• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Feeding instructions from the vet - do you agree?

vshenoy

Well-known member
Hi All!

Just wanted to get your opinion on some things that my vet just advised to me...

Meenah is almost 10 months old. I've noticed that sometimes she wants to eat her food and sometimes she won't touch it (mind you, she is ALWAYS willing to eat human food). So I called the vet's office and asked if this is the time when I'm supposed to switch to feeding her once a day. First off, they told me that she ought to be on adult, not puppy, food by this age. They instructed me to start the switchover to adult food. Secondly, they told me to continue feeding her twice and day and not to ever change to once a day. Thirdly, when I told them that I take her food away after 15 to 20 minutes of not eating it, they told me that I should leave it for the entire day and that limiting the time with the food is something you do just with puppies.

This is quite different from what I've seen advised on this board. I was wondering what you thought of their instructions and as experienced cavalier owners, if you agree.

Thanks!
 
I don't use puppy food after 12 weeks at all. I use high quality all life stage food. So, yes, at 10 months I'd say it is safe to take the dog off of puppy formulated foods.

Yes, I'd feed twice a day. I measure the amount I want them to eat in a bowl, but after 15 minutes I take it away. I have found that if I 'need' to get a dog to eat, a little bit of something special on the top (or mixed in) will get them started. We have a multi dog home and we can't free feed. If I only feed once a day, I will have a dog or two have issues with an overly empty stomach-- they vomit bile.
 
I agree with everything the vet said apart from leaving the food down all day, I'd lift it after 20 minutes.

Dylan skipped breakfast today so I put it back in the fridge and gave it to him just now for an early dinner. Watch how many treats you give as they may be filling her up.
 
I agree with all but the picking up the food thing as well. My dogs, 5 & 1, both eat the same food twice a day.
 
I also agree with all but the picking up the food, I would pick it up after 15 - 20 minutes.

My three aged 6 and 4 eat twice daily.
 
I feed twice a day, cavaliers don't have huge appetites and are unlikely to eat the full amount in one sitting.Certainly take it up if it's not eaten, I don't believe in leaving food lying around going off.
(Unless of course it's my mother's cavalier Parker who'd eat a raw donkey in one go if he got it).
They can be notoriously picky if allowed to be. My local pet shop owner who supplies Daisy's food reckons his sister's cavalier eats nothing but Roast chicken.
 
i agree with the vet on feeding ur doggie twice a day and feeding adult food however i don't agree with leaving the food down all day!!!
 
cavaliers don't have huge appetites and are unlikely to eat the full amount in one sitting.

LOL, you've obviously never met my pair! Holly was rather finicky pre Amber but since then she's been nearly as much a gobblehog. Amber has always loved her food. She eats everything she gets and wants more, no matter what it is!

I personally give a Bonio in the morning to keep them going and their meal in the evening. Amber gets 100g and Holly gets between 60-80g. It may not sound like much - certainly doesn't look like much! - but it keeps them both trim and they get all manner of treats at the weekend.
 
So the consensus seems to be to feed adult food, feed twice a day, and pick up the food after 15-20 minutes. I didn't like the idea of leaving food laying around all day either!

Meenah is my only dog so she has noone else to compete with for food. She'll eat any human food I give her and she'll even eat the dog food in her bowl if I pick it up and feed it to her by hand. But a few times a week, she won't touch her food when I put it down. This morning I did try leaving it out instead of pulling it up. She didn't touch it until an hour and half later when I put it out on the deck when she was playing outside. She then gobbled it up. Maybe I need to move her breakfast to later in the morning when she's had time to move around.
 
I wouldn't leave the food down all day. Remove after a short time. Mine eat twice a day, there is never any left and it's gone in a flash!

Alison.
 
I, also agree with what the vet said. I also tend to agree with leaving the food down. I have found doing that eliminates the dog's belief that they need to gobble everything in front of them any time it is presented because they believe it will be the last they get for a while. Dogs fed this way do not tend to overeat and get fat. Food is taken for granted, not eagerly anticipated (though treats still are!)
I always did this method of feeding with wonderful results for many long years. I have had to change the way I feed around my house, however, because I began to have squabbles over the food. Kaya had gotten to where she guarded the bowls. Now I separate everyone and feed that way now. Otherwise, Kaya scarfs down her smaller portion with twice the speed of Odin and Lad, and then goes and takes theirs from them, or starts a fight trying. I now leave the food for 20 minutes and in the rare event someone doesn't eat it all, I pick it up. However, with Bandit (and also with Pixie when she was alive), I leave the food down 24/7 in his area inside (other dogs have no access) and Pixie always had her bowl down 24/7, too.
 
So the consensus seems to be to feed adult food, feed twice a day, and pick up the food after 15-20 minutes. I didn't like the idea of leaving food laying around all day either!

