Feeding schedule

[Roxy'sNewMom]

OK, now this is probably just lazy on my part and if so please let me know nicely!!


I have been feeding our girls once a day at 8:00 pm. Here is why: I get up at 5:30 am and leave by 6:00 am to get to work. My morning routine is get up, get ready, take dogs out, stuff kongs, kennel, and leave. The pups are NEVER up I have to DRAG them out of bed to go out and such. They hate mornings just like us!! I see that alot of you feed twice daily. Is this better than just once? I dont feed until 8 at night because DH gets home at 5 and we cook dinner and eat by 7....THEN I feed the dogs trying to get the pack order right in eating first. Is this ok?

Shaunna

 

[Net45582]

...how do you feel when you go 24 hours between meals? I feed twice daily. Mornings at 5:30am and evenings at 5pm with a treat/snack just before bedtime. Boxers don't usually fully mature until they are @2.5 to 3 years old so younger dogs may need a bit more food while they fill out.

 

[Roxy'sNewMom]

...how do you feel when you go 24 hours between meals? I feed twice daily. Mornings at 5:30am and evenings at 5pm with a treat/snack just before bedtime. Boxers don't usually fully mature until they are @2.5 to 3 years old so younger dogs may need a bit more food while they fill out.

Payton gets more than Roxy does. I cant go 24 hours between meals at all. When I try to feed in the morning they just arnt up to it. I tried once or twice and they just look at it and go back to bed. I cant go home at lunch since I live so far away from my work......I dont want to starve my girls.
Shaunna

 

[Net45582]

How much do you feed at a time? Changing their schedules will take a few days for them to get used to.

 

[gmacleod]

I would feed twice daily personally. Most dogs do better that way (some even need more frequent meals) and many get nauseous and vomit bile if they have to go too long between meals...

Plus, feeding large meals is a factor shown to increase the risk of bloat (there's a sticky thread at the top of the health forum about that).

Incidentally, I don't think there's an issue around feeding your dogs before you eat and pack order. Especially not if it's not right before you eat. The dog isn't going to make a correlation between being fed at, say, 5.30 and you eating an hour or more later.

 

[sgbtab]

IMO I would feed as soon as you get home.

they don't associate you eating at 7 with them eating later. if you want to let them see you eating first then have a piece of bread or something so they see you eat first.

after they start to eat earlier maybe you can wake up a half hour sooner and give them a little breakfast. eating 2 lbs of meat is alot at 1 feeding.
if you are in a hurry in the morning then you can give them some meat with out the bone and the bone meal at night.

I always have bone meal on hand if I feed chop meat or a boneless meal.I would just give a teaspoon of the bone meal with the chop meat.

 

[Roxy'sNewMom]

Bone meal? You mean like a chicken thigh? I have been giving them each a leg and 2 thighs or a thigh and 2 legs, and then Payton gets Livers too. Roxy doesnt like liver. I am going this weekend to get a scale so I can be sure what I am feeding them is the correct weight. I feel bad that I could be starving my kids all day. I will have to figure something else out. Maybe if I get up and let them out and feed them right when they come in while I am getting ready. But wont they have to poop during the day then?
Shaunna

 

[sgbtab]

bone meal is a powder form. you can get it at the health food store. you want to make sure it is human grade. not for plants. if you feed chop meat you can sprinkle a teaspoon on top and they get there calicum and it also keep there stools hard. I still feed bones but when I only have chop meat I would add the bone meal.
in the morning you are in a hurry getting ready for work and some times we don't have time to wait till they eat. so some people feed the chop meat (mince meat) in the morning and the rmbs at night.

I also think it is a good idea to do 2 feedings since raw food digest at 5 hours not like kibble which can be 8-10 hours.

 

[Checkers]

What do you stuff their kongs with? Instead of that you could stuff it with cubes of raw meat instead. Then that could be a light breakfast to help them through the day

 

[Anna Begins]

What do you stuff their kongs with? Instead of that you could stuff it with cubes of raw meat instead. Then that could be a light breakfast to help them through the day

I only feed once a day. I do give Luka a kong tho, and I fill it with all kidsn of stuff- today was canned salmon, natural balance roll and cheddar cheese, but I kinda use that as a "breakfast" supplement. Hot dogs, ground beef/ turkey, chicken hearts, gizzards, sausage, left overs, noodles, carrots... I use anything, really. Your not starving them if they don't want to eat! And all I eat in the day is a piece of fruit, some raw veggies or low cal snack like rice cakes.