Calories and Recommended Feeding Amount

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I am confused by the suggested feeding amounts for Fromm.  They seem to recommend more than other similar foods and even more than some lower calorie foods.

 

TOTW Wetlands -- 374 kcal/cup --  1 3/4 cup for a 30lb dog

 

Wellness CORE -- 421 kcal/cup -- 1 3/4 cup for a 35lb dog

 

Fromm Game Bird -- 409 kcal/cup -- 2 1/4 cup for a 30lb dog

 

Canidae Pure Elements -- 498 kcal/cup -- 1 cup for a 25lb dog

 

Based on the calories, Fromm's recommended feeding amounts just seem to high.  I don't normally feed my dogs the full recommended amount because Ollie usually ends up gaining weight if he gets the full amount.  Do those of you that feed Fromms go by the recommended amounts or have you settled on another amount?

[Meridith and Lola]

I feed Lola Fromm's (with grain).  She is about 35 pounds which is in the 30 -50 pound range is 2  1/3 to 3 1/4 but actually feed her  1 1/2 cups - 3/4 cup in morning and evening with some kind of topper (either a tbsp of wet food or half a stella and chewy's cookie).  She also gets treats here and there and 1 Sam's sweet potato treat after dinner. She usually seems pretty satisfied though every once she seems hungry at night so I put some dry kibble only in her bowl.  If she eats it then I know she is hungry but that is rare.  She is definitely not underweight.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Hahaha...so it looks like there is no real answer to my question but I appreciate everyone's input.  Looks like it is just going to be trial and error for a little while.  Unfortunately Ollie is the type of dog that would probably eat an entire bag of kibble if given the opportunity so I can't use his level of hunger as a guide.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It looks to me like most people who are feeding Fromm's are feeding less than the recommended amount on the packaging, so if you follow the Fromm guidelines, I would start at the low end. 

A 30 lb healthy adult dog should be getting roughly 750 calories per day from all food sources, depending of course on many factors including activity level, so 2.25 cups @ 409 kcal/cup definitely sounds like too much.  

 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

crap, I wish I was a dog.  I could be eating a LOT more calories than I do now!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Even for dogs, the calorie requirements go down the more the dog weighs. In other words, the bigger the dog, the fewer calories per pound he needs to maintain his weight.  A 90 lb dog would not have a daily calorie requirement of 2250, which would be three times that of a 30 lb dog, it would be more like 1400-1800 kcal per day.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yes, Calla, when she isn't stealing gets 2 level cups of food a day while Luca gets about 1.75. Of course in some ways he is more active but she weighs about 18 pounds more than him. She still could to lose a few pounds.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

hmmm...guess i'll just stick with being human then. Don't think I would like kibble all that much anyway!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't remember if you've tried this, but adding canned sodium free green beans (or thawed frozen green beans, or fresh cooked green beans) to the meal helps fill them up and satisfy them without adding any significant calories. That might help keep Ollie happy without causing him to gain weight, and the extra fiber contributes to nice firm poop.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I've tried on occasion but he doesn't really care for them.  He will pull each bean out of his bowl and drop it on the floor then eat all the kibble.  He will walk away, come back and lick the bowl, and then look at me.  When I ignore him he then goes back and eats the beans.  As long as he stays at a healthy weight know he isn't starving.  He is just a pig.  I would sit on the couch all day and eat junk food if i could but that doesn't mean that i'm starving or that I need the junk food.  I think he just has a bigger appetite than Cubbie.  Ollie doesn't beg at the table or try to steal people food.  He will however take advantage of Cubbie's unattended bowl if he can sneak in there while my back is turned.   

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think you have an excellent attitude toward food and eating, for both yourself and your dogs, lol!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

that is too funny.  I try to be really good about what the dogs get but as I was posting this discussion, I was sitting on the couch in my sweats pouring mini chocolate morsels onto gellato that i was eating directly from the container.  So if by "excellent attitude" you meant "occassionally (sometimes more than occassionally) give into a guilty indulgence" then yup...i'm excellent all the way!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, just be glad I'm retired from personal training!