# Amount to feed grown dog



## hosta (Jan 18, 2013)

Hello. I'm new to the forum and a new Vizsla owner. We adopted a 5 year old male Vizsla from the Humane Society. He had been relinquished twice in the past. The first time was 4/2011 and at that time he weighed 99 lbs (45 kg). He was relinquished again 11/2012 and at that time weighted 43 lbs (19.5 kg). We've had him since late Dec.

He's currently at a healthy weight, 62 lbs (28.2 kg). We're feeding him dry dog food based on the suggested amount for his weight listed on the bag, dividing food twice a day. Plus he gets occasional treats, some scraps, and we fill a kong daily w/ some peanut butter and dog biscuits. He always acts hungry -- he will eat as much as we give him. Knowing that he was very overweight in the past, he clearly is "greedy" so we can't rely on how much he wants to eat. So far in just looking at him his weight seems stable, and I plan on weighing him at the vet monthly to make sure he's staying healthy.

We're walking him twice daily, trips a few times a week to a dog park, and playing fetch indoors. (Our yard is not yet fenced, though will be soon.)

However, I didn't know what other people's experiences were. In general is the recommended amount on your dog food bag accurate for Vizslas? Or do Vizslas usually need more than that? 

Thanks for any advice / info.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Vizslas *typically* need more than the bag suggests, however with the limited exercise you describe, bag guidelines are probably fine in your case.

Edit: When I say "limited", I mean compared to most working Vs on the forum & all the Vs who go for regular 2+ hour off-leash hikes.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

It also depends on if the dry food is normal or high protein, as a higher protein diet requires less food. The rule I've always gone by for a lean and mean V is that you should be able to clearly see the last 2-3 ribs. More ribs equals not enough food. Less ribs equals too much food. My 2 cents


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## Darcy1311 (May 27, 2012)

Darcy is 16 kilo's and so full of energy.......she has 200 grammes of Burns Active split into 3 meals per day, if she has very heavy exercise days then she gets more food....she is showing some rib's and looks in terrific condition, I have just given her a monthly Comfortis tablet to stop fleas etc and it appears to have knocked her a bit sick, so I need an alternative ....any ideas.. :-\


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

You really have to go by his looks to see is he needs more or less. We feed less than recommend on most days and more on days that they are very active we feed a little more. Do you have a picture of your boy standing?


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## hosta (Jan 18, 2013)

On this pic, his ribs are more visible than they typically are.

His spine is pretty prominent -- does that indicate he's too thin?


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

He looks perfect. Don't get too anal about what the destructions on the bag say. Feed, monitor, adjust up or down accordingly.


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

Doesn't look bad. I can't imagine seeing him over 90lbs. Glad to see he is finally with an owner who seems to care about him, and his health!

Good luck.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

Looks very healthy. His nice shiny coat is a good thing. He could probably put on some more weight, bit he doesn't need it


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## maplevizsla (Oct 26, 2012)

My Vizslas always act hungry - they get fed 2x a day, they get 1 treat at lunch (a healthy duck treat), a teeny smidgen of scraps now and again, and a kong with a licking of peanut butter and some kibbles daily in their crates. Despite being very well fed on high quality food with some extras....they still want food. ;D


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## kiki (May 28, 2012)

I have a 5 year old male V that we adopted about 7 months ago. He was a bit underweight when we got him and it took us a while to figure out the right amount of food for him. We feed him Earthborn Grain Free (Coastal Catch flavor) dry food. He gets 2 1/2 cups in the morning and the same in the evening. His weight is now stable at about 60-65 pounds. Hope that helps with your guy!


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## kiki (May 28, 2012)

PS - that's about 2x what the bag suggests. Those charts don't seem reliable.


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## kiki (May 28, 2012)

this is his picture from today.


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## hosta (Jan 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the info!


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## Jimbo15471 (Mar 27, 2012)

That looks like a shoe.... Not good for business..


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

That's the right shoe, they never chew the left...


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## kiki (May 28, 2012)

Yep - that's a shoe! Not part of his normal diet....he was just being a bit of a stinker at that moment! I let him hold on to it so I could snap the picture. All the other pictures I tried to take were a blur because he was running around!


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

I have the same problem with taking pictures, or I just can't get my camera ready in time.


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