# To feed or not to feed........



## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

This morning I gave Chulita a fresh bowl of water and food as I do EVERY MORNING. This morning she managed to GULP down *ALL HER FOOD *







I said to myself....well that's it for your first feeding you will have a long wait until your next feeding. Which is when I get home around 6:00pm. So when I left her of course he food bowl was empty. When my husband leaves he puts her in her X-pen every morning with her bowl of water. This morning I did my routine call to my husband and when I asked about Chulita he tells me that I left her NO FOOD and he went ahead and gave her another 1/4 cup of food that I had already pre-measured and left in a zip lock on the kitchen counter for her next feeding today at 6:00pm. 

I said WHAT DID YOU DO?????????????????????







He tells me well she had no food and she was hungry, she was scratching her food bowl. I told him NOOOOOOOOOOO I fed her this morning and she ate all her food and that's why it was empty. I was so annoyed. I told him would I EVER, EVER, EVER leave without feeding my dog!!!!????!!! Ugggggggggh. I know he was only doing what he thought was right by feeding her but now what??????????????? She had her full feeding for the day. When I get home at 6:00pm and if she has eaten that second feeding she WILL be hungry. 

Do I feed her AGAIN?????????????? 
Do I not feed her again because she has had her full 1 cup for the day???
Do I give her less than a 1/4 cup if I see she is hungry????????


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## KimKarr (Feb 4, 2006)

I know if it were me, I would feel her a little less than the 1/4 cup tonight. There is no way I could resist. She may not even want to eat it all -- usually our little ones know the right thing to do. One time, in my opinion, won't matter. 

I just think it's kind of funny that Chulita snookered her dad into feeding her again and telling him what a poor, hungry baby she was and what a bad mommy you are!


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## Julie718 (Feb 17, 2006)

I agree with MaltAmore, I would probably give her a little less of her 1/4 of a cup of food. 

I bet Chulita has a full tummy now and is taking a nice nap!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Lady wishes your husband lived at her house! She definately lives to eat rather than vice versa! If her food bowl sat out all day, she'd scratch at it too!

Just a thought......

You recently switched her food because of her allergies, didn't you? Double check the package and make sure she is getting the proper amount of food for her size. I have found portions to vary from product to product.

We wouldn't want Chulita to be getting shortchanged on her meals!


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## LMJ (Feb 16, 2006)

I'd give her at least a little more food when you get home. How old is she? Maybe she is going through a growth spurt. Jeffery did this off and on during his first year.


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

I would definately feed her again if she is hungry. I wouldn't want my malt to go to bed hungry.


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

A little more is not going to hurt her. At least you know she likes her new food!


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

> I'd give her at least a little more food when you get home. How old is she? Maybe she is going through a growth spurt. Jeffery did this off and on during his first year.[/B]




She had her first birthday last Friday


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

I reread your post about her new food. Maybe she is extra hungry because she is not getting any treats anymore and she needs more calories? Just a thought.


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

> I agree with MaltAmore, I would probably give her a little less of her 1/4 of a cup of food.
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> I bet Chulita has a full tummy now and is taking a nice nap!
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Yeah I bet she is napping right now. LOL She probably can't even MOVE her tummy is probably so full.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

It IS funny that she tricked him out of some more food!








But maybe she really was still hungry!








I would consider all the other suggestions and still give her a little tonight if she wants it. I wouldn't want her to go to bed w/an empty tum-tum.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

This happens to us all the time. no wonder Sparkey is so big. I think you can give her a little less and if she is not hungry she wont eat it if she is that is ok to eat again. but I wouldn't give her the whole thing. don't worry she will poop it out


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

I will definitely give her food tonight. Just not the full 1/4. I will NOT SUPRISE me if she eats all of whatever I give her tonight.







She can be a little piggy. She lost a little weight in June she went from 5.8 to 5.3. When she was at the Specialist last saturday they check her weight and it was 5.8 again.











> I reread your post about her new food. Maybe she is extra hungry because she is not getting any treats anymore and she needs more calories? Just a thought.[/B]



*YES!!!!!!!!! THIS MAY BE ABSOULTELY TRUE!!!!* She is on this new food and NOTHING else so maybe that explains why she is INHALING her bowls of food the last couple of days when I have been putting them down which is really not like her. 

