# How much food is too much?



## Brando999 (Apr 14, 2009)

My pitbull (Brando) is 6.5 months old and weighs 50-55lbs and has always been a big eater. Out of a litter of 10 he was the biggest and he ate the most.

He's on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic HP food formula for allergies - but my question is - how much food is too much? The only food he gets is this Royal Canin - so no other treats or table scraps or anything of the sort.

The bag says he should eat about 3-3.5 cups of food per day...this is usually just his breakfast. He probably has 6-8 cups of food each day. As for how active he is - from Mon-Fri he doesn't do much as I work 9-5. But I usually take him on a 20-80 min walk each night...and he's very active on weekends when I'm home.

But sometimes he can have 6 cups of food for the day and just the mention of the word "food" has him running to his bowl excited for more.

Here are some pictures - he doesn't have any fat on him. Can anyone properly answer this question that I have.

Thanks in advance


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## thaim (Feb 6, 2009)

wow he's a big boy at 6.5 months. he's a fatty. hes gonna be a stocky one. you can always lose the wieght at adulthood. he will defenitly be BIG. if you think he has no fat on him. you should see my boy. hes more ripped then muhamad ali. your boy is pretty fat for a 6.5 month puppy haha. if you REALLY wanna see a dog that has no fat you should check out elvisfinks dogs or somethin like that. the reason for him eating so much could aslo be because of the food you feed them. the higher the quality food they eat, the less they are likely to eat. i feed my boy Taste of the Wild. its a great food. he eats less, poos less, his coat is super shiny, he sheds less. its a great overall feed


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## Brando999 (Apr 14, 2009)

elvisfinks dog looks considerably older than mine - tough to compare the two, no?

plus the food i have him on is formulated for dogs with allergies and is vet prescribed...i've tried to have him on other foods and he itches like crazy. is royal canin not considered a good quality food? it's only available at the vets...i figured it would be more than adequate. and when i say he has not fat - i guess he has some...but he's pretty solid.

but you didn't really answer my question - no one seems to know the answer to it. the package that the food says tells you 3-3.5 cups daily but says it will vary considerably for each dog...which tells me nothing.

For a 50-55 lbs pit at 6 months - how many cups of food is adequate per day?


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

First off he is a good looking boy. IS he an am bully? sorta looks like one. 

Any ways I need to know how much does he poop? If he is going more than twice a day he is eating too much. 

I was just talking to my vet last week when I switched DaVinci to Taste of the Wild food. It said on the bag to feed him 3-3.5 cups a day. My boy has never ate that much. Randy ( my vet) said that one lady has two Irish wolf hounds one dog eats 6 cups a day the other eats 12 cups both weigh the same amount. One is vary active and the other more laid backed.


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## koonce272 (Sep 16, 2008)

good looken dog ya got yourself, but he is def over weight. You should be able to atleast see the last rib on him. He looks like could easily loose 5-7lbs. Pls dont take this the wrong way, i am by no means putting your dog down.

Dogs will eat all the time if given the chance, its just some of their nature. You could feed him 12 cups a day and he'd still want more, its just the way some are.

Now, back to how much food to feed. I think 1.5 cups in the morning and the same at nite is more than enough for your boy.

Your dogs weight is about the same as my dog was at that age, but i also prefer a lean dog so even tho our dogs weigh the same at the same age their build is far different.

I feed TOTW and DONT feed over 2 cups a day. He gets one in the am and one in the pm and I have been doing this since meh 3mnths of age. My dogs activity level is also very high, i work him everyday.

hopes this helps ya out a bit, DONT follow the bag. My lab gets 3 cups a day and if i was to go by the bag and his weight he should be eating 6 cups, lol my dogs would be fat turds if i followed the bag


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## Brando999 (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks for the compliments on the pup guys - and thanks for the advice.

I figured I might be feeding him too much and that he might be a bit overweight - especially since he has at least 5-10lbs on all of his siblings...

