[Tinaweena]

Ok, so last night we had Boone at the vet again for a weight check and to just take him in there without a shot coming so he gets to like it there, and isn't reistant about going.
Well he got on the scale and they said that he was too thin again! HE has been eating 1.5cups 3 times a day. That's 4.5 cups a day, the bag says he should only eat about 3 cups per day.
He does always act hungry, so last night after the vet trip we decided to fill his bowl beyond what he would eat, let him go at it, then measure the difference in the before and after bowl to see how much he ate at a sitting.
We decided to do this because Dr. Stanley Coran had suggested it on a show.
Well ok....we measure out 3 cups (thinking he would never eat this much at once), dump it into the bowl, which just about filled it and gave him 10 minutes to eat.
IT WAS ALL GONE! He ate so much! I also couldn't believe how well behaved he was for the rest of the night. He just layed around feeling fat, happy and digesting.
So we will have to work on adjusting how much he eats from now on. We will try 2 cups 3 times a day for a while.
At this point he's gonna eat us out of house and home soon!
Is this normal?
I was so worried about him last night after his big meal, but I assume it was ok, I've heard of lots of dogs getting into their food bags and going to town, at least this was a little controlled.

 

[gracielou]

All dogs are different so sometimes one that needs 4 cups others can eat 6 and not get overweight. Most of the time you can depend on what is on the bag but like with Johnson my St Poodle he can eat 1 cup 1 1/2 in the morning and 4 cups in the evening and what we call his snack at bedtime and he does not ever get overwight but he is very active now if I fed that much to Gracielou (lab) she would be a fat cow... :roll:

 

[Tinaweena]

We feed him Science diet for large breed puppies....I think this is good isn't it?
He is a very gassy guy tho....I mean he will let one go, then leave the room himself! And I don't blame him one bit
Maybe we will talk to the vet tonight when he goes for his rabies shot about other options for food.

 

[keywee]

Hi Tina,
Sawyer eats Science Diet large breed puppy also and he is also very gassy and has been having *ahem* some digestive issues.
I have heard mixed things about Science Diet. The owner of the pet store I go to says that when he was in vet school the science diet company very aggressively lobbied them, sent them on trips, and gave them lots of free stuff to get them, the students, to recomend their product once they were vets. He showed me on the ingredient label that the product is mostly corn, 1st ingredient. Great! I thought. I just bought a 40 lbs. bag! He gave me a bag of Canidae which has meat as the 1st ingredient.
When I asked the vet about it she said that she thinks Canidae is too rich and many dogs can't take it. I think it depends on who you ask. I am thinking of switching him, but I don't know to what yet. I need a puppy food that is good for a sensitive stomach.

 

[Tinaweena]

I am switching Boone to Canidae.....It's more expensive, however you have to feed less of it for them to get all they need for nutrition which in turn equals less poop! And we could all do with a little less of that I think.
I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[wannadoodle]

All I know about it is that the first ingredient listed should be the meat...for maximum nutrition and mental stimulation. :lol:

 

[K9Summer]

My Summer was having digestive issues (diarrhea all the time!) and we had her on a bunch of different foods- Purina, 2 different kinds of Nutro, Eukanuba low residue, Solid Gold, California Natural. I agree that some premium foods are too rich for some dogs. I wanted a really good food, but one that didn't cause any poop problems! We finally tried eagle pack holistic select chicken and rice for puppies and adults. Summer has had perfectly firm poop ever since we started her on it. No gas, no diarrhea- it's wonderful. www.eaglepack.com Good luck.

Bridget and Summer

 

[keywee]

Thanks for that tip Bridget. I just visited the website and called a retailer nearby and it sounds like what we need. I have spent so much money on antibiotics, dewormers, fecal exams (all 4 negative) and now we are down to the food. The ingredients look right and I like that eagle pack is holistic and contains probiotics. I think that is what he is missing. I know my vet means well, but sometimes Moms know best! Thank you!

 

[K9Summer]

I hope it works out well for you guys. I have been really happy with the food- I think the ingredients are wonderful and their customer service is great. Just as a warning, it is a bit pricier than a lot of other brands. But, like you said, we also spent hundreds on fecals, deworming, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and other tests to figure out that it wasn't anything that could be fixed with medication! And I love my vet, but they aren't the best at recommending a "good food" that isn't what they happen to stock on their shelves. I think diet is often overlooked in veterinary medicine. Anyways, good luck!

Bridget and Summer