What to feed .............. - Page 1

Hello,

what should I feed a K9 (3 years old)? Which product is the best? And how much should I feed it a day?

Do you want to feed raw, kibble or both?

If it is just kibble, than it will be easy.  Go buy a nicer  dog food like Wolfking, canidae, chicken soup..., innova, etc.  Talk to the salesperson at your local pet store and ask for the higher end dog foods that aren't full of corn and garbage.  On the back of the bag there will be a table  that explains how much you feed the dog.  Now these are usually BS because every dog is different.  Follow the table for a bit and keep an eye on the dog.  If he is loosing weight, increase the food.  If he is gaining, lower the food.  With a three year old, I'd feed twice a day.  Give half in the morn and half later.

If raw, that is a whole new ball game.  You have to really balance the dogs diet with raw.  Even if you don't want to feed raw, I think it is good to give the dogs something every once in a while.  I buy chicken drumbsticks and will freeze them individually.  I give the dogs chikensicles regularly.

If you have the time, Raw is a good way to go.  For others that have little time, Raw can be time consuming. It's always easier to just scoop a few into a bowl;

If I decide to feed raw, how much should I feed the dog a day to start monitoring if it's the right amount?

How much you feed depends on your dog, how much exersize he gets and what you feed. With raw you will be changing amounts all of the time to trim him up or add a little weight to him. You can't messure it as you can kibble. The calories differ between cuts, protein sources and suppliments you add to the meat. I like feeding raw, you just can't beat it for how your dog looks, once switched over and they really like feeding time. My dogs personally take more time to enjoy their raw rather than inhaling the kibble in a matter if seconds. I feel safe feeding it even as other cringe.

Your best bet is to fully understand what a healthy dogs weight is. Feel your dog allot, take a few pictures of him at his optimum weight, to use as a guideline. If your dogs is heavy, don't be affraid to skip a day of feeding. I just fasted my dog every other day for about a week to get him back in training shape, after I beefed him up for winter. This helps get his attention at training too. Boy does he work for his meals. I think he got to comfortable being fed kibble over the winter, always the same amount. A guarenteed feeding no matter what, everyday, makes for a lackluster dog. Now that he is trimmed up, this morning I fed him a whole pork roast with bone in. He will be fat and lazy, but quiet while I have workers in the backyard laying forms. Tomorrow he wont get anything and maybe not the next day either until after training and then he will be rewarded for his work with another good sized meal. Keeping him guessing, keeps him on his A game.

"If I decide to feed raw, how much should I feed the dog a day to start monitoring if it's the right amount?"

Mikeee:  sometimes these answers get more complicated than the question your asking.  At 3 years old, if you want to feed raw, i would start your dog off with 12-16 ounces for breakfast, and 12-16 ounces for dinner. then you will be able to adjust the portion as you see fit.  use your best judgement (how the dog looks, how active he is, etc.). 

i would not feed raw with kibble because they digest at different rates...i think raw takes 8 hours and kibble takes 24 (something like that, not positive).  your dog's metabolism will also speed up while on raw, so if he throws up a yellow liquid (bile) that means you just have to adjust the timing of the meals, or add a snack if you can't adjust when you feed, or give a small snack to hold him over to the next meal.

also, if you can, start with a premade raw food until you know what you're doing (nature's variety, bravo, primal, etc.).  it's not as hard as it seems.

We feed raw. Please look at our new product www.purerecipe.net

It is easy to feed. Well balanced. It's made in the USA. Please stop by our booth if you are at the Southeastern Regoinal Conf Show in March in Statesville NC.  We are currently interviewing for Regional Distributors in the US.  

For answers to your questions please email me at  info@vondersymmes.com

Best regards,

Michael Florea

Product Coordinator

Actually you CAN feed kibble and raw successfully, I've been doing it for years with no problems. (I'd like to feed all raw but I don't have space for a large freezer, which you need in order to buy in bulk , and keep the cost down.) Here is the website I used to get started, along with recipes. http://b-naturals.com/natural.php

As you will see it is rather more than just dumping kibble and raw meat into a bowl - it has to be properly balanced with supplements etc., and the kibble digesting problem handled by adding a digestive enzyme tablet to the mix. (I buy all my supplements from this company , they are human grade and first rate.)

The same website gives you info for transitioning from raw/kibble to all raw if that's what you decide to do, and tells you how to figure the amounts.... if you have any questions about the diet you will find an e-mail address listed.

Susan.

Also look into Timberwolf if you are searching for a really good kibble.  Good luck.

great links

Just wanted to update about the Timberwolf ........... they have had a recall as well.  They seem to be selling out or at least the plant that it is made in .... and their number is disconnected.  Not too good!  Sad that so many brands start out great and then go down hill.  You really have to stay on top of what they are doing.  We  have found a holistic kibble that has been really good for a decade, you can find out more on our website.  www.highlandergermanshepherds.com

good luck!

Alisia