Food

[Inna Mashkovich]

What everyone feeding to their puppies? When our arrived we start feeding her “Iams” as Pam recommended. But now we switched to “Solid Gold” food in bright yellow bags.  She is a bit picky eater, but it’s may be me adding stuff to her food sometimes.  I am going to weight her, I think last time we checked she was around 24 pounds. So may be it’s time to give her just plain doggy food always. We stopped adding water to her kibbles and she seems fine with it.

[Katie Rogers]

I also kept GiGi on Iams at first but have now switched her over the last week to the Adult Vantage made by Eathborn. It's a Holistic food and so far she loves it and I am pleased with what I'm seeing. Small firm stools and she is eating it wonderfully where with the Iams she was being a bit picky and leaving food behind at each meal. Now she eats everything I put in front of her at each feeding.

[Inna Mashkovich]

Do you still give her 1 cup every feeding? And do you still feed her 4 times a day? Because we switched to 3 times a day and I give her a bit more then 1 cup. may be 1 1/2. And sometimes she eats it all, and sometimes leaves half to me.
I also gave her some cottage cheese. She loves it. I would give her some after a meal that she would finish, so I assume she might want some more.
Do you feed her in a crate, ex-pen or just on a kitchen?
We started putting her food in a crate, but then were tired of cleaning up after her and feeding her in an ex-pen, but still locking the door.

[Katie Rogers]

With this food she only gets 2 cups each day broken down into three feedings. That is the recommended feeding for 24-45 lbs. and is at the high end, 1 1/4-2 cups daily, so she may have to get cut back even from that. It's a nice lower protein and lower fat but high calorie feed. Don't know how they do it but it's working well for us so far!

I feed her in her crate, have gone strictly to dry food and she's doing great. I let her eat in her crate so she has some privacy. With my two year old and three year old daughters around she likes to go in her crate for some alone time ;) She was so easy to crate train and I use that to my advantage.

[Inna Mashkovich]

Mine doesn't like to be locked-up and enjoys ex-pen better then crate. My kids are 6 (almost 7) and 12, so they don't bother her much. She doesn’t need to hide. But she is getting locked during the day when we all at work and at school. My dad is watching her, but he is working on house remodeling and doesn't have much time to play with puppy.

[Autumn Brock]

Hello Group ~

I am feeding Joss the Innova Small Bites almost completely now. He does get a small scoop of Iams wet in there too but only 1 tbspn to 'sweeten' the deal. He has made the transition from puppy to adult food without issue or upset. We are finishing off our last bag of the Iams puppy and he should be done with that bag and on the adult food completely by next week. He loves his food, as the scale will tell at nearly 30pnds of tall tall puppy. He eats only twice a day now, 3:30pm and 8pm as the morning breakfast was met with a 'are you kooky mom? I just woke up'. He gets 3 cups a day and soon I may up him another 1/2 cup. He can become distracted if to much is going on around him when he is eating so he doesn't eat lunch with the other dogs at 'daycare' and at night we make sure the cats don't bother him either. Funny how the cats used to avoid him and now when its feeding time the whole trio of them (2 cats & puppy) magically materialize in the kitchen to swarm around and stare at me as I prep dinner!

Autumn

[Pam Gale]

Hi Inna,

I would recommend that you still soak the food in water before feeding. It allows the food to expand and (in theory) decreases the chance for bloat. It also assures that the puppy gets enough water and in the summer time it helps so that the urine doesn't ruin your grass outside. Just a suggestion but most of us soak the food in water.

Pam

[Inna Mashkovich]

I already stopped soaking food. If you suggesting to still do it, we will. Thank you Pam. For how long we should do that?
Amber drinks lots of water and I start taking her water bowl out from her ex-pen couple hours before bedtime. It reminds us to wash bowl also.

[Pam Gale]

Hi Inna,

I put water on their food forever. We joke that people wouldn't want to eat their cereal without milk. I always put water on it - it may help prevent bloat.

Pam

[Katie Rogers]

Okay I know they can't have the high protein while they are growing but is that something that we have to watch their whole lives? I'm asking because the line of food I'm feeding her right now also has a grain free variety but it is very high in protein and I didn't know if once she was mature if that would be an option or if we need to stick with low protein throughout their lives. This is my first time hearing about the protein issues. Don't know if it's something that people have become more aware of in the last 10 years since I had my last Setter pup or if the breeder we got her from just didn't share that information with us at the time. Thanks as always for sharing your insight and advice!

[Pam Gale]

No, protein isn't really an issue once they are done growing. Then we just watch weight like you would do with any dog. Protein is only an issue during these critical growing phases. Many people have gone to the "grain-free" foods because they are lower in carbohydrates. Dogs are carnivores and really don't need carbohydrates that grains give them.

Pam