But he probably goes poop 3 times per day on average - sometimes 4....so if this is the indication for feeding your dog too much - than I think I'll scale back his proportions and get him some more exercise. Maybe 2 cups in the AM and 2 in the PM to start and then down to 1.5 in the AM to 1.5 in the PM.

Thanks again.


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## Hirihat (May 5, 2009)

He's a pretty boy! I am one of the few on here who prefers their dogs not quite as lean (I don't like to SEE the ribs but they should be easily felt when you run your hands down his sides, if you cannot easily feel the ribs, your dog is overweight according to every vet thing I have ever read). Leanness also is a bit different in dogs that are worked vs dogs that are just pets, in my experience. Anyways, my dogs are pretty big and we work with 4.5 to 5 cups a day. We also feed in small increments throughout the day rather than 2 meals (which most owners don't do or recommend but the free feeding works well in my household). My dogs are a little older than yours but they have been on this feeding for a while now.


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## pimpidypimp (Dec 30, 2008)

Pups should carry around more fat than an adult. You are feeding way to much tho , your dog is really fat! (no offense) Here's one of my dog's when he was around 8 month's old,







I feed once a day and supplement a lot of Raw into there diet, which is the best and most natural way to feed, If you feed a raw diet, or mostly raw you'll prolly eliminate those allergy's your dog has, he'll look leaner, will be a lot healthier, and more energetic!


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## koonce272 (Sep 16, 2008)

To me 3-4 poops is to much. Papo poops 2 times a day, always after being fed. On occasion he'll poop a 3rd time, but not often. Usually if we have been hiking all day or somthen like that


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Brando999 said:


> Thanks for the compliments on the pup guys - and thanks for the advice.
> 
> I figured I might be feeding him too much and that he might be a bit overweight - especially since he has at least 5-10lbs on all of his siblings...
> 
> ...


At 6 months, he is still a puppy. Hirihat had a good point about the difference between a lean house dog and a lean working dog. You really can't expect him to look ripped unless he is worked a lot. High quality food is good, but burning off that energy is key.

Royal Canin is a good feed, however, the better foods will require your dog to eat less. The less by products your dog consumes, the less he will have to eliminate. If you go with a grain free formula such as Taste of The Wild or Orijen, you might be able to eliminate some of those allergies. Some foods recommended by vets are pretty decent (Like in your case you got lucky)while most of the foods in vet office shelves are a way to market their product. It's normally CRAP. (science diet, etc)

As far as the feeding frequency, and I know some people may disagree with me... I would maybe step it up to 3 times a day. This way when you do decrease the amount of food in each serving, your pup won't have to "starve" in between meals. Make sure to decrease the quantity according to the number of meals per day. I had Chino on 4 times a day until a couple of weeks ago. Half a cup is what he would eat, if that. He now eats about half a cup three times a day, but he is more active now then he was when he was really young.

Some good exercise methods include longer walks, flirt pole, spring pole, agility, flyball, etc. One thing you could do is get him a backpack that you can put on him during his walks. It adds a small amount of weight, and that will help with burning off some of that extra energy. Normally you don't want to start him off long distances on it, just wearing it around the house until it doesn't much slow him down. When he reaches that point you can increase the weight maybe by putting a couple of water bottles in there, which he can have later on . Flirt poles and spring poles are wonderful activities which help work on the animals drive. The point of the game is to increase agility, drive, stamina, and confidence. The flirt pole works like a giant cat toy. You can tease them with it to work out their muscles and then let them get the toy and praise them. Make sure to let them win every so often, because not only does it build confidence, but it makes them look forward to the next time.

