Hi everyone. Well as some of you know I have switched Kane to RAW a few months back and I had some questions.

By reading Eds site I have a feel of quanity wise what an average adult GSD should eat.

I feed Kane 2 chicken leg quarters plus a little liver or heart plus veggies everyday except on days when he eats fish. I feed hamburger and turkey also but it all comes out to about the same as the chicken.

Im my oppinion and also to a few others he seems on the thin side. I can actually feel his back bone. (Dont get me wrong hes not whithering away) Am I feeding too little? I have tried increasing it to two meals a day and giving him a total of 4 chicken leg quarters... or maybe half chicken and other half hamburger or turckey etc. these are just examples (4 quarters)Does this sound like too much for him? I have noticed with increasing an extra two quarters he still is not "heavy" but seems about the norm of what I see the average nice lean muscular GSD.

I dont have a scale as Im pretty good at guessing weight. he gets about the same everyday.

Any advice or oppinions?

Hey that sounds about right. I have a 1.8 month old female she gets 5 chicken legs a day 2 in the am 3 at night pluss veggies, yogurt or cottage cheese, some other changeing meat (fish/hamburg/cheap steak/meaty bones/ofal..etc). She is pretty active and I work her, so she burns calories. when I feed chicken backs she gets 1 back and a neck at each meal two times a day, pluss the other stuff. You should be fine, just remember to change it up and watch her wait. somedays my dogs will miss a meal and sometimes fast for a day. (maybe just a meaty bone).

-hope that helps...chet

Thanks Chet! I definately need to keep his food increased. Hes looking better now. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Do yo weigh your food or have a rough estimate how much it weighs? How much does your dog weigh? I've seen recommendations for feeding anywhere from 2 to 6% of desired body weight per day for dogs, but most are in the 3 to 4% range.

I dont weigh his food but I have a good idea when preparing it. As far as his weight Im not sure... I think about 60-65 lbs. Again thats guessing I got on the scale with him (you know the little bathroom scale <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> and it wasnt easy and for the few seconds I could hold him without falling and glancing it was about 60-65.

So how much should I feed him? Do I go by what I want him to weight at or what he weighs now? How do I know what he should weigh?

Feed him based on the weight he is supposed to be or the weight you want him, not the weight he really is.

As far as what he is supposed to weigh, it really depends on his build, frame, height, and age so it's different with each dog. If he is overweight, he will not have a waist and you cannot easily feel his ribs. He may have flab on his flanks & neck and around the base of his tail if he is real heavy. The right body weight for a gsd would show a defined waist & easily felt, some people even say "seen", ribs and spine. Too thin would be hips bones and most rib bones showing or being felt without muscle cover and a tucked up tummy that looks underfed. Just adjust his ideal weight for feeding more or less by a few pounds to get him right where you want him to be. In general, for a large breed dog, thinner is better.

Do you have a picture to post of him in the Member Photos and Bios section on the forum? I'm sure someone could take a look at him and tell you if he's fat, thin, or just right.

I dont have a good picture of him (other than a head shot) but so far hes looking ALOT better with the food increase I gave him. Right now he eats for example today two leg quarters and about 1/2 pound of hamburger and some cottage cheese plus about 5 oz. of veggies. Then gets another 2 leg quarters in the evening. Sometimes Ill give him the hamburger or Beef heart or liver with the second meal or the vegies with the second but I do give him two meals and have increased his food to double what he was getting.