What to feed a dog with colitis?

How much of Chef-Michaels dog food do I feed my dog?

• I have a 95 pound lab. She does need to loose a few pounds. At the last vet visit she told me to keep her food around 3 cups a day. All of the dog foods my dog has been on up till now say to feed the same amount for the same size dog. So 3 cups a day has been standard. (We had been feeding her 4 cups a day but she put on weight.) She has been on Chef- Michaels dog food exclusively for a month. Before that I was mixing it with Rachel Ray's brand. I JUST read the Chef-Michaels bag tonight and saw that it said feed 1 cup per 10 pounds of dog food. I feel horrible. Have I been starving my dog. What I don't get it that it is dry dog food, I have heard and seen by example that it should all be the same measuring. I know wet is different. I will call the vet tomorrow but am curious tonight if any dog owners have any insight on this. Info: It has been hard getting my dog to eat her food. Untill I found the mix of Rachel Ray and Chef-Michaels my dog would mabey eat 1 cup of food on a good day. So I was giving her chicken a lot to supplement the best I could.

• Answer:

  9 cups? Bag amounts are often high, but that is ridiculous. Go with your vet's 3 cups a day. Keep weighing her and see if she is slowly losing weight. Adjust how much to maintain a slow loss until she reaches ideal body condition. Many dogs will wolf down more than is good for them and look for more. Others refuse to eat more than than they need. Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it. The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.