IMO you have yourself a great looking dog. If you're a first time owner, it's not big deal. We all do little things here and there that we look back on and chuckle about. Once your start working more with your dog (and im not saying this because its the case) but you will find your dog more attentive and pleasant. A balance of obedience, exercise and play and plenty of water makes for a very happy puppy! Good luck with Brando, he's gonna be a stud when he sheds a couple of pounds


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## Jenna23 (Jun 1, 2009)

StaffyDaddy said:


> Royal Canin is a good feed, however, the better foods will require your dog to eat less. The less by products your dog consumes, the less he will have to eliminate. If you go with a grain free formula such as Taste of The Wild or Orijen, you might be able to eliminate some of those allergies. Some foods recommended by vets are pretty decent (Like in your case you got lucky)while most of the foods in vet office shelves are a way to market their product. It's normally CRAP. (science diet, etc)


:goodpost: However, origin is 70% protein and if you are not working your dog ie pulling there isn't a need to feed them that much protein (Thanks performanceknls lol). Kaiser had the same allergies so I went grain free and noticed a great improvement I also add California Natural Skin & Coat supplement and it works wonders. I switched from Origin to NOW b/c Kaiser isn't a working dog. Yes we exercise a great deal but walking/playing isn't the same as working. NOW is i believe around 40% and is also grain free. In a month Kaiser shed around 6 pounds (he had a lot of house fat lol, now he only has one roll lmao) and only does his duty 2 times a day after he eats and a 3rd time when we walk (it loosens their bowels.)


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Jenna23 said:


> :goodpost: However, origin is 70% protein and if you are not working your dog ie pulling there isn't a need to feed them that much protein (Thanks performanceknls lol). Kaiser had the same allergies so I went grain free and noticed a great improvement I also add California Natural Skin & Coat supplement and it works wonders. I switched from Origin to NOW b/c Kaiser isn't a working dog. Yes we exercise a great deal but walking/playing isn't the same as working. NOW is i believe around 40% and is also grain free. In a month Kaiser shed around 6 pounds (he had a lot of house fat lol, now he only has one roll lmao) and only does his duty 2 times a day after he eats and a 3rd time when we walk (it loosens their bowels.)


Guaranteed Analysis %:
Protein 42 
Carbohydrate 18 
Fat 16 
Moisture 10 
Fiber 3 
Omega-6 2 
Calcium (min.) 1.6 
Phosphorus (min.) 1.2 
Omega-3 0.7

The relatively short gastrointestinal system of dogs lacks the enzymes needed to efficiently digest carbohydrates and is instead evolved to metabolize a diet high in protein and fat. High protein and low carbohydrate, the nutritional analysis of ORIJEN ADULT replicates the diet Mother Nature originally intended for adult dogs.

With total calories moderated to match the lifestyle of today's adult dog, Orijen's Adult Formula Dry Dog Food high protein and reduced carbohydrate formula naturally controls body weight by providing calories in a biologically appropriate form (fewer calories from carbohydrate, more calories from protein

Here's where I disagree. I prefer Orijen over some of the other grain free foods because of the better ingredients. It's probably the highest ranked food if you do the Dog Food Comparison chart. You don't need to have a working dog to have a food like this. Sure, a working dog is going to NEED more protein and higher calorie consumption... However, thanks to the wonderful method of moderation, we can alter the amount of food fed to the dog according to his activity level. Just think.. If it has more and more protein in it, that means the dog will have to consume even less of it to get the vital nutrients. The only thing that I might suggest since it has such a high protein percentage is adding some yogurt for probiotics (But only if your dog gets excess gas from the extra protein).

Jenna, I'm not saying by any means that Orijen is the only way to go, because other foods work wonderfully. Raw also works. All I wanted to point out is that the fact that it is very high in protein shouldn't steer someone away from it. I know it's a little costly, but so is that hypoallergenic royal canin. If he fed his dog ONE THIRD of what he's feeding him now, I believe he'd be just fine. Where there's quality, less is needed. Agreed?


