# How much to feed my 6y/o beagle?



## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Right now, Kitten is about 50lbs, and on Beneful Healthy Weight kibble. Since i joined the forum i've been doing research on dog kibble and raw feeding, and have realized that beneful sucks. we're switching Frag (4mo. old german shepherd) to a raw diet sometime soon, but my parents are still paying for Kit's kibble, so i'm either going to have to switch to a kibble that's of relative price, or keep beneful.

but what i'm curious about, is how much YOU guys think i should feed her. she's definitely overweight, although the vet's never said anything about it. she gets minimal excercise, mostly because she refuses to run or walk faster than .05 mi/hr and always wants to just go lay down, but lately, i've had her outside playing fetch and running around (why she's changed, idk) for about 10/15min. a day. i'm feeding her about a cup and a half of food a day (although i don't measure techincally) spread out between two meals, and i've looked at food calculators and they all tell me i should be feeding more, like 2.5-3 cups a day. i feel like i'm starving her, but i know i'm not, she doesn't act more hungry than usual, but she will obviously eat more if i leave it down. i'd like to get her down to 40/35 lbs for the first goal and see how she's looking then, but i'd like to know your opinions on this first. 

i'd also like to know if anyone can recommend a better kibble that still costs around $15-$18/15lbs (i know, a shot in the dark) that i could switch her to instead that my parents would still be willing to pay for. (once i move out and get a job, i'm switching to premium kibble or raw)

thanks for any suggestions.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I haven't bought kibble for several years and any prices I could come up with would probably be different than stores in your area anyway. How about if you make a list of kibbles you can find in your price range in stores your parents are willing to shop at? I hope you can get food from Petsmart, Petco, a feed store or even Costco though. Pickings at Walmart and grocery stores aren't the best.

I started flipping bags of every kibble in each store to look for foods that met my criteria. How about doing some research here so you can see what to look for in a better quality food?
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts 

To get your lazy pooch moving how about trying a food puzzle? A really simple one is a dry clean milk or water bottle. If she hasn't done this before cut a couple of small holes in the body of the container but my dogs do fine with just the one opening. Fill with the dinner kibble, tease her by dragging it on the ground away from her so she follows and shake a couple kibbles out to get her started. Wrapping a few kibble in paper and stuffing all the tiny bundles into a box is a really fun but extremely messy one. You must always watch if you use a home made device as bits of plastic or paper could be eaten and you don't want that to happen.

Or you could use the kibble as training treats. Lovely sit! Here is a cookie [kibble], etc.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

Do you have a costco nearby/membership. Their food "kirkland" is a decent food, much better then beneful. And a 40lbs bag is about 30 bucks.

As for how much to feed her. I would feed no more then 2 cups a day, even less actually. When I fed kibble. I would feed my 60lbs very active collie 2 cups a day. I would feed her half a cup of kibble, and half a cup of green beans. green beans help with low calories, but are very filling, so will help with getting her weight off.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

thanks for the reply. i posted another bit of info but for some reason it didn't show up.

i do have access to petsmart and petco. I started browsing some of their selections (petsmart's) and i was trying to look mostly at the higher end foods they sell, most of which we couldn't afford, because my parents are so darn stubborn. I did find the authority brand from petsmart and the lamb formula for adults with weight management seemed decent, i was wondering your take? the ratio of omega 6s to 3s is good (i think?) corn isn't an ingredient, there's specifically named oils (canola, corn), there's lamb and lamb meal, a lot of specific types of rice, and no dyes. i think i'm on the right track to picking out good food? and from the sounds of it, this is going to be about as good of food i can get for my price..

i read your link and it helped me pick through the ingredients in the food, i really appreciate it. and that milk jug toy sounds great for her. i think i'll try it tonight! thanks!

EDIT: unfortunately Tankstar, we don't have a Costco anywhere around. sucks, 'cause 30 bucks for 40lbs sounds like a great buy! i'm curious though, how do you prepare the green beans? i'd like to try them with Kit to see if they help. thanks.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

I would cut back to not much more than a cup. When 92 pounds of the Lab Zephyr spent 2 weeks at my house, he made do on 2 cups a day of food. H was 67 as a lean yearling. 