WHY THE HECK DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT????????????









Maybe I should give her a little bit more than 1 cup a day???


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

Hmmm - maybe I haven't been feeding correctly??? I just leave food for Louis in his bowl - ALL DAY! And I just fill it when it is empty. I used to measure his food but I don't anymore. He just seems to eat when he is hungry. I read a book that said that maltese ate when they were hungry and you could leave food (not like other breeds).


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

I agree with everyone else- give her a bit more tonight and see if she eats it. 



> Hmmm - maybe I haven't been feeding correctly??? I just leave food for Louis in his bowl - ALL DAY! And I just fill it when it is empty. I used to measure his food but I don't anymore. He just seems to eat when he is hungry. I read a book that said that maltese ate when they were hungry and you could leave food (not like other breeds).[/B]


louis' mom, some dogs you can free feed and they won't eat too much, other dogs will inhale whatever is front of them. If it works for you, it isn't a problem!


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

......


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

I use to free feed Chulita in the very begining when I first got her at 2 months. As she got older I started to measure her food out to what the Vet suggested.









I think if I started to free feed her again she would be HUGE because SHE CAN EAT....LOL. She has one big appitte for one little girl.







One thing I DON'T want for her is to become over weight.

I wonder if it also matter what type of dog food your feeding??? If I remembered correctly there was no need for me to free feed her with the type of Puppy food I was giving her which was the Puppy Innova. If you were feeding let's say...Purina Puppy Chow leaving that out all day was not a problem?? NOT SAYING this is MY ADVICE just trying to remember what I read a while ago when I first brought her home.


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

I free feed Paris and I put the recommended amount (according to the pacakge) in Paris' bowl in the morning. Most days, she doesn't eat all that is there.


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## HollyHobbie (Apr 12, 2005)

I free feed Noel also. She is on Solid Gold. She is not a huge eater and just picks at it all day. She probably eats more in the evenings when I am doing dishes than anyother "one" time. 

She has a small bowl and I don't usually have to fill it but once a day. She is pretty small though at 3.5 pds.

When I first got Noel I had wanted to have her on a schedule of feedings but she wouldn't have that. She wouldn't eat when I gave it to her in the mornings so I would take it up after about an hour and she didn't seem to care so I would offer it at noonish and she would eat a bite or two and I felt bad and worried so I tried leaving it out all the time and she didn't just gooble it all up and just would nibble at it. So thats what worked best for us.

Hey so was Chulita hugrey at 6? What a smarty pants.


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

> I free feed Noel also. She is on Solid Gold. She is not a huge eater and just picks at it all day. She probably eats more in the evenings when I am doing dishes than anyother "one" time.
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> She has a small bowl and I don't usually have to fill it but once a day. She is pretty small though at 3.5 pds.
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She sure was........LOL!!!







I gave her a little less than a 1/4 cup and she ate it. Doesn't suprise me. Later I'm going to cut one one small baby carrot and give that to her. This is theONE AND ONLY other thing I am allowed to give her aside from her food.


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

It would be interesting to see how many of us free feed and how many measure out and have timed feeding. Teddy was always free feed when he ate puppy food...but once I started cooking for him I obviously have standard times for feeding him. 

Teddy was never and still is not a food gobbler and in fact there are days when I have to entice him into eating by giving him a bit one mouthful at a time. 

I definately see if your little one was getting enough especially since you said she was not one to eat it all up when she was free feeding.


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## precious paws (Jun 7, 2006)

> This morning I gave Chulita a fresh bowl of water and food as I do EVERY MORNING. This morning she managed to GULP down *ALL HER FOOD *
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Is Chulita supposed to get 1 full cup of food per day or 1/2 per day? The reason I ask is it looks like from this post she is getting 1/4 cup twice per day? It also says she is supposed to get 1 full cup, so she would be short 1/2 cup. I might be a little confused.







Just trying to help.


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

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I may be confused by what my Vet said....







