[enigma]

I am upset to admit this but I think I may be turning my gorgeous puppy into a big round puppy ;( I think I am feeding him too much and making him just a little fat.
So without physically seeing him what would be the ideal amount of food for a small cav x poodle x Maltese. I had him weighed a yr ago and he was 4.5kilos then. He is 2yrs old. He gets walked for at least 1hr a day and runs around all the time when out, but during the day he is a lap dog and sits and sleeps unless you play with him.
At the moment I am putting his wet food into a bowl and covering the bottom. Roughly between 150-200gms once a day. He does have access to dry food all day which some days he eats a lot and other days he doesn't. As well as access to water all day. Now for the part were I will be chastised. We have been known on the odd occasion to give him some of our tea, 2 or three small bits of chicken or steak.
What would the ideal amount of food be for him?

[VioletRose]

The ideal amount of food is enough to keep him bright eyed and active so his weight is stable. You should be able to feel his ribs but they shouldn't stick out.
As to how much that will be, that really depends on your dog as an individual same as people.

[enigma]

Thnks for that, I love my puppy and would hate to think I am killing him with kindness.
I will check him out when he comes back in. Had his haircut today and is not liking me at the moment lol

[Unatheowl]

The exact amount depends upon the fact, carbohydrate and protein content of the food. Also then the growth stage, activity level and size of your dog when it becomes an adult. If you want to get technical there are feeding charts you could consult - probably could google them.

Like a pp said though, enough for him is what keeps him looking healthy within certain parameters. The best person to advise you would be your vet, particular as your dog is still growing and his requirements will change.

[FiveAus]

Take away the dry food, he doesn't need access to food all day, and some kibbles are very concentrated. Ditch the wet food, it's not that good for his teeth and just give him a small amount of kibble once a day, and something else (maybe a small piece of raw chicken) at another time of the day.

He will start to lose weight almost immediately and you can then adjust the amounts to keep his weight stable.

For reference, my Australian Shepherds who are around Border Collie size, get a raw chicken leg each morning.....this gives them a calcium and protein boost for the day, as well as cleans their teeth. Then they get 2/3 to 1 cup of high quality kibble in the evening, with a spoonful of natural yoghurt mixed in.
The two girls who tend to be a bit on the porky side get 2/3 cup, the others get 1 cup. And that's a metric measure, not a large coffee mug as my husband would like to give them.
My heaviest dog weighs around 25 kg, she is one of the ones who gets 2/3 cup, now put that in perspective with the size of your little dog.

Sometimes on the weekends, instead of kibble they get raw lamb bones for their evening meal. If they get treats through the day, they get less dinner at night.

[enigma]

Thank you, I know it's a pretty stupid question, but I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing for him.

[kpingitquiet]

Yeah, I'd say nixing the constant dry food access would probably help a LOT. Most dogs I've met don't self-regulate on dry food like a lot of cats do. I can't help on appropriate amounts of food for your little pup but our dogs get 350g wet food and 2 cups dry food, each, per day, and they weigh in at 28kg (the 4yo) and 30kg (the 6yo), perfect for their frames. We add a bit more when they start looking a touch thinner and subtract when they start to pudge.

[la di dah]

The odd occasional bit of chicken/steak isn't what's making him fat, its the all day kibble.

Honestly you could give him chicken everyday and it wouldn't make him fat if the portions were right.

200 grams of wet food plus kibble seems like a lot, to me. Is it really supposed to be all that? That sounds like what my big dogs ate, though they weren't really greedy guts like some cavvies can be. Can you feel his ribs? No cavvie is ever going to look like a lean mean machine, but they should still have bones inside and not feel like a beachball.

[enigma]

Well I put him on the scales today and omg he is nearly 6kilos!!! I had a look at the can of food and it says he should have half a tin plus a half cup of dry food a day. The tin is 440gms (my dog) to me that is far too much. I think I will go see the vet next week and ask them like someone suggested. I love my puppy but don't wan to love him to death

[enigma]

I tried him on a chicken neck, after playing with it and carting it around ally at he then ate it but proceeded to vommit it up. I think they were too rich for him

The odd occasional bit of chicken/steak isn't what's making him fat, its the all day kibble.

Honestly you could give him chicken everyday and it wouldn't make him fat if the portions were right.

200 grams of wet food plus kibble seems like a lot, to me. Is it really supposed to be all that? That sounds like what my big dogs ate, though they weren't really greedy guts like some cavvies can be. Can you feel his ribs? No cavvie is ever going to look like a lean mean machine, but they should still have bones inside and not feel like a beachball.

I can feel his ribs but only of I push hard. I can't easily find them