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

I would stick to Benefil if otherwise he is doing well. Dig into what you read about it. You will find it is all based on the ingredients, with nothing to relate different ingredients to how dogs do eating any given diet. You really think dogs have been getting better than offal and grains the last 10,000 years when meat was scarce in human diets?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

okay, thanks labs. that link helped and i think i'm going to start feeding her two 1/2 cup meals a day. 

does anyone else still think i should switch food though?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

anyone have some tips for dog food?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Beneful is SO full of artificial coloring that it scares me. That CANNOT be healthy. And it's quite expensive for the quality (about the same quality as regular Dog Chow). If you need to stay in the same price range, try Purina ONE instead. No coloring and the ingredients are better.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

thank you willow. that's a very good suggestion!


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## BarefootLena (Oct 18, 2009)

If you do happen to switch to a different food, I would be interested in hearing how it goes. My mom has a dobe female, and a rott/ridgeback cross male. The dobe has skin allergies, and both dogs are very, very heavy. And she feeds less than 1/2 a cup, twice a day, of Beneful Weight Management! I tried, nicely, to explain that the ingredients in it are somewhat less than par, but she seems to be convinced that the dobe won't do as well on another food because of her allergies. I felt like beating my head against a wall. I would love to be able to show her alternatives to her current feeding program. (My mother and I don't live close. The brands available to me are not necessarily available to her.)


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

DJEtzel said:


> Right now, Kitten is about 50lbs, and on Beneful Healthy Weight kibble. Since i joined the forum i've been doing research on dog kibble and raw feeding, and have realized that beneful sucks. we're switching Frag (4mo. old german shepherd) to a raw diet sometime soon, but my parents are still paying for Kit's kibble, so i'm either going to have to switch to a kibble that's of relative price, or keep beneful.


Welcome to DF  Secondly I'm glad you found the Beneful is crappy food, I'm glad you have open mind about raw food. I'm not exactly sure how much percent to feed certain dogs by weigh? I suppose go by the pound? You can tell your mom to stop buying the Kit's Kibble



DJEtzel said:


> but what i'm curious about, is how much YOU guys think i should feed her. she's definitely overweight, although the vet's never said anything about it. she gets minimal excercise, mostly because she refuses to run or walk faster than .05 mi/hr and always wants to just go lay down, but lately, i've had her outside playing fetch and running around (why she's changed, idk) for about 10/15min. a day. i'm feeding her about a cup and a half of food a day (although i don't measure techincally) spread out between two meals, and i've looked at food calculators and they all tell me i should be feeding more, like 2.5-3 cups a day. i feel like i'm starving her, but i know i'm not, she doesn't act more hungry than usual, but she will obviously eat more if i leave it down. i'd like to get her down to 40/35 lbs for the first goal and see how she's looking then, but i'd like to know your opinions on this first.


Beagles are prone to obesity & also prone to pancreatitis she will always have to be on a light/low fat diet kibbles. Also looking on bag of kibbles should look at the protein & fat content I think protein should be range between 19-28% the fat content should be 7-12%. 

I think he should get a cup of food twice a day? If that not cutting it, then 1/2 cup twice a day



DJEtzel said:


> i'd also like to know if anyone can recommend a better kibble that still costs around $15-$18/15lbs (i know, a shot in the dark) that i could switch her to instead that my parents would still be willing to pay for. (once i move out and get a job, i'm switching to premium kibble or raw)
> 
> thanks for any suggestions.


Here's the food I happen to like especially the low-cost etc 
Fromm Four Star
Wellness Core & Regular Wellness line
Eagle Pack Holistic Select 
Natural Balance 
Artemis
Blue
Nature's Variety (Raw Food Line)
The Honest Kitchen (Raw Food Line)
Oma's Pride (Raw Food Line)
Paw Naturaw (Raw Food Line)
Precise
Sojourner Farms (Raw Food Line)


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

I think i'm going to make a switch for sure. i'll definitely let you know how it goes.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

DJEtzel said:


> okay, thanks labs. that link helped and i think i'm going to start feeding her two 1/2 cup meals a day.
> 
> does anyone else still think i should switch food though?


