# How much should I be feeding her



## vickycrystal

I have a 24 week female cockapoo who I am having spayed next Friday, which I am very apprehensive about, she weighs 6.3KG but seems very boney still but has grown well. I am not sure I am feeding her enough but she is not a big eater. I am feeding her Symply puppy dried food which recommends about 200gs a day which I don't think she is having and not sure she would consume, I mix it with rice and peas as she has been fairly fussy! Any feedback would be appreciated! thanks!


----------



## kendal

My Gypsy has always been a fussy dog, and is very skinny, remember that the poodles are a naturaly fine breed so it could just be she is taking on more of the poodle than the cocker. 

pups tend to grow tall before they get chunkier, and to be honest you dont want them chunky to early. 

you will probably find after she has been spayed she will put on weight this hasnt happened with my gypsy but has with my other girls. but i still keep them on the leaner side. 


is the food the same one she was on at the breeders, it might be an idea to look into other brands. 

how many times a day is she fed or is the bole left out all day.


----------



## vickycrystal

*Feed*

She didn't like the breeders dried food so she started mixing it with barking heads which again she hasn't been too fussed about. I am now introducing the Symply puppy food which she seems to like, I feed her first thing in the morning and again about 4.30 and I do leave it out but she either finishes within an hour or so or it gets left and she won't eat it, therefore I give her fresh food again at 4.30, she is a fussy little bugger and would be much happier eating our leftovers but I refuse to do that!


----------



## kendal

Start lifting it if she hasnt touched it after 15 mins then nothing to eat till next meal time. If food is avalable all the time some dog just become disinterested. if its only offered at set times they should become more enthusiastic about their food. 

try making her think its your leftovers by eating next to the bowl even adding in a wee bit of you food but mush it in so she cant pick it out.


----------



## lola24

kendal said:


> Start lifting it if she hasnt touched it after 15 mins then nothing to eat till next meal time. If food is avalable all the time some dog just become disinterested. if its only offered at set times they should become more enthusiastic about their food.
> 
> try making her think its your leftovers by eating next to the bowl even adding in a wee bit of you food but mush it in so she cant pick it out.


This is some good advice from Kendal- i am very much a fan of mealtimes rather than graze feeding.


----------



## 2ndhandgal

Why are you mixing her food with rice and peas as I really would not think there is a huge amount of nutrition in them?

Molly was very fussy when she first arrived but I found a food she likes (Natures Harvest cartons) and she has her food put down twice a day. If she does not eat within around 15 minutes it is lifted. She now eats pretty much as soon as the food goes down.


----------



## Laura(L)Izzie

My Izzie has also always been very fussy, unlike Poppy (new pup) who will eat anything!
We leave Izzie's food down as well & sometimes when we do take it up (because Poppy will eat all of Izzies food because she prefers it) when she gets hungry she goes & stands & looks up at it for us to feed her  She's very smart.
But Izzie does get left overs as well, I think we mainly started that off because we felt that she didn't eat much as a pup! So we were worried, but she loves human food haha. She will do anything for things like chicken, beef & cheese! (Mainly for treats).
But Izzie was also spayed around 6 months & was skinnier as a pup but has filled out brilliantly now, quite stocky but certainly not under or over weight, they don't generally start to fill out until they are fully grown so bear that in mind


----------



## vickycrystal

She is having the complete diet dried food so the rice and peas is just additional, she is getting everything she needs for the dried food.


----------



## 2ndhandgal

vickycrystal said:


> She is having the complete diet dried food so the rice and peas is just additional, she is getting everything she needs for the dried food.


Sorry - yes I realised they were additional but they are really not adding anything to her diet and she might eat more of the dried food if you are not adding it. You could also try adding something like naturediet which is itself a balanced diet to get her to eat more.


----------

