# Feeding Schedule



## totallytotontuffy (May 16, 2007)

Toto and Tuffy have breakfast and dinner. I've always thought that smaller dogs should eat more than one time a day. But I had a conversation with someone today who has read the opposite that said smaller dogs should eat one meal a day. Just curious what schedule everyone else has for meal times with their Maltese.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

Hi Debbie ~

I feed mine wet for breakfast and dinner. I also leave dry kibble out 24/7.

There are times, when they just are not hungry and don't eat much breakfast, but they make up for it at dinner time.


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

I feed both boys wet breakfast and dinner, not big meals, just enough to maintain their present weight. They both look for the two meals and let me know when they are hungry, usually Koko mostly though as he is the garbage can  
I do leave kibble out for Koko all day, Scooby never touches it, he isn't a lover of kibble and his diet should be mainly wet canned food.
I also give one treat after breakfast of freeze dried green tripe, just a small amount, and one home made chicken strip after dinner, these are not big, but just enough to let them know I am pleased they ate all their food, like a reward.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I free feed but find they both eat twice a day. I have to make sure
Toy eats in the evening or she gets urpy in the morning.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Lady gets fed twice a day exactly twelve hours apart because of her diabetes. Even before she was diagnosed with diabetes, though, I fed her twice a day per my vet's recommendation.


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

All of mine eat twice a day, once at 4:00 a.m. because that is when they insist on being fed, then in the evening around 7:00ish. I used to think they were really excited to see me in the evening, um, I now think they're just really excited to be fed.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

I've always heard that two meals are best for all dogs, especially large ones to help protect against bloat. 

I feed K & C two meals a day, plus snacks mid-day and evening.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I basically free feed. Put down his fresh kibble in the a.m. (about 3/4 cup) and plop a bit of wet food on top of it (not mixed in, less than 1/4 cup) I know he'll eat the wet food right away and it keeps him from having an empty tummy too long and throwing up. A few times throughout the day I see him nibbling here and there. Usually by the end of the day his bowl is just about empty. Sometimes it's totally empty and he rings his bell for a refill (i'm not kidding). I only give him a few more kibbles to get through the night--once he's in bed he doesn't eat at all but will get up to get drinks. Next morning we start all over...


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Two meals a day for Bogie. He eats pretty well. Sometimes, he doesn't eat much breakfast, but since he eats dry, I leave it out, and he finishes it for dinner. He also gets some bolied chicken mixed in with the kibble at dinner.


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## Lainey & Martin (Jul 23, 2007)

I free feed.

I don't agree with 'one meal a day' - that's just plain mean.


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## kathym (Aug 5, 2006)

I FEED BACI TWICE A DAY , I ALSO LEAVE DRY FOOD DOWN ALL THE TIME, DINNER IS CHICKEN THAT I MAKE WITH VEGGIES HE IS SO PICKEY


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

I feed Bonnie twice a day, about 8-9 hours apart.


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## LoriJo (Jul 19, 2006)

I leave kibble out all day for the girls. A few years ago, when my "chubbieallie" was dieting, my vet had told me to feed her the same amount of food as usual, but split it up & give it to her twice a day vs once a day. She said that eating smaller amounts more frequently would help her metabolism.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I hand feed "Treats" in the morning. The treats are actually a food - but they love it so much, they think it's a treat.

Dry food is available all the time.

Canned food is served between 3pm & 6pm


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## lillady (Jan 25, 2007)

Kosmo pretty much has food out all day-I give him food in the morning before I go to work-sometimes it's all gone when I get home and sometimes he's hardly touched it-in either case, I put more food out for him upstairs (since his x-pen is downstairs) so he can have his "dinner". He usually picks at it throughout the night. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Julie718 (Feb 17, 2006)

I feed Tango and Tillie two meals a day, plus morning and evening snacks.


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## beckybc03 (Jul 6, 2006)

I always have kibble available for Lilly. That is all she eats.


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

Karli is feed at least two meals a day. Sometimes she'll beg for food when I'm eating lunch and I'll give her a few kibbles at lunch too.


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## julia (Sep 18, 2007)

I HAVE A NEW PUPPY, COOPER. HE IS 3 LBS. I FEED HIM 3X A DAY....WHEN DO I PUT HIM ON 2 MEALS A DAY?

THANKS.


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## Kissi's Mom (Apr 21, 2006)

> Toto and Tuffy have breakfast and dinner. I've always thought that smaller dogs should eat more than one time a day. But I had a conversation with someone today who has read the opposite that said smaller dogs should eat one meal a day. Just curious what schedule everyone else has for meal times with their Maltese.[/B]


I fed Kissi three small meals a day until we got her IBS under control, now she gets two meals a day. She gobbles her wet food and snacks on the kibble (I find it EVERYWHERE!). My husband's bloodhound had a really bad case of bloat...major surgery ($$$$$$)...we were told there is much less chance of bloat for all breeds when feeding is broken up into two meals a day.
good luck,
Linda


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## kiki & pippin's mom (Jun 5, 2007)

Kiki & Pippin eat home-made meals at 5:30 am, and again at 5:30 pm. (Brown rice, browned ground turkey, chicken, or canned salmon or tuna, and canned spinach mixed in. I add calcium & vitamins by stirring opened capsules into the mix. I know they _love_ sweet potatoes, but I plan to try regular potatoes too.) The pups are members of the clean plate club…I turn around and their bowls are shinny like new. I give them a _little_ kibble at lunch time, and fresh baby carrots for treats. They also love little bits of cheese: all kinds. Really, they will eat anything. No weight problems….yet. I don't know how to know how much to feed. I think they each get about 1/3 cup of the wet stuff at each meal. Hope it is not too much, or too little.