He said 1 cup a day and that I could either feed it to her in one feeding or break up the 1 cup and give it to her in two feedings. I wanted to break it up into 2 feeding and IF I understood correctly...he said 1/4 cup in the morning and then 1/4 cup in the evenings. 

I'm I doing something wrong???







You can tell math was NOT one of my favorite subjects.


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

I would call the vet and confirm. If he said 1 cup a day in 2 feedings that would be 1/2 twice a day. But he meant 1/2 cup twice a day, that would be 1/4 cup twice a day. He could have easily said 1 cup and then later forgot what he said and said 1/4 cup. Vet should have a record of what he recommended.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

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Yeah, I would double check with your vet. 1/4+1/4 is just 1/2. Depending on the food though, that may be enough for her.

My boys get 1/4 cup twice a day, but they also get treats and whatnot too. Sometimes they don't finish what is in their bowl at night, but usually they do.


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

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I may be confused by what my Vet said....







He said 1 cup a day and that I could either feed it to her in one feeding or break up the 1 cup and give it to her in two feedings. I wanted to break it up into 2 feeding and IF I understood correctly...he said 1/4 cup in the morning and then 1/4 cup in the evenings. 

I'm I doing something wrong???







You can tell math was NOT one of my favorite subjects.








[/B][/QUOTE]


Yeah, I would double check with your vet. 1/4+1/4 is just 1/2. Depending on the food though, that may be enough for her.

My boys get 1/4 cup twice a day, but they also get treats and whatnot too. Sometimes they don't finish what is in their bowl at night, but usually they do.
[/B][/QUOTE]

I KNOW he said 1 cup a day. That's when I said...."that's all for the whole day??" and he said yes. I told him that she was free fed up to that point but wanted to put her more on a schedule type feeding for "potty reasons" So that's when he suggested that I could break up the 1 cup into 2 feedings. Maybe that's when I got confused. 

So what I should be giving her is 1/2 a cup twice a day??? Should I be giving her a bit more than 1 cup since right now she ISN'T eating anything else (treats, etc) but her food???


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## Littlemans Mom (Apr 6, 2005)

If you are to give 1 cup per day then yes 1/4 cup twice a day is 1/2 cup short of her cup. You need to give 1/2 a cup twice a day







So she didn't over eat when your hubby gave her another 1/4 cup after you left, he finished off her 1/2 cup morning meal amount







I would check with the Vet on if you should feed more because you are not feeding treats, he/ she will know what is best. Good luck with the new food


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

> If you are to give 1 cup per day then yes 1/4 cup twice a day is 1/2 cup short of her cup. You need to give 1/2 a cup twice a day
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*THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


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## bklynlatina (Nov 16, 2005)

JUST HUNG UP WITH THE VET!!! Told him that I felt like I was giving Chulita the wrong amount of food all this time (since she was 5 months old).







Not his fault...but MY MISUNDERSTANDING







I told him that I took her to the specialist he referred me to and that right now she was on this Hill's food. I told him though I was giving her 1/4 cup twice a day since she was 5 months old she was getting PLENTY of treats inbetween and would even sometimes leave some of her dog food. So I know her belly was full even though I was not giving her the proper amount of dog food. 

I asked now that she is strictly on this new diet and NOTHING ELSE is 1/2 cup twice a day still good?? Or should I increase it a little more? He said no 1/2 cup or 1/3 twice a day is fine. Thank Goodness her weight is fine and has never been underweight. 

So I'm sure Chulita will be happy to hear the good news....LOL More food is coming her way. 


THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN FOR HELPING ME. THANKS FOR NOTICING WHAT I WROTE AND BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION. WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT THIS FORUM AND ALL MY SM FRIENDS.











*Oh...and CHULITA THANKS YOU TOO!!!!!!!! *


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

I just measured 1 cup of food and that seems soooo much







!! I was giving Sparkey 1/3 at night and a couple of table spoon in the morning and again lunch. he doesn't get anything else but 2 little animal shaped biscuits. So poor Sparkey has been starving too







from now on I will put 1 cup in a bowel and give him from that until it's gone. I want to give him something every few hours so he doesn't throw up. This topic was helpful , thanks


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