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## Jenna23 (Jun 1, 2009)

StaffyDaddy said:


> Jenna, I'm not saying by any means that Orijen is the only way to go, because other foods work wonderfully. Raw also works. All I wanted to point out is that the fact that it is very high in protein shouldn't steer someone away from it. I know it's a little costly, but so is that hypoallergenic royal canin. If he fed his dog ONE THIRD of what he's feeding him now, I believe he'd be just fine. Where there's quality, less is needed. Agreed?


:goodpost:
I don't disagree, I think origin is a great food, and it is a little more costly and NOW is more expensive than origin, but quality ingredients are key. I always think about myself, I eat quality, organic, why would I not do the same for my dog? It's like a person who eats McD's everyday and wonders why they are not healthy. MY only point was that a higher protein isn't always necessary for a house dog. Kaiser had no problems with it, but since he's 5 y/o and not 6 mos I don't think the higher protein is necessary for him. I think that the higher protein content for a younger dog would work well, IF they are being exercised enough to metabolize it, and IMO a 20 min walk isn't enough exercise to begin with.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Jenna23 said:


> :goodpost:
> I don't disagree, I think origin is a great food, and it is a little more costly and NOW is more expensive than origin, but quality ingredients are key. I always think about myself, I eat quality, organic, why would I not do the same for my dog? It's like a person who eats McD's everyday and wonders why they are not healthy. MY only point was that a higher protein isn't always necessary for a house dog. Kaiser had no problems with it, but since he's 5 y/o and not 6 mos I don't think the higher protein is necessary for him. I think that the higher protein content for a younger dog would work well, IF they are being exercised enough to metabolize it, and IMO a 20 min walk isn't enough exercise to begin with.


right. 20 minutes of walking is just shaking the sleep out of a pitbulls eyes lol.

IMO opinion, a good exercise schedule consists of two short walks, perhaps a longer walk (which helps trim nails) and vigorous activity for at least 45 minutes.

You know how a dog will pant when he's hot and thirsty? You know your pup is tired when two bowls of water later he is still panting. I'm not talking about heat exhaustion or anything, but just overall being exhausted. A tired puppy is a happy puppy lol


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## Brando999 (Apr 14, 2009)

For sure I agree - 20 min is not good enough...especially if it is just a walk.

I said 20-80 min because the odd day out of the odd week (maybe 2-3 times per month) - I *run* him on the treadmill for 15-20 min instead of taking him for a walk outdoors. Living in Canada - and with the weather - the treadmill comes in handy...but I don't want him on there for too long as he usually gets a little bored around the 15-20 min mark. But he's definitely panting at that point and usually takes a nice nap afterwards.

The other 90% of the time - he's on 45-80 min walks/runs and this is almost daily. On the weekends it isn't abnormal for me to take him on two walks each day for a total of 2+ hours.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Brando999 said:


> For sure I agree - 20 min is not good enough...especially if it is just a walk.
> 
> I said 20-80 min because the odd day out of the odd week (maybe 2-3 times per month) - I *run* him on the treadmill for 15-20 min instead of taking him for a walk outdoors. Living in Canada - and with the weather - the treadmill comes in handy...but I don't want him on there for too long as he usually gets a little bored around the 15-20 min mark. But he's definitely panting at that point and usually takes a nice nap afterwards.
> 
> The other 90% of the time - he's on 45-80 min walks/runs and this is almost daily. On the weekends it isn't abnormal for me to take him on two walks each day for a total of 2+ hours.


thats good bro. Just add some vigorous activities, like the poles or flyball and you'll help burn the excess fat. it's easy to let a dog gain a pound or two, because it's not as noticeable, but one pound of fat on a dog on average is equivalent to 10 lbs of fat on a human.

It seems like you are on the right track about running/walking with Brando. If you do cut back on his food and keep up the exercise, you'll start seeing a difference sooner than later. I'm sure you'll be fine. It's good that you brought it up with people on GP. I know I'd be clueless about some stuff if it werent for everyone being so helpful!


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