How many times a day do you feed?

[blueaddiction]

My baby is 6 1/2 months old. She has been eating 3 times a day. The vet has suggested to feed her 2 times a day. Just curious as to how many times a day everybody else eats and when/if you switched to fewer feedings, how you did it-like all of a sudden or over several days. I'm sure she still needs to eat around the same amount. Just don't want to upset her belly.

 

[babyjoemurphy]

When we adopted Linc at 51/2 mos he was eating 3 times a day. I stopped it right away. Also my vet at the time who was very knoledgable on mastiffs suggested to stop the 3rd meal. There was no transition for it. He gets fed at 730 am and 630 pm now. He never missed the lunch meal.
My daughter also adopted a shilo shep at 3 mos and at 5 mos cut out the lunch. Her pup never missed the lunch as well.
And absolutely split what amount is given at lunch into the other 2 meals.

I would think if your pup is having a hard time missing that 3rd meal maybe lessen it over a short period of time. My advice is what I experienced and it was easy peesy

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[blueaddiction]

Thanks!! Did adding the extra food to breakfast and dinner cause any belly issues?

 

[Hector]

When my pup hit 6 months, I fed 2x a day. When he hit 1 yr, I feed 1x a day.

 

[angelbears]

I would feed at least twice a day because of bloat.

 

[Smokeycat]

I fed 3x a day until Kryten was a year old and then again when he was 16 months old (he needed meds 3x a day with food). Part of that reason was how much food he was eating up to 8 cups a day and I didn't want to feed too much at one time. He now eats 2x a day.

 

[tlov]

My EM is almost 6 months. We feed twice a day and haven't had any problems.

 

[Hector]

I guess I add that I never fed anywhere close to 6-8 cups of kibble a day. I only feed 2 - 3 cups max, but my dog is a smaller build than most where 120 lbs is an ideal weight for him.

 

[DennasMom]

We cut out lunch about the same age (6 mo)... but then we went to raw about that same time, too, and that's always just been 2x a day (still is). Denna does watch me eat lunch, and normally gets some sort of snack, anyway, so the full lunch meal never was missed.

 

[cj-sharpy]

Twice a day here. Breakfast at 0630 and dinner at 1730. And of course a little snack or treat just before bed time.

 

[chez]

Calamity has one main meal a day, in the evening after we've eaten. She'll usually have a little breakfast, too, but not that much.

We switched down to one-and-a-bit because that's what she naturally wanted. I was making two full meals a day and the evening meal just wasn't getting eaten.

I read somewhere that it's good for dogs to have a fewer number of larger meals as the stomach needs to expand properly for the glands in there to activated.

 

[blueaddiction]

My older dogs eat 2 twice a day (7am and 5:30pm). Going to give it a go today and see how Gracie does! She has been eating at 7am, 2pm and 9pm.

 

[xcrazydx]

Calamity has one main meal a day, in the evening after we've eaten. She'll usually have a little breakfast, too, but not that much.

We switched down to one-and-a-bit because that's what she naturally wanted. I was making two full meals a day and the evening meal just wasn't getting eaten.

I read somewhere that it's good for dogs to have a fewer number of larger meals as the stomach needs to expand properly for the glands in there to activated.

That's terrible

 

[scorning]

I fed 3x a day until Finn was about 7 months (breakfast, lunch, dinner), then moved to 2x day. However, he started to get throw up at nights and/or early morning, so we moved back to 3x day (breakfast, dinner, before bed). Our vet thinks he either has acid reflux or IBS, otherwise the 2 meals would be fine.

 

[7121548]

Twice a day (6 AM and 7 PM) with some snacks in between. Then I can take him out to poop before I go to work and before I go to sleep.

 

[chez]

That's terrible

It's terrible that I feed my dog? Perhaps you'd like to be a bit more specific.

 

[blueaddiction]

I fed 3x a day until Finn was about 7 months (breakfast, lunch, dinner), then moved to 2x day. However, he started to get throw up at nights and/or early morning, so we moved back to 3x day (breakfast, dinner, before bed). Our vet thinks he either has acid reflux or IBS, otherwise the 2 meals would be fine.

My pitt/boxer had issues with throwing up at night and early in the morning. She was taking antacid and getting a snack before bed. We ended up having to change her food. Now she eats Purina HA ($116 for a 30 pound bag). Luckily she only eats 2 1/2 cups a day!

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I let mine decide when they were ready for 2 meals a day. Ruger (EM) stopped eating lunch at about 6 months and after a couple weeks of still trying to give it to him, I cut it out and up the evening meal to cover his normal amount and he has been on two meals ever since. Magnum (Great Dane) didn't stop eating 3X a day until a couple months ago and he turned two years old in May. I still take a cup or two of kibble to work with me everyday and he will let me know if he wants it but mostly he has started skipping that meal (it's never been a full meal, a cup or two but he really wanted it). I'm with AB, at least two meals a day. I've never been keen on the one meal a day plan.


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[xcrazydx]

Yup, one meal a day is terrible.

 

[Hector]

Yup, one meal a day is terrible.

Not sure why?