In my book, Dog Dish Diet, I go over the calories in dry and canned food and the amount of daily calories a dog should be fed. However, most people use a scoop or their hand to measure dry food. If your dog looks good…no need to change your methods. If your dog is on the chunky side, overweight, or grossly fat you need to measure out the food you feed them. You may also want to consider diluting the calories in dry food with water or green beans, or feeding something with less carbohydrate calories like canned food, home cooked food, or a piece of chicken 2-3 nights per week instead of dry food or kibble. Dog Dish Diet teaches us to feed better by learning about ingredients. Some dogs are suffering and dying because they can’t tolerate the ingredients in some commercial foods.( chronic skin problems, ear problems , bladder infections and stones , seizures, diarrhea, diabetes, fatty tumors to name a few)
If your dog has skin, ear, bowel, bladder, or seizure problems consider the Dog Dish Diet and feed your pet to avoid the vet!
Here is a question I received on facebook today:
Doc.. about how much of the chicken stew would a 50lb dog and 80lb dog need daily if the diet was to be changed from dry to this.. of course it would be a gradual change not to upset tummies…
My Answer:
My 80 lb lab eats about 12 oz twice daily. My 10 lb terrier mix eats 6 oz twice daily. My 10 pound bichon/poodle cross eats 6 oz twice daily. You can see that my small dogs need to eat more ounces per pound. In general, dogs need 10-50 calories per pound per day depending on their individual metabolism and energy level.(how much fuel they burn during their normal daily activities)Your 50 pound dog needs anywhere from 500-2500 calories per day depending on activity level. I usually assume 10-20 cal/pound/day for medium to large breeds, 20-30 cal/ pound /day for medium dogs, and 30-40 cal/pound /day for small active dogs. So the stew is 35 calories per ounce, and if 1000 calories needed, about 30 ounces (15 ounces twice daily). The bigger dogs often need less per pound than medium and small dogs unless they move a lot. The 80 pound would get the same or 25 ounces once daily (12 ounces twice daily). Many clients add the stew to moistened dry food as a supplement. One cup 2-3 times a week.
Dry food is usually 45 calories per ounce, canned food is roughly 25 calories per ounce. An 80 pound overweight dog may only need 800 calories per day because they are a slug. This would be about 18 ounces of dry food(2 cups)(or and no hi carb treats!!
Some dogs can’t handle the carbs in dry food or kibble. They gain weight no matter how little dry food they are given. They develop lipomas or fatty tumors. They have dry, flaky, skin. They need more protein, fats, and oils in their diet. Don’t keep feeding the same type of dry, high carbohydrate, low fat food and expect different results. Feed your pet to avoid the vet!!
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