# How much kibble does a ten pound dog need?



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Because I was lucky yesterday in getting my dog to eat about a half cup, and today he wouldn't eat breakfast (he gets breakfast and dinner) and for dinner I could only get him to eat 1/8 cup. And that's ONLY after I fed him from my hand. What's wrong with him? I don't feel like he's eating enough....He also gets 2 walks a day...


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

finnfinnfriend said:


> Because I was lucky yesterday in getting my dog to eat about a half cup, and today he wouldn't eat breakfast (he gets breakfast and dinner) and for dinner I could only get him to eat 1/8 cup. And that's ONLY after I fed him from my hand. What's wrong with him? I don't feel like he's eating enough....He also gets 2 walks a day...


It all depends on activity, age etc. Both of my dogs, one is 21lbs one is 32lbs, a get 1/3 of a cup of dry food 3 times a day. I space it out because they are very active. Both of them are very healthy and within their weight range. There is also a bottled "gravy" you can buy at the pet store that would moisten his kibble for him, and may tempt him to eat. I would try smaller meals three times, or even twice a day


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

I'd base it on the label on your bag of food. Give or take a little..
If you feel it is really an issue, like if he continues to eat very little/none, talk to your vet. I know in very concerning cases they will give pets appetizer shots.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Oh I forgot to mention he is three...

The thing is, I TRY to feed him twice a day...but he usually refuses to eat the first one...

I guess a half cup a day would be enough?


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

teeneythebetta said:


> I'd base it on the label on your bag of food. Give or take a little..
> If you feel it is really an issue, like if he continues to eat very little/none, talk to your vet. I know in very concerning cases they will give pets appetizer shots.


Ughhh well shortly AFTER acquiring him I got laid off from my job...So right now I can't take him to the vet . I don't think anything's wrong with him though...his previous owner just gave him people food...hopefully this will sort itself out soon...I'm just worried that he has some emotional problem that makes him afraid to eat...because he will stop before he should be full....


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

finnfinnfriend said:


> Ughhh well shortly AFTER acquiring him I got laid off from my job...So right now I can't take him to the vet


Aww I'm sorry to hear that


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

finnfinnfriend said:


> Oh I forgot to mention he is three...
> 
> The thing is, I TRY to feed him twice a day...but he usually refuses to eat the first one...
> 
> I guess a half cup a day would be enough?


My dog Cody has to be awake for a while before he likes to eat in the morning, my other one, Casey eats right away. So, maybe try the first meal after he's up for an hour or so? Check the label on the food it should suggest how much for a 10lb dog..I would think a 1/4 cup twice a day would be enough. Good luck and keep us posted!


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## Bethydan (Mar 22, 2012)

It depends on the specific food. Different brands list different amounts. 

Some dogs just won't eat a lot. Breed and activity level go a long way towards determining food amount. My dog self-feeds mostly. He's not a huge eater and he's very lean and thin, but he's healthy. Which is fine because his breed does tend towards too much weight gain. They're like people. Some people will stop eating before they actually feel full because that's how their body has been somehow trained to eat. Actually, I think that's how humans are /supposed/ to eat if I'm not mistaken. :-?


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Bethydan said:


> It depends on the specific food. Different brands list different amounts.
> 
> Some dogs just won't eat a lot. Breed and activity level go a long way towards determining food amount. My dog self-feeds mostly. He's not a huge eater and he's very lean and thin, but he's healthy. Which is fine because his breed does tend towards too much weight gain. They're like people. Some people will stop eating before they actually feel full because that's how their body has been somehow trained to eat. Actually, I think that's how humans are /supposed/ to eat if I'm not mistaken. :-?


Absolutely agree...on all points!


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Well yesterday and today I managed to get him to eat 1/4 cup at night...so that's progress!


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

Another trick you can do to entice him to eat is to put a spoonful of cottage cheese in his food if you have that around the house.

If you don't have that, then I've never had a failure with .5 tsp of vegetable oil.

Neither will harm your dog, the latter (In modest quantities) will help your dogs coat with softness and shine.

But if he's young and active, start with what his food is recommending and work from there if he needs less or more. Even if you feed once a day, just be sure he gets what he needs.

I've got a 16 year old, bottom level energy corgi mix who gets .5 cups of food twice daily and that's all. He's lost weight on this (But he needs to lose another 5 pounds since he was on bad food before and got fat). Right now he's 47 pounds and should probably be 35-40 max.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

A good, high quality dog food might get him more interested in eating. My mom's lab/chow mix won't touch the cheap grocery store crud. Good brands include Blue Buffalo, Wellness, and anything that doesn't have grains added. This also helps with any grain allergies that they might have that may end up making them feel nauseated and thus not interested in eating. Feed him about 1/2 cups a day, 1/4 in the morning, 1/4 in the evening.

If you already feed a good, high quality food, then I would recommend that you only feed him that food and no table scraps or treats. The dog will get hungry enough, they will eat the food they are provided. In my opinion, and that of my father, no healthy dog will willingly starve themselves. I have a chihuahua who is spoiled rotten and expects to have filet mignon for each meal, and is sorely disappointed to find out that her meal is always Blue Wilderness. Left with her bowl of food, she will reluctantly eat it after a while. 

I second taking the dog to the vet if this doesn't get any better within a couple of weeks. A health problem could be the cause.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

Definitely check teeth for tartar and plaque as well as gum disease (Usually brownish mottling on the actual gums) as both can be uncomfortable or even painful. Also check for worn down teeth or chipped teeth as well.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah, what she said. Small dogs can get tarter build up much faster and easier than big dogs. If you see a huge amount of tarter, then a teeth cleaning is a must. If left, the tarter can cause all sorts of problems, not just eating problems, but kidney and liver problems, heart problems, that sort of thing.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

This might sound weird, but brushing your dog's teeth after every meal will cut down on any tartar and plaque build up. kibbles will help break apart any of it and so will chew toys. Encourage chewing on appropriate things.

dog-safe tooth paste and tooth brushes are available as well as cat tooth brushes too. If the teeth are really bad, you might want to invest on your vet doing a dental as that will help tremendously.


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