[potts0601]

Hi!! We just our first basset yesterday, Ruby Anne!! She is great but I need some advice!! She is 6 weeks old... how much and how often do I feed her?? I started out giving her 1/4 cup twice a day and she still acts hungrey!! That is what the breeder was giving her. Please help!!! I do not want her to get the bloat!

 

[smitte21]

She's pretty young to be coming home yet but what's done is done.

She should be at at least 1/2 cup twice a day. And between a 1/2-1 cup twice a day at 8 weeks. 12 weeks 1-2 cups twice a day and 6 weeks 2-3 cups twice a day.

That's what my breeder recommends at least so that's what I've gone by.

 

[Soundtrack]

I actually free feed my puppies at that age, but I don't let them go to new homes until they are at least ten weeks old.
They should be fed at least 4 times a day until they are 12 weeks, then 3 times a day until they are six months old, when they can be cut back to two meals. The amount depends on the food and on the individual dog - if she's too thin, feed more; if she's too fat, feed less.

 

[Kirska]

Hi!! We just our first basset yesterday, Ruby Anne!! She is great but I need some advice!! She is 6 weeks old... how much and how often do I feed her?? I started out giving her 1/4 cup twice a day and she still acts hungrey!! That is what the breeder was giving her. Please help!!! I do not want her to get the bloat!

The amount of food needed varies depending on what food you're feeding her. Assuming you are feeding a bagged food, there should be a guide on the label based on their weight. If in doubt, the best person to ask is your vet.

 

[Mikey T]

Assuming you are feeding a bagged food, there should be a guide on the label based on their weight.

It is a good place to start but I never owned a dog that would not have been obese if I followed the recommend feeding guidelines, start with the minimium and expect to have to lower it.

I do not want her to get the bloat

bloat is unheard of in puppies, the risk of bloat increases as the dog gets older.

 

[CharlieSue]

When we got Charlie Sue, she was 10 weeks old. We fed her a quarter cup three times a day. When she was about 4 months old we went to feeding her a quarter cup in the morning, half cup in the afternoon, and a half cup in the evening. We wanted to feed her less in the morning because we had to leave her at home when we went to work and wasn't able to take her out so we didn't want as much food in her belly. She is now 6 months and we are feeding her a cup twice a day. I don't think we will actually feed her more than that because for a 30-35 pound dog, I think only about 2 cups of quality dog food is recommended. Granted she will be on the smaller side, but still you probably wouldn't get up to much past 3 cups a day. My basset I grew up with was 38 pounds and she got a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening.

 

[smitte21]

bloat is unheard of in puppies, the risk of bloat increases as the dog gets older.

Not true... I had a friend who in her litter last year had a puppy bloat and nearly lost him. Thankfully she knew the signs and got him to the vet in time to save him. It can happen it's just not very common.