ABSOLUTELY! Benefuls is JUNK...


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

haha, thank you dog_shrink. i'm glad i was right by realizing that. just wish i would've known it sooner.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Well ya know now so you can correct it. Always try to avoid artificial colors, preservatives etc. Just because the pic on the bag looks appealing to us, doesn't mean it's any good... it's just art. That's just good marketing. I often take client's dogs around petsmart and see if there's any particular bag they're overly interested in sniffing and we start our search there. There's a ton of good threads here on choosing a good food... I'm sure you'll do fine.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

thanks for the support.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

No Prob... anytime


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## Tricia_88 (Mar 3, 2009)

I had to tell you that we switched our 9 year old beagle to Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish. He was at about 48lbs and needed to lose weight badly. We started him in March and he weighs around 33lbs. now. We were feeding him Beneful and he needed like 3 cups a day and was never satisfied. With Natural Balance he gets ⅜ cup 3 times a day now. Sometimes I will give him a little less and add green beans. He is satisfied and never asks for more food anymore. Beneful is junk! After switching his food he has lost weight and his health has improved. Weight loss was important for the IVDD problem with beagles. We had just lost his sister to that. His coat is amazing and he hasn't had any seizures since. We went with the Sweet potato and Fish for the weight loss and allergy issues with his ears and licking of the feet. He doesn't chew his feet anymore and it helped his ears a little. I give the food an A+ for weight loss though. Although...switching him to any of the higher quality foods may have had the same affect. 

Just a note...I feed him 3 times a day cause it was something I started and shouldn't have. I'm not recommending that. I took what he should be fed a day and split it up into 3 meals. It gives you all that info on the bag. They love the food and will even take it as treats. It's all he gets. I do not feed him any human food, table scraps and certainly nothing processed anymore. 

Tricia


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

thank you Tricia! that's very useful information. once i move out and have my own income I'll look into natural balance for Kit. it sounds very nice, and she has ear problems too.


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## Tricia_88 (Mar 3, 2009)

Something to keep in mind about the price of better dog food. When I was feeding Beneful...he was eating 3 cups a day. Now on Natural Balance he is down to about one cup a day. Take into consideration that you feed less cause it is higher quality when looking at the price. Also, I believe it is saving me in vet costs too.

Tricia


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

that's a very good point, Tricia. thanks!


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Okay. i've talked to my mother (main supporter of food) and she's agreed to up the price range she's willing to pay with Tricia's points in mind; about the food going further for the price, etc. so i've done some more searching, and found these foods, all around the same price, which i'd like anyone with some time to rate for me. i've diagnosed the ingredients to the best of my ability, but i'd like to know what you think, and why you think it? thanks.

in no specific order;
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult Maintenance Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Lamb & Brown Rice Adult Dog Food
Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish Dog Food
Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dog Food
Nature's Recipe Adult Dog Lamb Meal & Rice Formula
Avoderm Natural Brown Rice, Oatmeal & Chicken Meal Formula Lite Adult Dog Food


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## Tricia_88 (Mar 3, 2009)

I did a lot of research before chososing Natural Balance and I remember all of them but two being good choices. The two I don't remember much about are Nutro Ultra and Natures Recipe. I'm not saying they are bad...just I don't remember if or what I found about them. I went with NB Sweet Potato and Fish for the allergy aspect of it. Does your dog have any issues like that? 

I can't really tell you how long the bag last because I also feed a coonhound 3/4 cup 3 times a day. Basically though..after looking up prices...31lb bag of beneful = $25 est. A 28lb bag of NB = $45. But I would need 3 bags of Beneful for everyone bag of NB. Beneful cost more...right??? I buy ours at Pet Supermarket because after you buy so many...I think 10..you get a free bag. And they also send coupons so every month I get like $5 off the food. 

