Quote:
|
How much food should I be giving my 7 month old basset? I am going by the measurements on the food package, that say for a medium size dog 25-50 lbs 2 1/5 to 3 1/2 cups. She weighs 30 lbs, so I give her 3 cups a day. I give her half in the morning and half at night, but she still seems hungry. Is she getting enough? Thanks[/b]
|
There may have been in the entire existence of the breed that was not hungry all the time. An old time vet once told be this trait was what made them good hunters, always on the lookout for the mext meal. Personally I have not had a basset hound that I did not need to feed les than the reccommend amount to maintain Ideal wheight. Because of the individual difference there is no rule that can apply to how much you should feed, there are way to many unknown variable. The best way to gage how much to feed is by assessing your dogs body condition
Purina Body Condition Chart Idea is now consider to be 4-5 not the 5 list on this older version of the chart
Corpulent Canine
Quote:
The best way to determine whether a dog is overweight is to test 3 different parts of the body: the neck, the ribs, and the hips.
To check the neck, press your thumb and index finger deep into the side of the neck just ahead of the shoulder, and pinch them together. If your fingers are more than 1/2" apart, the dog is overweight. (Note: this is where old dogs tend to carry most of their excess fat, and they may actually be thin in other locations.)
To check the ribs, stand with your dog beside you, facing his butt. Place your thumb on the middle of his spine half way down the back and spread your fingers out over his last few ribs. Then run your fingers up and down along his skin. You should be able to feel the bumps of his ribs without pressing in.
To check the hips, run your hand over your dog's croup. You should be able to feel the bumps of his two pelvic bones without pressing down.[/b]
|
keep in mind purina studies have shown the vast majority of owners even using the quides above under estimate howmuch and even if their dogs are overwieht. It is also far heathier for the dog to be a bit Underweight than a bit overweight.
02-08-2008, 11:54 AM
