# How many times a day to feed an adult?



## Stacia Porter (Apr 8, 2006)

Some people tell me they feed their adult dogs twice a day, others once. Since I've just switched dog foods (with Kristen's much appreciated help) and they eat about half of the new food as they did the old, I was wondering if I should also switch them to once a day feedings or keep twice.

So necessary info: one dog is 8 years old (small, 35 lbs), one is a 13 1/2 mth old GSD, and the last is a 2yo extremely underweight GSD.

The 35 lb dog has always eaten once, but the GSD's have been eating twice a day.


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## Alicia Mertz (Mar 28, 2006)

I fed Jaeger (and am feeding Dom) twice a day until he was a year old. Then I switched to once. He seems satisfied with it, and I have no problem keeping weight on him or anything like that.

Alicia


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't know the official answer, but my GSD will not eat enough in 1 mealtime to meet the requirements for his weight, he would literally become an underfed dog simply because he has an annoying appetite. I can starve him for 2 days n he'll still eat the same amount of food at the meals I give him, so I feed him once in the morning and once in the evening. In the morning his appetite kinda sucks, I've figured out that if there's a threat of Lÿka stealing a few bites of his food that he's much more motivated to eat though, I hate to do it that way but he needs to learn that uneaten food disappears, n me taking it away doesn't seem to bother him as much as a lil girl walking in n sticking her nose in his bowl, n even then he gives it up, so I pull her away from the bowl n THEN he eats his food. For dinner I feed him 1.5x the amount I give for breakfast to total 2.5 cups of The Honest Kitchen per day, in actuality he eats about 2 or 2.25 cups and 12oz of ground beef, the minimum reccomended THK for his weight is 2.25 cups for an inactive dog... he is a moderately active dog and he eats the minimum. He would only eat 1.5 cups a day (and has done for several weeks in the past when I was following the "once a day pick it up in 10 minutes if he doesn't eat it" advice) if I fed once daily.

The pup I feed 3x a day, she eats the "Active Dog" amount for a 10-30lb dog, plus a little extra because she's a growing puppy. So she actually eats about 2.5-3 cups of THK a day, which is kinda sad because she's still skinny n eats more than a dog 3x her size. I also throw a lil ground beef in her food, maybe 2.5oz or so per meal. I gave her raw chicken wings n stuff too for a while but she started having stool problems so I went back to basics n only give her the occasional chicken wing or chicken quarter. I'll ease back into that and chicken gizzards again shortly, but being in a cast makes runny poop really suck for her, I see her "pumping" her cast leg to squeeze the last amount of runny poop out when her stools are loose LOL.

So I guess what I'm saying is it depends on the dog, I'm a big fan of 2 meals a day, but what matters is that the dog gets enough food. Also if the dog is a very active dog in the morning, or you do some kind of activity in the mornings then feeding once a day in the evenings might be better. I don't feed my dog in the morning unless it's more than 3 hours before we go training.


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## Stacia Porter (Apr 8, 2006)

Well the GSD's were on Royal Canin Maxi GS 24; Achilles needed 6 c's a day and Andi 5 1/2! Abbie the beagle was on Nutro Naturals Weight Control and needed about 1 1/2-2 c's a day. I've switched them to Canidae and they all need about half of what they were being given. So I don't think getting them to eat all of it's an issue. I fed them all their full amount last night and this morning they're both staring intently at the food cabinet trying to figure out why they aren't getting breakfast LOL. They do have better appetites at night than in the morning and they ate the other food better if they ate together (otherwise they'd both leave food in the bowl). I didn't have that problem yesterday -- fed the dogs all apart and every one scarfed it down as fast as possible.

Okay, we'll go to once for my convenience and see how that works LOL.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I used to feed Gypsy twice a day, up until a year or so ago. Now I feed her once a day, because I found that if I do that, she doesn't throw up bile in the morning in anticipation of her breakfast (gross!). She's 58 pounds as of yesterday, and gets 2 cups in the evening.

Jak I feed twice a day, and the cats I feed twice a day - 1/2 of the 'daily recommended amount' in the morning, and 1/2 in the evening. Jak is in the middle of a growth spurt right now I think, so he's up from about 2 3/4 cups a day to around 3 1/2. 


I see no problem in feeding adult dogs once OR twice a day either one. I'd say it's up to the dog and how active he is and his metabolism (is he hungry in the evening even though you fed him his entire daily amount that morning), and what's most convenient for you. I don't think it really makes a difference as far as health or anything like that is concerned, whether or not they eat once a day or five times a day!


