Feeding 2 or 3 times a day ? when to switch

[Mackenziejw]

Hi again! Just was hoping for some insight on when it’s appropriate to switch our dobe from 3 meals to 2. He’s going to be 7 months this Sunday and he’s on 3 meals a day. We feed him an all raw diet (just started this a week ago. Previously eating 6 cups of kibble a day. He is super active outside and goes to the gym with my boyfriend a lot and is always running. We also feed with supplements (probiotics, fish oil, sardines etc). He eats 3 lbs a day at the moment (was sick and lost some weight recently. Will scale back appropriately once his weight balances out. Currently 62lbs and happy and healthy). Just wondering when it’s appropriate to go from a 3 meal diet a day to 2? He is super eager / hungry to eat at every meal. Running in circles and offering up all the behaviours in his trick book until I put his bowl down! I’ve attached some photos of his current physique. Thanks I’m advance for any tips and advice

 

[JanS]

He looks in great condition!

They all vary when it comes to dropping them to 2 meals but with our previous boy Albert, it was close to a year when he stopped eating the middle meal with gusto. Our girls have been about 6 months. That said, I don't feed raw so that might be different.

Our current boy is 6 months and he's already at 2 meals/day.

 

[Mackenziejw]

Ok awesome ! What’re the stipulations around making the switch though. Like what am I looking for in order to initiate that change ?

 

[Ravenbird]

He's looking really good. I like them on the slim side when growing. That said, I'd keep him on 3x day until he puts back his lost weight from the illness, otherwise with his continued growth at this age he'll have a hard time catching up.

If you are training hard, he's burning a lot of calories plus growing right now, so if you are using food for training use his meals - way more nutritious and balanced than treats. My dog is over 3 years old, but I still use lots of food in obedience and tracking and I use her ration, not treats. So when you train constantly, there doesn't seem to be a "break" from the noon meal, just here & there in training.

 

[Ddski5]

My two never lost the desire to eat the noon time meal…

My wife works from home and she really wanted to keep feeding them lunch. She feels it keeps the connection between them stronger and personal.

Who am I to argue??
My two 2 & 5 y/o still eat three small meals a day.

There are some thoughts that 3 meals a day can be beneficial- it decreases the chance of bloat, better nutrient absorption, easier on GI tract…etc.

A con is that they appear to always be hungry but my two are goats. They eat everything.

 

[Mackenziejw]

Yeah my boyfriend and I don’t really care to reduce it to 2 meals we just thought it was something we had to do! I would prefer to give him 3 and like you said, spread the food out and in then reduce chance of bloat

 

[strykerdobe]

We also feed Raw. At 1yr is when we switched from 3 to 2 meals a day. I would still continue with 3x's a day when he gets back to his weight.
As for Bloat we always followed not a lot of water before/during heavy exercising and running. Feeding 1hr after these activities. Then waiting 2hrs after feeding for those activities.

At 7mo old I would still be cautious on his activity of lots of running on hard surfaces for long periods of time. Due to his Bone Growth Plates especially in his long Bones have not closed yet. They close around 14-16mo.

You mentioned he was sick and lost some weight. What was wrong with him?

 

[Mackenziejw]

Thanks for the info! So I can better understand the photo you attached and what you’re saying about the bone growth, how much should he be exercising daily then at this age. And what Risks are involved when running + bone plate growth. Also in terms of him being sick we are not really sure. He was eating the same diet for a few months and then it started with a bout of Giardia in January and then we had normal stool for a couple weeks, then he had explosive diarrhea like going every 15 mins and couldn’t hold it in just liquid at all times. That was remedied with metronidazole. Then a couple weeks goes by and the diarrhea is back. Another dosage of metronidazole and special GI food from the vet (cut out all treats and food toppers) and we got him back up and running. All parasite tests came back negative, there had been absolutely no change in his diet so we are not sure what happened. We switched his kibble to something beef based instead of chicken and started feeding probiotics daily and he recovered. He’s since been switched to his raw diet and is doing better than ever. My poor guy though we couldn’t figure it out

 

[Ravenbird]

how much should he be exercising daily then at this age. And what Risks are involved when running + bone plate growth.

I think most of us here agree that forced exercise is what needs to be limited in growing pups and some of the things I read like limiting to 5 minutes 3 x day or something like that is crazy-making. If you have a large yard and he wants to run and zoom I'd not cap that. If you are on a bicycle taking him for 3 mile pavement runs, that's what I call forced exercise as he can't self regulate his speed or distance. Any forced exercise should be done with caution until they are completely mature. If you have any place that you can take short slow hikes while he runs circles around you off leash, that's ideal. He gets lots of exercise, can walk, stop & sniff, run like crazy, stop & plop down...he will know what is too much. On leash walks on pavement/dirt path are slow enough that even long walks should be harmless.

