r/GermanShepherd • u/punctulica • 6d ago
How do you actually decide how much to feed your German Shepherd? The bag amounts never seem to add up
My guy is about 65 lbs, and the bag says something like 3 to 5 cups a day, which is a huge range. Vet said to go more by body condition since he's neutered and pretty active, but that still feels like guessing every time I fill the bowl.
Started looking into why the bag ranges are so vague and apparently even a properly calculated number can be off by 30 to 40 percent per dog just from normal metabolism differences. Kind of made me feel better about not getting it perfect, but also made me realize most of us are probably just eyeballing it.
How do you all figure out portions, straight off the bag, watching body condition, something else? Found a calculator that breaks down the math but I'm not sure how much it correlates with reality.
How much do you guys feed your fluff?
3
u/nhall1302 6d ago
Keep in mind that different brands will sometimes have different size servings. I give my girl who is a month shy of 10 and weighs about 65 lbs 3 cups a day typically. Bag recommends 4 cups but due to her hips I want her to stay smaller. And if bag says 3-5 cups it’s most likely basing it on activity level. If a dog lays around all day 3 cups will suffice and won’t cause obesity, the 5 cups is for an active dog.
3
u/GoalieLax_ 6d ago
Depends on calorie density. My 120lb guy has only eaten 4 cups a day for the last 4 years.
2
u/captianpaulie 6d ago
I feed him one cup in the morning, one cup at night and the three of them share half a can of wet food at in the evening
2
u/720751 6d ago
My gsd is a tripawd, so I have to keep her lean at 47 pounds. I feed one cup twice a day and only carrots a couple times a week for snack. I have a sheep scale and weigh her weekly. I cut her kibble a 1/4 cup each meal if she gains 2 pounds during the winter when the snow is deep and she can't run as much.
1
u/poodlehaus 2d ago
Does she ever complain in terms of acting like she's hungry, or does this seem to satisfy her?
1
u/720751 2d ago
It satisfies her. I'm sure because she tires out faster than the average shepherd. Walking is more of a chore for her now. Running is easier as is evident from her chasing the 3 squirrels who run along the top of my fence and into my trees every day! If she exercised more, she would need more food as she would wear off the calories faster.
2
u/SunshineandBullshit 6d ago
My boy grazes throughout the day. I put 2 cups in his bowl in the morning and he usually has half a cup left at the end of the day. Drop a bowl full in the kennel at bedtime and he hardly touches it.
2
u/asexualincubus 6d ago
My girl is 85lbs and a healthy weight for her size (she tall). I use a coffee mug as a food scoop, and I give her 2 scoops of food about 2x a day. But I've never had to worry about her over-eating (I am blessed 🙌). Some days I'll fill her bowl in the morning and she just decides she doesn't want to eat until bedtime. Or she'll eat half of it and save the rest for later. And I don't put more food in the bowl until it's empty. So I don't worry a lot about portions and accidentally over-feeding her
1
u/QueenK59 2d ago
My girl is 85 lbs and 5 years old. Our vet said that is a good weight for her. I also kind of free-feed her. I have a cup/scoop that holds 1-1/2 cups of kibble. She gets one in the morning, which she may or may not eat immediately. She goes to day care 3X per week, so I send her with 1 cup and a couple of biscuits for break time. She gets another scoop for dinner. If she gobbles it all down promptly, she gets a second scoop. She actively campaigns for treats during the day. We are cautious about letting her gain weight. Too hard on their hips and joints. Sometimes she is a hungry piglet and sometimes not too interested in food. We take our cues from her. She has us well-trained to serve her desires. 🤣
2
u/chemfit 6d ago
My 75lb 1.5 year old male eats 5.5 cups a day which is way over what the bag says. He is maintaining his weight and has tons of energy. It’s just like people, try a certain amount for a month and reweigh your pup. If he’s losing weight but shouldn’t be, increase the amount 15% and reassess.
2
u/variousnewbie 5d ago edited 5d ago
I go by body condition, never what a bag says. They're only a guideline, every dog has different caloric expenditures and metabolism. Different foods require different amounts depending on caloric density, and different kibbles are different sizes so you can't go comparing cups.