Glad to hear they liked it, Stacia! Both of mine loved it from the beginning, too! I hope they do well with it!


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I just feed my three once a day.

They are voracious eaters and I like having them where I can keep an eye on things for awhile after feeding (they sleep in the bedroom)

They usually get a good run twice a day and there is not enough time after hte morning run for me to be comfortable feeding them before I go to work; there is at night - they eat late just before bedtime. 

Plus, it keeps food drive up during the day and allows me to adjust if they had any training food. (though Cyra is the only one who is really food driven to the preference of balls) 

Mainly works for me and they are always excited about supper.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Stacia Porter said:


> Some people tell me they feed their adult dogs twice a day, others once. Since I've just switched dog foods (with Kristen's much appreciated help) and they eat about half of the new food as they did the old, I was wondering if I should also switch them to once a day feedings or keep twice.......


As far as I know, this has not been proven, but there are several vet researchers who mention *possible* corollaries between feeding deep-chested dogs* once per day, and bloat. Or, rather, feeding twice and avoiding bloat.

Yes, a million zillion people will say they've always fed their dogs once/day and never had a case of bloat, and a million zillion will say they had a case of bloat on twice/day meals, so I'm just tellin' you what I've read in dozens of pages of fairly inconclusive research.

Most puppies, of course, can't hold a day's worth in one meal, but I figured we were talking adults.

I feed twice/day. But I'd be quick to adjust if that meant I had to feed right before heavy exercise.

*Like GSDs


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I've heard that same thing, Connie. If you have a dog that tends to gulp its food down without chewing, I'd be more worried about the once-per-day feeding causing bloat than with a dog that takes some time to chew. And of course, keeping the dog from running around or engaging in vigorous play or exercise right after eating will help reduce the chances of bloat, as well as withholding water for a little while after eating. 

Canidae doesn't swell up when it gets wet like some other brands of dog food, so that's one more thing that will probably reduce the chances of bloat.


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## Sarah Hall (Apr 12, 2006)

With adult dogs (eating commercial dog food) you should feed at least 2 times per day to reduce the chances of bloat, a common problem in deep-chested breeds. This has been proven to me over and over through my work at emergency clinics.


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## Stacia Porter (Apr 8, 2006)

Sarah Hall said:


> With adult dogs (eating commercial dog food) you should feed at least 2 times per day to reduce the chances of bloat, a common problem in deep-chested breeds. This has been proven to me over and over through my work at emergency clinics.


Hmmm...Okay, with the info Connie and Sarah have given, I think we'll go back to twice LOL (unless we're exercising in teh morning which is going to be the case here soon b/c temps are rising and the morning and evenings are coolest).

Does it matter how much the feeding is? I.e. do more cups of food at the feeding increase chance for bloat? I've read things on elevating food dishes (though this isn't proven), restricting exercise, restricting water after eating, and of course the signs/symptoms of bloat so I can recognize it should it happen. I'm interested in expeience from those who actually have it LOL.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Stacia Porter said:


> Sarah Hall said:
> 
> 
> > With adult dogs (eating commercial dog food) you should feed at least 2 times per day to reduce the chances of bloat, a common problem in deep-chested breeds. This has been proven to me over and over through my work at emergency clinics.
> ...


I'm glad. I was understating my *beliefs* about two/day for deep-chested breeds because the authoritative research is sketchy. 

I divide the day's food about equally into the two meals.

I have not had a dog with bloat; I have known several among our club and my friends........... more if we include web forums.

There is no definitive answer, btw, as to what causes bloat. I read everything that comes out of vet school research on the subject (as far as I know).

This is the consensus, IMO, succinctly put:
http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=30&sid=1 

...and this guy is, IMO, quite dependable:
http://www.vetinfo.com/dbloat.html#Elevated food bowels and bloat

Eating fast and eating one meal per day seem to be common threads running through vet school opinions (again, I know of no really definitive research yet).

