cup each meal. But she is petite and I'd hate for her to start looking like a butterball. She seems to be pudgy already. The treats she get during a normal day are either charlie bear low cal or the specialty low cal treats from the pet store. I don't think she should be starving, but my heart aches when I'm looking at her standing over her bowl.....sometimes 15 to 20 minutes after she's already finished her meal.