once a day?

[Augie Dog]

I want to start feeding Aug once a day. He's 7 months now, and I am feeding one cup of dry food a day. Was doing 1/4 in the AM and 3/4 at PM. I want to do 1 cup at PM, is this too early?

[~8DachsieAngels~]

I dont now if its too early but mine are all on once a day their ages range from 6mos to nearly a year i give them their 1c. of food in the morning ... i guess that would depend on your scedule and what times you can take him out to potty with me i can take them out all day because im home with them but if you work maybe evening would be better ... i also switched mine off puppyfood because ummm some were getting a little chubby ... the vet. said that it was safe even Sassie who is 6mos is doing great on 1c. of Sensible Choice chicken and rice once a day ... even though she begs for treats ...lol dont they all ... i just give them their milkbones before bed to kinda keep their lil tummies full til morning... it seems to work for us ... but every dog is different. Im sure others will have good suggestions http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[Cindi]

If he is at a good weight and doing well there is no reason not to give him once a day feedings. I would, as 8Dachs does, give him a treat in the morning to keep something in his stomach.
If he is thin I would up his food and probably keep him on twice a day, increasing the amount you give him in the morning. But as was stated, each dog is different. I have a 9 month old that is still eating twice a day because she burns so much energy so doesn't hold her weight well. Because of that she is also still on puppy food and by 9 months mine are normally on adult food due to 'better than average use of their food' ie they get fat easily <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0>

[~8DachsieAngels~]

Thats like Sassie shes a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif but Rosie has a high metabolism she always is thin... no matter how much you feed her ...i got so worried about her i took her to the vet. to make sure she didnt have anything wrong with her ... he said NO and i was over-reacting....they always tell me that... but i cant help it i worry about my babies http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[Mrs.F]

Hmmmm....what do all these one meal a day doggies do while you guys are eating supper? Maggie will be a year old on the 21st of this month and Penny will be 2 in January, but I still feed them twice a day because I feel really, really guilty looking at their empty bowls while I'm eating my breakfast and supper......<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm36.gif" border=0>
Seriously though, my vet's the one that suggested 2 small meals a day for the girls. Life would be easier if I didn't have to feed breakfast early enough so that it can be eliminated before I head out for work in the morning. I'm going to give this some serious thought. Do you guys do the one meal a day for convenience or because one meal better for the dachsies? I never asked my vet why he prefers it - it could be because he knows I'd be likely to share my morning oatmeal! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[Oscar's Mom]

I remember reading, cant remember where, that 2 meals a day are better. Something about it can create too much gas in their stomaches at once because the stomache expands so much and can caues medical problems.

[Cindi]

My dogs eat once a day, in the morning, once they are of an age that they no longer require twice a day feedings. If my dogs had problems with acidy stomachs, and I have heard of some that do, then I would split up their daily feedings to twice a day. However, mine do NOT have that problem so it is easier for housetraining, for travel and for living (beggars that they are) for once a day feedings (I know my vet feeds his big dogs once a day, too.). Mine eat breakfast and when we have dinner there is no begging until the forks hit the plates for the last time. I don't know how the dogs know it is the last time but they do. At that point, as long as there is nothing on the plates bad for them (and left over veggies go on the plates) we let the children clean the plates. If there was heavy sauce or onions in the dinner, then the kids get a dog cookie after we are done eating. Has worked well for me for over 25 years <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm38.gif" border=0>

[~8DachsieAngels~]

Gosh Cindi you sound exactly like me we do the same exact thing... doggie cookies or leftovers after dinner... but no begging...lol <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0>

Jen

<font color="#00FFFF" font size="1">[This message has been edited by ~8DachsieAngels~ (edited September 11, 2000).]</font>

[Heather]

My youngest Beanie, is thin. I can see his ribs when he stretches. I have had him to the vet and he is fine. He is a picky eater. He would not be a good candidate for once a day, yes?

Hans on the other hand is a typical chow hound who is, shall I say, full bodied. He would be ok once a day?

I had never heard about once a day feeding, and I guess I am just concerned they will be so hungry at night?