It is very important for Beagles not to be overweight. Not only was it helpful to put him on a quality food...but we also had to stop giving him other things. That meant no more sharing french fries and ice cream. I made the mistake of one day sharing some stew meat and gravy with him and the processed gravy gave him the runs. He eats better than us. I have given him some lean steak and other natural, unprocessed and unseasoned foods occassionally...but it is important to stop all junk. I think it is like 10 calories for us is like 100 for a dog. I also started walking him regularly until he blew out both cruciate ligaments. That was when I started replacing some of the food with green beans because his exercise had ceased. My other dog likes carrots. Not canned vegies...too much salt..they are frozen and I steam them. I do enough for several days and just heat them up for one meal a day. Only takes a few minutes. It says on the back of the bag for his size he should eat 1/2 cup 3 times a day, but w/ vets advice I kept cutting it back until he was asking for more in between meals and went to the last measurement when he wasn't. He is still losing weight and has healed from his injury so I will be starting to walk him again. He has only a few more lbs. to go. I had tried all kinds of things including the really expensive Prescription Science Diet...which i found out was junk too....and this has worked so easily.

Good luck...I think you are making an excellent decision. 
Tricia


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

you have some very nifty information, thank you! unfortunately, i'm in the city with the petsmart much more often and that's where i was today and i couldn't standng the and switching kit's food. problem is; they don't sell natural balance.  i was extremely upset- i had my heart set on it, but instead got blue buffalo fish and sweet potato. she does have allergies that i've just recently realized were allergies when i got more involved in this site, so i'm hoping this will help.. anything's got to be better than beneful. i'm going to try the steamed beans thing too... i've heard about that before.. but how often and how much do you feed? thank you VERY much.


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## Tricia_88 (Mar 3, 2009)

I give them vegies with their evening meal. Lets say you feed 1 cup per meal...then I would give 1/2 cup dog food and 1/2 cup green beans...or 3/4 cup food and 1/4 cup vegies. You replace some of the food with vegies to lose weight. It seems to really fill them up too. My Beagle likes green beans and the coonhound likes carrots. She won't eat green beans. You'll have to see what yours likes. With the coonhound I don't worry as much about how much carrots she gets cause she does not have a weight issue. 

How big is your beagle? Like how tall and weight? Mine is a bigger Beagle and I'm trying to get him down to 30lbs. He might be there already...need to take him to get weighed. 

Tricia


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

i'm not sure on her height, i don't have time to measure before school, but she's definitely a taller beagle, and last time we had her at the vet she weighed 54lbs. i'm hoping to get kit down to around 30lbs too.


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## flashtrum (May 17, 2012)

I've never heard of a dog expert recommend kibble. Too much filler. Dogs are meant to be meat eaters. You are doing your dog a dis-service if you are overfeeding him or feeding him cheap food. My dog Billy was a rescue, when he came into the adoption agency, he was 50 pounds, sluggish and had lots of joint pain. Also I read his vet notes and they were concerned about his vertebrae. He was lucky to be fostered with a trainer who fed him 1/2 cup of beef-based food with one egg every day. This doesn't sound like a lot of food, but he's at 30 pounds, very active and playful, and NO pain. If he loses any more weight I will probably up the amount. With any Beagle you have to watch them carefully. But having a fat beagle (and I've seen some owners who are proud their dog is fat) is having an unhealthy Beagle and you really are not doing him any good.


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## flashtrum (May 17, 2012)

I've had a vet and a boutique dog store owner both recommend Blue Buffalo.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

As far as purina one goes, I find that purina one beyond is the nest food available at walmart although all the ones around here quit carrying it for some reason leading me to switch to solid gold. I was glad I did though, completely worth it. But I understand the money situation for sure. Good luck!


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## Sophia612 (May 17, 2012)

Is such a...


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

I'm about 90% certain the dog this was written about is no longer with us. And besides, this thread is over 2 years old already.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Oh I should have checked the date sorry x.x just assumed it was still active since people were posting... My mistake


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Yeah, thanks for the replies, but this is very old and Kit passed away over a year ago.


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