I just do everything recommended. It's just too scary...........  , and the suggested steps to (maybe) help prevent it are simple, so why not? JMO.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> I don't know the official answer, but my GSD will not eat enough in 1 mealtime to meet the requirements for his weight, he would literally become an underfed dog simply because he has an annoying appetite. I can starve him for 2 days n he'll still eat the same amount of food at the meals I give him, so I feed him once in the morning and once in the evening. In the morning his appetite kinda sucks, I've figured out that if there's a threat of Lÿka stealing a few bites of his food that he's much more motivated to eat though, I hate to do it that way but he needs to learn that uneaten food disappears, n me taking it away doesn't seem to bother him as much as a lil girl walking in n sticking her nose in his bowl, n even then he gives it up, so I pull her away from the bowl n THEN he eats his food. For dinner I feed him 1.5x the amount I give for breakfast to total 2.5 cups of The Honest Kitchen per day, in actuality he eats about 2 or 2.25 cups and 12oz of ground beef, the minimum reccomended THK for his weight is 2.25 cups for an inactive dog... he is a moderately active dog and he eats the minimum. He would only eat 1.5 cups a day (and has done for several weeks in the past when I was following the "once a day pick it up in 10 minutes if he doesn't eat it" advice) if I fed once daily.
> 
> The pup I feed 3x a day, she eats the "Active Dog" amount for a 10-30lb dog, plus a little extra because she's a growing puppy. So she actually eats about 2.5-3 cups of THK a day, which is kinda sad because she's still skinny n eats more than a dog 3x her size. I also throw a lil ground beef in her food, maybe 2.5oz or so per meal. I gave her raw chicken wings n stuff too for a while but she started having stool problems so I went back to basics n only give her the occasional chicken wing or chicken quarter. I'll ease back into that and chicken gizzards again shortly, but being in a cast makes runny poop really suck for her, I see her "pumping" her cast leg to squeeze the last amount of runny poop out when her stools are loose LOL.
> 
> So I guess what I'm saying is it depends on the dog, I'm a big fan of 2 meals a day, but what matters is that the dog gets enough food. Also if the dog is a very active dog in the morning, or you do some kind of activity in the mornings then feeding once a day in the evenings might be better. I don't feed my dog in the morning unless it's more than 3 hours before we go training.


IMO, this regimen (for both) covers all the bases.

That poor baby....... no, you don't want to add runny poops to her cast challenges........ 

Her intake is within the normal range, from everything I have read about the extra food puppies need. For example, the raw site I like best, which mentions the usual 2% - 3% of body weight for an adult (depending on activity and on whether the dog needs to gain or lose or maintain), also says that a puppy might actually need up to 10% of her body weight during some growth periods. That would be quite a bit *more* than three times the adult recommendations.

Caveat: Again, I'm not experienced personally with puppies -- I've owned (amd still do) adults and seniors. So I'm just saying what I've read when it comes to puppies.


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## Stacia Porter (Apr 8, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Her intake is within the normal range, from everything I have read about the extra food puppies need. For example, the raw site I like best, which mentions the usual 2% - 3% of body weight for an adult (depending on activity and on whether the dog needs to gain or lose or maintain), also says that a puppy might actually need up to 10% of her body weight during some growth periods. That would be quite a bit *more* than three times the adult recommendations.
> 
> Caveat: Again, I'm not experienced personally with puppies -- I've owned (amd still do) adults and seniors. So I'm just saying what I've read when it comes to puppies.


I fed my dog as if he were his projected adult weight when he was a puppy (if that makes sense). So when he ate raw, I gave 3% of his projected adult weight, or 80 lbs (I might have used 75...dont' quote me on that). When we switched to kibble I always fed him at his projected adult weight, and I still do. He is still growing LOL. I feed Andi based on her projected healthy weight of 65 lbs. Abbie of course is on the senior/light portion for a 35 lb dog LOLOL. No, she's not thrilled with 3/4 c of food a day, either.

Anyway, Achilles grew very steadily and very slowly. He's 65 cm at hte withers now at nearly 14 months and only 65 lbs. He still has quite a ways to go!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I had not heard that formula before, Stacia, and it makes sense to me.

I just worked it out on the calculator, too, and it fits in with the raw site I was quoting (or using).

Say the puppy who weighs 15 lbs now will probably weigh 65 lbs at adulthood. At 2%, that's about 1.3.............just about the same as the 8% for an active growing pup.

And Lyka's intake fits that formula, too. (Sorry, Mike; yours is the only puppy we have the facts and figures here to use! :lol: .)

Interesting.......... :!: 

And "slow and steady," from every single health standpoint (joints, bones, organ health -- everything) is the goal. 

JMO! 

Thanks for that feedback.


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