[~8DachsieAngels~]

Rosie is also thin (high metabolism ... i feed her once a day in the morning then give her raw carrots and apples on and off though the day and at night i give her a extra biscuit or 2 ... the vet. says shes just a smaller girl weighing in at a wopping 8lbs ... i feed her 1/2c. the BARF diet and 1/2c. Sensible Choice doggie food this works good for us. I would talk to your vet. just to be sure before you cut him back http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Here she is my skinny mini...<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm27.gif" border=0>
This is a pic of Rosie about 2mos ago...
<IMG SRC="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=950613&a=6951413&p=23463628&Sequence=0" border=0>

This is a puppy pic of her ... wouldnt ever know shes so slim now...lol

<IMG SRC="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=950613&a=6951413&p=24727799&Sequence=0" border=0>

Good Luck
Jen

<font color="#00FFFF" font size="1">[This message has been edited by ~8DachsieAngels~ (edited September 11, 2000).]</font>

[Mark]

Duck Butter & Masse eat once a day, get one cookie each and carrots 2-3 times a day (love those mini carrots). Otherwise they gain weight. If they even look at more than we give them the gain weight! Top Spin requires too much to feed once a day. We tried it and with the daily amount he needs he ends up being overfed at one sitting and would often get sick . . . so he gets fed twice a day, 3 Large cookies and 2-3 times the amount of carrots as the girls.

What do they do when we're eating? They behave themselves, but they do camp under the table . . . just in case something gets dropped! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif

Mark

[Krista]

Rudy has the acidic tummy and so eats twice a day. If he does not get food both AM and PM he vomits the acid up. Our vet also said that 2x is best for small dogs, and on top of that Rudy seems to have a higher metabolism too.

Roscoe is just a pup so of course eats 2x a day, but I will probably keep them on two feedings unless they become porkers.

I agree that if you feed once a day you should offer a cookie or other healthy snack in replacement of the other meal.

[Oscar's Mom]

Just wanted to get back to everyone... I found the info on problems with feeding once a day. It's a problem usually only older, large breed dogs have, so I dont think its something we need to worry about. But here's the details: It’s called Gastric Dilatation. This is what it is: the stomach distends and balloons up with gas and fluid, in addition to food that is already present. Then, the organ literally takes a turn for the worst, rotating from its original position and often twisting the attached spleen right along with it.

[Penny's Aunt]

The common name for the condition is BLOAT. And it IS most common in larger, deep-chested dogs.

BUT dachsies can also get it. I don't know if it that deep chest or what. I think I recall that someone here posted that a friend's dachsie died of bloat.

I have seen bloat first-hand, & just the thought of my dog getting it makes me sweat. The agony the dog goes through must be the worst torture Mother Nature has ever devised.

This is the sole reason I always feed my dogs twice a day. It may not be logical, others can provide endless arguments that it won't happen, but to avoid a nightmare like this, I will spend the extra two minutes a day. God knows I've wasted more time on dumber things!

(BTW, the last quote I heard -on a large-breed, half-grown pup-- was a good case of bloat can cost $2,000! That's a lot of primo food, chewies, & toys!)

[wireweiners]

I feed 2x a day, morning and evening mostly because I feel guilty eating with 6 pairs of eyes giving me the L@@K. I read somewhere that feeding 2 small meals makes a dog more alert and therefore they are better watch dogs than a dog that is fed one large meal. Think about it. If I have a big lunch, I am shot for the rest of the day. The same holds true for your dog.

Dachsies can bloat, big standards are more prone to bloat than minis.

[Dachsiedawgs]

I feed my dogs twice a day also, or rather I put food out twice a day. Sometimes they will eat all their food in the AM, and sometimes they will eat all their food in the PM, and then sometimes they'll eat AM and PM. But it's there for them if they're hungry. They don't get treats during the day since we're not home, so I always like to see them clean their bowl, at least in the evening. Although Chester will certainly make sure nothing's coming from the dinner table, before he'll rush over to his bowl and start eating.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm42.gif" border=0>

[LisaH]

I feed twice a day too. The vet says its better to do that with small dogs because they have little stomachs and can't take in all the calories they need in one meal. Also, Annie has that acid-stomach barfing problem if her stomach is too empty.

[Augie Dog]

Now the ones that are barfing, are they minis? or standards?

[LisaH]

My barfer is a mini. I forgot whether Augie is a mini or a standard.

[Augie Dog]

standard, a very spoiled standard.

[Krista]

My acid barfer is a mini too. it just builds up too much if he does not eat every 12 hours or so and up comes the foamy yellow green acid. You'll know pretty quickly if Augie has this problem.

[Augie Dog]

We had that problem when we first got him. He has been doing well on one meal at 6pm, and snacks afterwords<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm30.gif" border=0>

[OneCoolPup]

8dachsies- that is such a cute pic of rosie.. she looks just like my Sadie (good thing I didn't name her rosie afterall). I just had to add that in http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[twix0699]

I must be the only weird one out there. I free feed Twix. She was so tiny when I got her at five weeks that I had to free feed then and she never gained weight so I have just continued it. She doesn't eat much though. I feed California Natural and she eats about 1/2 to 3/4 cup on a good day. There are days I don't think she eats at all. Of course, she is always begging. The other doxie I had was also a free feeder and I could hardly keep enough weight on him.

Teresa