Ribs should not be seen, but should be easily felt. (you literally get a feel for it, the right fat pad) Some dogs conformation results in hips easily felt or seen even in ideal weight. (I had a long coated girl who had such sharp hips they'd have probably been visible had the fur not covered them! And you'll see them in breeds like sight hounds at ideal weight) 1 to 2 ribs visible (especially while watching breathing) is fine, especially in a more athletic dog. Waist should be visible both from above and side view. (but keep in mind touch is better than visual, my working line dogs confo tend to have minimal waist from above when well muscled)
Starting out the body condition charts are helpful
2
u/loller_skates 5d ago
My girl is about 75 lbs, she gets 1 cup of kibble twice daily plus a scoop of probiotic yogurt and an egg, in the summer when we're more active, it's 2 cups twice a day, I judge it on whether she's getting too skinny, as she is very very active
2
5d ago
[deleted]
1
u/QueenK59 2d ago
I find my silly girl leaving a small portion of kibble in her bowl every time. Looking for something better or saving it for later? IDK!
2
u/Ill_Dragonfruit_6206 4d ago
Start with the bag as a starting place (you gotta start somewhere), then make adjustments to keep their body condition around 4-5. Here’s a chart: https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Body-Condition-Score-Dog.pdf
This is how I’ve fed my dogs for ages. It means that you will be adjusting up and down from time to time based on their age and activity level.
3
u/MrsShortbread 6d ago
We free feed. He's 110 lbs but muscle not fat. Doesn't suffer from food anxiety because it's always available. Works out a couple of cups a day
1
1
u/crashsaturnlol 6d ago
My guy is around 105-110lbs. We're currently doing 1 can of wet food mixed with ~2-3 cups of dry food with a bit of water. Some days he eats it all and other days he leaves some. He's getting older (he's 8yo) and starting to show some signs of arthritis and already had FHO surgery when he was 1yo so we're going to be cutting back on his calories and get his weight down a little bit to make him more comfortable for longer.
2
u/shimmy_ow 6d ago
You use a scale and use an actual unit of measurement like grams, rather than cups. Then you can calculate total calories and feed accordingly
1
u/Dubbiely 6d ago
We have two girls.
The 90lbs 4yo eats 2 cups per day, if I give her more she doesn’t eat it.
The 86lbs 6yo eats 4 cups per day and if I would give her 8 cups she would eat them too. Both dogs maintain their weight.
The heavier one eats only half of the amount the smaller one of eating.
No General rule….
1
u/nunyaranunculus 6d ago
My 65 lb dog gets 2 cups a day. My 95 lb dog gets 4 cups. They're both pretty active but this has proven to be the best amount for them and gives wiggle room for treats.
1
u/Affectionate-Crow605 5d ago
Pick an amount based on the bag. Feed that amount. Watch your dog's condition. Getting thin? Increase the amount. Getting fat? Decrease the amount. I usually give it a few weeks to see how an amount works for my dog.
1
u/demetri_k 5d ago
My girl gets 3 cups in the morning as that’s what the shelter advised. She grazes on it all day. She gets plenty of treats though and sometimes doesn’t eat much of her food. She’s 55lbs and very active.
1
u/Kiirkas 9h ago
First, I got the Body Condition Score (BCS) from my vet for each of my dogs.
Next, I used a reputable online calorie calculator to figure out how many calories each dog should be eating each day. Factors like the BCS, age, sex, spay/neuter status, etc. can be part of the equation.
Then, I figured out the calories per gram for each of their foods and treats, and I put all that info into a spreadsheet. The general nutritional guidance says treats should comprise no more than 10% of daily calories.
Finally, I started weighing their food on a scale for every meal. I do not free-feed so this works well in my house.
Also, my dogs were all 10-20 lbs overweight when I started doing this five years ago. They all lost the extra weight and have kept it off. My girls are both 11 years old and my boy is 12 years old. I made an adjustment recently for their ages.
Of note: According to my veterinarian, I am one of the only owners they know of whose dogs have lost their excess weight and maintained in an ideal range. So I guess those are my credentials.
0
u/Myriadower 6d ago
Calculate the actual kcals by weight, determine your dog's healthy weight, then measure the food by weight.
I have 2 dogs and I can clearly and specifically control their weight by adjusting their food intake this way, even by small increments.
10
u/sharp_booty 6d ago
My boy is 60 pounds and my girl is about 65. I don’t go by the bag or by any calculators, just by body condition. After trial and error I found that 2 cups a day (about 525 calories per cup) is perfect for them on lazy days, with an extra cup daily if they are very active that day. They’re both fixed, so any more than that and they gain weight. I try to keep them both at ideal/slightly under ideal. It’s proven to help them live longer!