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## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

> I free feed.
> 
> I don't agree with 'one meal a day' - that's just plain mean.[/B]


Who's going to say they feed their maltese once a day now?  

I feed my yorkie x maltese mixes twice a day minimum... not because I think once would be mean (I think it depends on the individual dog's needs really), but because it's hard to get them to keep the pounds on with how active we are (plus they're high strung and light eaters).

I found the quoted remark interesting though considering that mine seem to tend towards once a day feeds. They will gobble a fair bit in the morning, then hardly touch the food at night, have very little the next morning, then a big feed the following night, then not a single kibble the next morning, etc.


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

I free feed Josie kibble only. She only really picks at her food and usually doesn't empty the bowl completely. I need to get her to eat more in the morning, because she throws up pretty regularly in the am.


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## ClassyCutie116 (Aug 11, 2007)

I feed my lil Mickey 3 meals a day, mainly canned Canidae and I'm going to start introducing dry Canidae, which will make it 2 wet and 1 dry. Plus 2-3 all natural treats, or a little chicken. 

I thought that feeding was age dependent, right? Mickey, is about 4 months now.


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## jadey (Nov 2, 2006)

twice a day but... i leave the kibbles out. only because sometimes i come home late from work.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

> I feed my lil Mickey 3 meals a day, mainly canned Canidae and I'm going to start introducing dry Canidae, which will make it 2 wet and 1 dry. Plus 2-3 all natural treats, or a little chicken.
> 
> I thought that feeding was age dependent, right? Mickey, is about 4 months now.[/B]


You are right, puppies need more times a day. Shoni is 4 mo. also and I've been feeding him 3 times, and leaving dry out. I've noticed he is cutting back to twice a day now. He eats more at a time but less often lately. I think 3 a day would be good to at least 6 mo. then 2. As long as he gains and grows like he should, you must be doing it right.


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## binniebee (Sep 27, 2007)

I put down the food in the a.m. when I get up and start getting ready for work. It's quite rare that he takes more than one small bite at that time. I pick up his food when I go to work (around 8:30 a.m) but put some of his dry kibble in a Kong in his kennel. I also put in another Kong with a tiny amount of Kong spray food squirted in each end (think Cheeze-Whiz if you've never had any experience with Kong in a can). I put down his dry food again in the evenings when we get home, but he really only eats a full meal in the evening, usually when we are eating ours. He does, however, usually empty his Kongs while we are at work.

I think this probably amounts to snacking during the day and one full meal at night.

BinnieBee


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

I feed Sparkey 3 times a day. no dog food though. I cook for him (+ missing link supplement) so the food is soft. I give him 1/2 cup in the morning. hubby gives him 1/2 cup at lunch and I give him another 1/2 cup at dinner time. and if we are awake until midnight he gets another 1/4 cup. he asks for it what can we do? :innocent: 
he gets 3 baby carrots, and little pieces of chicken jerky during the day ( many times ) :brownbag: I swear he is not fat.


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## LitGal (May 15, 2007)

I give Haiku two home-made meals a day plus a small bedtime snack of quality dog food. If she skips her bedtime snack, she sometimes throws up bile in the middle of the night or early morning; she needs something in her stomach.


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## Ciena (Sep 30, 2007)

I free feed dry dog food but I plop a heaping tablespoon of low fat cottage cheese on top in the morning. Just for some added calcium and because they like it.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> Hi Debbie ~
> 
> I feed mine wet for breakfast and dinner. I also leave dry kibble out 24/7.
> 
> There are times, when they just are not hungry and don't eat much breakfast, but they make up for it at dinner time.[/B]


Ditto here. And he eats the same amount every day.

I give him about 1/4 cup of wet food at breakfast, which he eats right away, because I know he'll eat that right away--if he doesn't eat right away and his stomach is too empty, he'll throw up bile.


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## 2maltese4me (May 8, 2006)

> I HAVE A NEW PUPPY, COOPER. HE IS 3 LBS. I FEED HIM 3X A DAY....WHEN DO I PUT HIM ON 2 MEALS A DAY?
> 
> THANKS.[/B]



I'd say 6 mo would be a good age to go down to twice a day!

I agree once a day feeding is cruel....my mother only feeds once a day, she swears thats what the vet told her to do...  . But her dog literally inhales its food every single time she eats....its really really sad.

I used to free feed, but then Cooper started being a little piggy and gained weight. So now I feed twice a day. Cooper is going back on a diet. He was so healthy at 8lbs 4oz...now he's a major chub chub at almost 10lbs.


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

I give each a 1/2 cup at dinner time every day but they never finish it all. There is almost always some left for grazing the next the day. If the bowls are completely emptly in the morning I usally put a little more in just so they aren't starving to death. They also get lots of treats - every time they go outside and potty they get a treat - so I know noone is going hungry. 

Leslie


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