Your puppies GI problems sound terrible - glad he's doing so much better now! Did you see this recent thread with a surprise twist on finding the reason?

Freyja with bloody diarrhea x 8days

 

[Ddski5]

Any cats nearby?

Do you watch him 24/7? Is there any time you don’t have eyes on him?

How do you think he got the giardia?

 

[Mackenziejw]

No cats! We watch him 24/7 but obviously t there’s always a chance of them getting into something. Giardia is a very difficult one to avoid. They lead with their nose and mouth usually follows. Vet says it could have been from anything. We live in downtown Toronto Canada so it’s a big and unfortunately dirty city with lots of dogs so we do our best.

 

[Mackenziejw]

I think most of us here agree that forced exercise is what needs to be limited in growing pups and some of the things I read like limiting to 5 minutes 3 x day or something like that is crazy-making. If you have a large yard and he wants to run and zoom I'd not cap that. If you are on a bicycle taking him for 3 mile pavement runs, that's what I call forced exercise as he can't self regulate his speed or distance. Any forced exercise should be done with caution until they are completely mature. If you have any place that you can take short slow hikes while he runs circles around you off leash, that's ideal. He gets lots of exercise, can walk, stop & sniff, run like crazy, stop & plop down...he will know what is too much. On leash walks on pavement/dirt path are slow enough that even long walks should be harmless.

Your puppies GI problems sound terrible - glad he's doing so much better now! Did you see this recent thread with a surprise twist on finding the reason?

Freyja with bloody diarrhea x 8days

Yeah ok perfect. We don’t force onyx to do anything he doesn’t want to. I can tell when he’s hyper and has to get his energy out. His day stats with breakfast followed by a nice walk or indoor games (if it’s raining or super cold) with prey drive toys, followed by a nap. After that we take him on a walk to the park to play with his ball and run as he much as he Wants. Lunch then nap. He usually spends the evening with my boyfriend at the gym where he gets to run around and play and sleep on his bed when he’s tired. He comes home, has dinner on his final walk and then goes to sleep! We don’t make him do any exercise he doesn’t want to. Free running / playing with the ball and then mental exercise as well everyday!

 

[strykerdobe]

Thanks for the info! So I can better understand the photo you attached and what you’re saying about the bone growth, how much should he be exercising daily then at this age. And what Risks are involved when running + bone plate growth. Also in terms of him being sick we are not really sure. He was eating the same diet for a few months and then it started with a bout of Giardia in January and then we had normal stool for a couple weeks, then he had explosive diarrhea like going every 15 mins and couldn’t hold it in just liquid at all times. That was remedied with metronidazole. Then a couple weeks goes by and the diarrhea is back. Another dosage of metronidazole and special GI food from the vet (cut out all treats and food toppers) and we got him back up and running. All parasite tests came back negative, there had been absolutely no change in his diet so we are not sure what happened. We switched his kibble to something beef based instead of chicken and started feeding probiotics daily and he recovered. He’s since been switched to his raw diet and is doing better than ever. My poor guy though we couldn’t figure it out

Over doing it might cause joint issues. The leg long bones are very important.

Also, this is another good reason never to Spay/Neuter (which can lead to joint issues) a young pup until Growth Plates close. A lot of Dobe (Large Breed dogs) owners shouldn't Spay/Neuter until 2yrs old. Or not at all or look into alternatives like a Female Modified Spay/Male Vasectomy. This way they get to keep their hormones. These are very important hormones for Bone and Muscle development and growth and other Glands.

This is an x-ray of a very young puppy. Their bones are softer at the ends. This is why they can't be seen as good. Once the Bone Plates close you will see the whole length of the bone.

As far as the Giardia and the Antibiotics they both can screw up the Gut Microbiome. Because the antibiotics also kill good gut bacteria. Its good you're giving the probiotics and I would continue with them. It could take months to get the Gut back to normal.
To help the Gut you can give Bone Broth and Raw Goats Milk. Broth can help repair the Gut and the Raw Goats Milk has lots of good bacteria in it.
We give Answers Pet Food Raw Goats Milk and Primal Bone Broth. Primal has different Proteins of Broth.
Important thing to remember that up to 80% of the Immune System is located in the Gut.

Keep us posted!

 

[strykerdobe]

@Mackenziejw

Some good info on Spay/Neuter
Having no sex hormones the Adrenal glands will have to work overtime.
Good article to read.

Give Your Dog What He Needs to Restore Healthy Hormonal Balance​

Canine Hormone Support for Spayed or Neutered Dogs

Use Canine Hormone Support to help counter the hormonal effects of spaying and neutering and to give your dog the gift of balance.

products.mercolamarket.com

 

[Mackenziejw]

Yeah so he’s totally back to normal now. It’s been about a month since this all happened but he’s back on track and doing better than ever. We give him goat milk kefir with his breakfast everyday! We also continue to give the probiotics and have a gut soothe product on hand that has helped in the past