Meenah is my only dog so she has noone else to compete with for food. She'll eat any human food I give her and she'll even eat the dog food in her bowl if I pick it up and feed it to her by hand. But a few times a week, she won't touch her food when I put it down. This morning I did try leaving it out instead of pulling it up. She didn't touch it until an hour and half later when I put it out on the deck when she was playing outside. She then gobbled it up. Maybe I need to move her breakfast to later in the morning when she's had time to move around.

I would stop feeding her human food. If I ever let my dog eat human food...they would just look at me with their brown eyes and hoping for more. My dog used to not eat whenever he comes back from "grandpa's" place. Turned out Grandpa fed him costco Chicken! Grandpa is banned from feeding him anything now! My boy would not eat for days upon returning from their grandpa's place. He would starve himself for 2 days before starting eating his dry food. I sometimes leave the food out longer since both of my boys are very slow eaters. However, i do try to pick up the dish after a while. Don't worry too much. Some dogs just eat little.
 
This is what I've always been told.

"Never free feed. Many dogs will overeat if food is constantly available. They also may be more finicky about their food because they are never really hungry at mealtime. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for your dog to eat his meal and remove any left over food. Let his gastric juices and digestive system take a rest in between meals."

The last sentence being an important issue IMO.
 
I'm with the majority on this one. I feed twice a day. I used to feed only in the evening but find they do much better eating two smaller meals rather than one big one. I don't need to worry anymore about the 15 minute rule.....my two inhale their feed so quick I can't blink or I'll miss it :cool: Didn't used to be like that though. I did the 15 minute rule with Jake as a puppy after begging him to eat. 3 meals and he got the message.
 
We feed twice a day, and the food is gone within 2 minutes(if that).

Murphy used to be a picky eater at this stage too. I changed to adult food(RC Mini), and stopped feeding him as much.

We used to feed what it said on the packet, but now your lucky if I feed half of the daily recomendation, and he's the picture of health. I found he never turned his nose up after this, I think it's best find your own amount to feed as well. We feed Murphy more in the summer as he gets longer, more active walks, in the winter if we fed him the same he'd put on weight as we're less active.

I'd watch what other treats and things you feed as these can fill them up too, and reduce the dog food accordinly:)
 
I feed morning and evening, with a snack at bedtime. Oddly enough the issue of lifting food after 15 minutes has never arisen, I'd be hard pushed to find any after 15 seconds ;)
 
Thanks for all the input! It is very helpful seeing how other people feed their dogs. Never having grown up with a dog, I never know if what I'm doing is ok.

Those big Cavalier eyes are hard to resist and I'm a complete pushover. I am being more careful about feeding her people food in between meals. If she hasn't eaten her dog food, I don't give her anything at all (except water of course) until the next meal. I've been leaving the food down for about a half hour then removing it. If she eats all of her food, I give her a few peas or a couple baby carrots as a treat. I've also reduced the amount of food I give her at each meal. I was giving her about 3/4 cup per meal but I've cut that down to 1/2 cup. I've been giving her dry food in the AM and mix in a little canned in the PM. She has actually been eating all her food at each meal for the last couple days. When this bag of food is nearing completion I'm going to phase in an adult food. She's on Kirkland Supreme for Puppies and I'm going to try switching her to Natural Balance or California Natural.
 
Thanks for all the input! It is very helpful seeing how other people feed their dogs. Never having grown up with a dog, I never know if what I'm doing is ok.

Those big Cavalier eyes are hard to resist and I'm a complete pushover. I am being more careful about feeding her people food in between meals. If she hasn't eaten her dog food, I don't give her anything at all (except water of course) until the next meal. I've been leaving the food down for about a half hour then removing it. If she eats all of her food, I give her a few peas or a couple baby carrots as a treat. I've also reduced the amount of food I give her at each meal. I was giving her about 3/4 cup per meal but I've cut that down to 1/2 cup. I've been giving her dry food in the AM and mix in a little canned in the PM. She has actually been eating all her food at each meal for the last couple days. When this bag of food is nearing completion I'm going to phase in an adult food. She's on Kirkland Supreme for Puppies and I'm going to try switching her to Natural Balance or California Natural.

I agree with you..Kirkland (Costco) food is not very good. My ex-intern's German Shepherd was a victim of the food recall. The dog past away due to kidney failure. The poor girl cried at work all day! I know you will do perfect as you are putting so much thoughts into your baby ~:rah:
 
Actually I think Kirkland had a pretty good rating from quite a few places? -- the recalls really affected a wide range of good quality foods so 'quality' is relative in that sense; a lot had to do with geography and where certain places bought in ingredients from or problems with manufacturing but very good manufacturers were hit by the recalls, as the FDA list shows all too clearly. I understand Kirkland is made for Costco by one of the good manufacturers.

Oddly enough the issue of lifting food after 15 minutes has never arisen, I'd be hard pushed to find any after 15 seconds

Ditto!! :lol: I don;t think food is in the bowl longer than 30 seconds, 1 minute at a stretch.
 
Back
Top