Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

HI, wonder if I could get your adviice once again please. My two Bichon x Lhaso Apso pups, Ollie and Flynn are now 8 months and 1 week old and on 2 meals a day now. One at 8 oclock and the second at 5 oclock. They are pampered little pooches and get fed fresh cooked chicken, minced beef, tuna in spring water, or maybe the odd chopped boiled egg with either boiled rice or small bite biscuit..

They were weighed at the Vet’s three weeks ago when I collected their worming tablets. Ollie (first born) is 6.6kg and Flynn (last born) is 5.8kg, which they said was fine. My problem is that for the last two weeks, their stools have been very loose and I have a feeling I am to blame. I have never, until Monday, ever weighed their food when feeding them, They have two small tin dishes and all I have gone on is that when I had my Labbies I filled the dishes so thought half of that amount was fine. But I have a feeling that their little tummies cannot take the amount of food that I have been giving them, hence the loose stools. A nightmare to pick up during his morning walk!!

I have been looking it up online and it says that for their size, age and weight, they should be fed twice a day which I am doing, but only a total daily intake of 180 grams for an adult dog so have cut it to 160 for my two pooches, 80 grams per serving which I am diligently weighing before putting in their dishes. I allow them one treat at midday which is just a tiny calcium bone that they devour in 1 minute.

I just wondered if this feeding guide is correct. I notice that Ollie’s stool is now solid again but Flynn is still loose. The problem is that different websites offer different advice, so thought I would seek your guidance on here before giving in and phoning the Vet.
I do hope there is someone here that knows the correct amount I should be feeding them to put my mind at rest.

Thanks very much from this complete novice with small doggies.

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

Shroppy, I think the amount of food they say is only an approximate guide at best.
It is like humans. It's no good anyone saying a human needs x x x amount of food, because we are all different size, shape, age, metabalism, activity levels etc.
If you were at the vets and he weighed them and said they were fine, I wouldn't worry about it.

What does concern me more though, did you tell the vet about the loose bowels while you were there?
They might have picked up a mild tummy beg and he could have given them treatment to sort it. It might be nothing to do with their diet.
Do they scavenge when they're out? Have they eaten a dead carcass of a bird or something?
Talk to other dog owners, see if there is anything 'going round' in your local area. They can pick things up from another infected dog's wee's and poo's, it might be something in your area at the moment.

It could even be the wormer itself. Some wormers don't suit every dog.

I can't see it being their diet, because if they've always been fed the foods, it would have upset them way before now.

Now you are weighing it out, does it look very much less than they were having, or not much different?

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

I looked at Murphy a couple of weeks ago after seeing a picture of his brother and thought OMG Im starving my dog.

So I mailed the owner and asked what she was feeding her dog. the answer.. 200 grs of Royal Canine dry food per day.

Murphy has two meals a day one of dry organic food and one of fresh meat or fish. Total 400gr..

The difference between the two brothers is that Murphy is out at the woods every day and most weekends we go off to the beach or other nice run whereas his brother gets a turn round the block and a trip to the woods as and when the owners feel inclined.

My point every dog is different based on activity and breed. If your Vet thinks their weight is ok then dont worry too much weight wise but maybe their diet is a bit rich?

A call to the vet just to check cant do any harm ..I agree about advice via the net its a minefield!

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

Hi Mups and Cass, what a beauty Murphy is Cass.

Mups, It seems such a silly request asking for advice re feeding guides. For over 40 years we had Labby's and never worried about giving them too much food, their dishes were filled and they demolished it like a hoover. They had 3 hour walks every day and ran their food off. It's so different for these little one's though, they only get one walk a day and that is with me around the park on their leads (and I have to stop and sit down half way round) Lol. We have a large garden thankfully and they run around chasing each other like maniacs so they don't really lack excercise. I chose them because I thought they would be ideal company for me now I have retired, I absolutely adore them but do tend to overworry a bit with things just like this. It must be an age thing. I just need to know doing things right. No good asking any of the family as they all have Labradors, Retrievers and Spaniels.

Unfortunately all this started happening after I had been to the Vets, I don't think it possible that they picked up a bird or anything else cos as I say, they are kept on the lead in the park. I suppose they could have picked up an infection from sniffing other dogs pee, I pull them away quickly if some toe-rag has not picked up their dog poo though.
I don't think it is their diet as such cos again, they have had the same foodstuffs since small puppies and never had a problem prior to now.

It didn't mention the word "approximately" on the website that I visited. It just gave a chart for the size and weight,

If anyone on here has a small dog like my two, I would appreciate finding out how much they feed them. xx

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

Betty weighs 5lbs she has three meals a day, every time we've dropped it to two she's had a runny tummy, it's just too much food at once for her. I don't weigh she has a tiny bird dish and a teaspoon of wet food with a teaspoon of dry biscuit at each meal. That leaves her enough room for a treat before bed one small meaty chew and a garlic and cheese biscuit.

Because Betty has three meals Elsie does too, vet says that's fine as they are both spot on right weight for their size.

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

Now I think of it Julie, when they were on three meals a day I didn't have any problems with their toilet. Makes you wonder if dropping to two meals could be the cause. They are both little gannets though and I would have to harden myself to the pleading look in their eyes as if to say, is that it? is that all I am getting? LOL.

Re: Yet More of Your Valuable Advice Please.

Ah yes, I well remember our lovely Lab even 'tho it's 40 years ago that's my ever lasting memory of her

Our two dogs now are exactly the opposite, not small in any way, so sorry can't advise on quantities.

What I would just add is that our Casey did have the same 'pooh' problems and our vet advised cutting out the wet food (i.e. tinned food or anything in liquid / gravy) and there has been a big improvement so we keep to the 'dry' food now. (Although they still get cooked turkey meat)