Originally posted by Tonya
How often and how much do you all feed your larger breeds? I used to feed them 2 cups twice a day (Costco lamb and rice). They got fat. Now I am feeding them 3 cups just in the evenings. Alot of people I know feed their dogs once a day, but I feel cruel. What do you all think?
A really good reason to feed your dogs more than once a day is to prevent bloat in large and deep chested dogs. It's better to feed them two smaller meals than one large one. Single, large meals have been proven to promote the "toursing" (I have no idea how to spell that) of the stomach and preventing anything from digesting. The dog then bloats and it's a life and death situation. I used to work in a vet clinic that specialized in Great Danes and we saw this a lot. Mortality was about 50% and a dog that bloats is likely to again. As to wether elevated feeding stations promote or discourage bloat is a hot topic. Personally, I use elevated feeding stations, feed two smaller meals. My 100 pounder eats about 1 3/4 cups twice a day.