Feeding Puppy

[angelgirl599]

Hi Everyone,

I've been reading through threads regarding feeding a puppy and I just have some questions because some of the info is conflicting.

Some say to make sure to have food down for the puppy all the time while some say feed 2-3x a day, is there a preference over one or the other?

Also how much do I feed the puppy each day if I were to only give her food at fixed times during the day? I think I recall some of the threads saying put food down for 15 minutes and let her eat as much as she can and take it away but some other threads say to give her a fixed amount.

If I chose to feed at fixed intervals throughout the day, I've also been reading about hypoglycemia, how will this affect her since some threads say to make sure the puppy is getting enough food because of the hypoglycemia.

I'm leaning towards feeding at fixed intervals because I have a cat who we feed once in the morning and once at night and I think he would try and eat the puppy food if it was out all the time. I'm just concerned that feeding at fixed intervals might affect the puppy's health and growth because of things like hypoglycemia and everything.

Also, how do treats and fruit and veggies factor into their diets? I don't want to overfeed her but I definitely don't want to underfeed her either.

Any advice or suggestions or just what you did with your puppy would help a lot!

[angelgirl599]

Oh also, I forgot to clarify that I know what fruits and veggies I can't feed her, I just want to know how much can I feed her in addition to her kibble.

[ilovemymaltese]

Sorry can't really help you with this one! Hope somebody else can!

[angelgirl599]

QUOTE (ilovemymaltese @ May 5 2009, 03:44 PM)

Sorry can't really help you with this one! Hope somebody else can! [/B]

What did you do with Gigi?

[Missy&Maggie]

As little puppies I free fed both my girls. At 6/7 months I switched to feeding twice a day (about 12 hours apart). I slowly introduced fruits and veggies to them with just a few tiny piece. Then, I gradually gave them more. I don't measure how much fruit and veggies I give my girls. I would probably say between a teaspoon and a tablespoon mixed in with their meals. I hope that helps.

[ilovemymaltese]

Okay, it's kind of complicated, so bare with me as I explain. LOL

I got Gigi when she was 5.5 months old, so she well out of the puppy stage(Thank God!). Her breeder free fed all her dogs because she said they should always have fed available, so we did the same with Gigi. Then Gigi was not an eater, I don't think she liked her food(Chicken Noodle Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul) very much, but she liked to eat everything else! LOL But in the past month, I've switched her to Natural Balance and Gigi eats that like a pig. I can't free feed her now because she will never stop eating the NB(she won't even stop when the door bell rings!). So Gigi is now almost a year and she is fed three times a day. We're trying to get some fat on her bones, and in the past month, her weight hasn't really changed though, so what's up with that, I don't know. :P I don't think other people feed their adult malts three times a day. But we also free feed her the CNS when it's not her meal times. She does eat it, when she's bored enough. LOL

My first malt pup, Imani, we got when she was 10 weeks old. Imani never had a problem eating, we fed her three times a day and Nutri-cal in between. My Imani was 1.2 pounds and never grew the three months we had her, and that was due to a liver shunt, that's why she's at the bridge now. She also had all kinds of other problems due to her genetic problems, and isn't a great example for you of a healthy puppy so I really can't help you with a puppy's feeding. Sorry!

But I do think you should feed your new puppy three times a day if your puppy is an eater, most are. JMO

QUOTE (angelgirl599 @ May 4 2009, 02:02 PM)

Also how much do I feed the puppy each day if I were to only give her food at fixed times during the day? I think I recall some of the threads saying put food down for 15 minutes and let her eat as much as she can and take it away but some other threads say to give her a fixed amount: I don't know LOL never measured. Since Gigi was free fed, we put whatever down. But now I am wondering this too. I'm just trying to get Gigi's weight up though for now. Which is still not working so I don't know.

If I chose to feed at fixed intervals throughout the day, I've also been reading about hypoglycemia, how will this affect her since some threads say to make sure the puppy is getting enough food because of the hypoglycemia. I don't really know anything about hypoglycemia. Sorry.

I'm leaning towards feeding at fixed intervals because I have a cat who we feed once in the morning and once at night and I think he would try and eat the puppy food if it was out all the time. I'm just concerned that feeding at fixed intervals might affect the puppy's health and growth because of things like hypoglycemia and everything. Don't know LOL

Also, how do treats and fruit and veggies factor into their diets? I don't want to overfeed her but I definitely don't want to underfeed her either. Don't really know this either. Gigi get's a veggie, chicken and rice meal every Saturday. She LOVES it! [/B]

[angelgirl599]

Thank you ladies!!

[roxybaby22]

The method of feeding you use depends on what kind of eater you have. Free feeding only seems to work for dogs that only eat to live (I tried it with Roxy, but she ate it all at once). :P

If you like the idea of free feeding but would rather scheduled feeding, I would suggest small frequent feedings, like 4-6 times a day. However, I feed Roxy 3 times a day because she wouldn't be satisfied with such small feedings. To measure out how much food she gets each day, I start by measuring out according to the serving suggestion (give or take, again depending on dog) and then put it in a baggie.

And about what veggies you shouldn't feed, I think there is a pinned topic about what foods are poisonous for dogs. I feed Roxy carrots, green beans, and yogurt with her food on the weekends and just yogurt mixed in on the week days.

I guess I would only worry about hypoglycemia if she didn't eat, but for the first week I gave Roxy Nutrical before or after she ate (I forget). :P

Hope I helped! I am definitely no expert.

[ilovemymaltese]

QUOTE (roxybaby22 @ May 5 2009, 11:38 PM)

The method of feeding you use depends on what kind of eater you have. Free feeding only seems to work for dogs that only eat to live (I tried it with Roxy, but she ate it all at once). :P[/B]

Yupp, and some dogs only live to eat!

[almitra]

QUOTE (ilovemymaltese @ May 5 2009, 10:45 PM)

QUOTE (roxybaby22 @ May 5 2009, 11:38 PM)

The method of feeding you use depends on what kind of eater you have. Free feeding only seems to work for dogs that only eat to live (I tried it with Roxy, but she ate it all at once). :P[/B]

Yupp, and some dogs only live to eat!
[/B][/QUOTE]
I was told by my vet to feed 3x daily til 4 mos...then twice. Free feeding is fine if you don't need your pup to be on a schedule for pooping....this is a must for me as mine is potty trained to the great outdoors...LOL!