Best Food For Shelties in the USA?

[Bill Porter]

My wife says we're feeding 1 3/4 cup of food a day. Remy seems very slim to us but solid and muscular. We upped his food because he has never seem satisfied by what we give him. As soon as he finishes, he goes searching under the dining table for kid scraps before he takes a drink. Perhaps it's too much but he went to the vet yesterday and they said he seemed in perfect health.

 

[Elei]

We upped his food because he has never seem satisfied by what we give him. As soon as he finishes, he goes searching under the dining table for kid scraps before he takes a drink.

I don't think Shelties will ever be satisfied by how much you feed them!!

Kip gets a little less than a cup of food a day, plus 2 tsp Salmon oil. My first Sheltie (16" & 25 lbs) always got 1 cup a day.

My vet always thinks my dogs are a great weight, even when I think they need to lose a few pounds. I just think the vet is so relieved to see dogs that aren't obese.

 

[GlennR]

Willow's vet says as long as we can feel her ribs then she's a good weight. Willow gets a half cup twice a day for meals and then gets at least another half cup or even another whole cup in training treats daily. She walks a good five to ten miles per day and runs with dogs in the park whenever she can. I keep a close watch because my standard poodles got a little fat and I don't want to compromise Willow's health by repeating that. We feed Costco's Kirkland brand with chicken and rice. The breeder suggested Purina Pro Plan but I couldn't really find any hard evidence that the Pro Plan would be better in the long run.

 

[Piper's mom]

I agree Shelties are very good at making us think they're starving all the time lol! I swear if I didn't remove the food bowls after the dogs ate they'd lick them forever!
I'd keep a close watch on Remy's weight and if you notice he's gaining too much then cut back a bit. I always give my boys lots of raw veggies, makes them think they're eating more lol.

 

[KarenCurtis]

Actually, I only feed the Lamb. I had a hard time with the calorie difference from the Wellness. Even though the Pro Plan bag stated more calories per cup they were losing weight on the same amount I've always fed. Kinda ticked me off b/c I wondered about the over all food quality then. But we have it figured out and everyone is doing well on it.

Thanks, I'll try the lamb also

 

[KarenCurtis]

Just as a caution - the dog food companies want to sell food, so the guidelines on their feeding quantities are usually much too high. If he's really that tall then the weight is good. But you need to keep checking his weight by feeling his ribs, too. You should be able to feel them easily. It's much easier to keep them at a good weight than try and get weight off - just ask Sheep about that! All my adult dogs have gotten a 1/2 cup of food twice daily - so Remy is getting twice that amount and puppy food has more calories.

Sandstorm is 20 inches and gets 1 1/2 cups total per day, he weighs 36 pounds. We are now feeding a bit less. Minnie is 15 months old and gets 1 cup per day, maybe a bit less. She is 20 pounds and 15 inches

 

[Sandy in CT]

Brodie gets 1/3 cup of Fromm Adult Gold twice a day. He gets LOTS of training treats and potty treats daily. He walks 2 - 3 miles a day, gets LOTS of training activities throughout the day if weather allows. On weekends, I often add anchovies, green beans or raw eggs to the diet on weekends just to switch stuff up a bit.

 

[Bill Porter]

Wow, we are overfeeding Remy based upon all of your comments. Remy will be upset as well lower his daily intake. FYI - I'm blaming all of YOU


Related Note: We have noticed a substantial decrease in the amount of gas Remy has had since switching to Fromm Gold Puppy food. That, in and of itself, is an incredible change. We've also noticed that his poops are smaller with much better consistency and don't smell as horrible as they used to smell. I cannot thank you all enough for that suggestion. I feel really good about Remy's overall health now and we'll work on lowering his daily calories as well.

 

[Sandy in CT]

We've also noticed that his poops are smaller with much better consistency

Think of it as 'garbage in/garbage out'. The best 'review' of a dog food isn't in the label, the advertising, it's in what comes OUT of the dog once the food goes in. Less fillers, less 'stuff' = less poo. It means your dog is getting more stuff that is used by him/her and his/her digestive system so it sticks around. And with food that has lots of fillers, you often have to feed LOTS so that the dog can keep weight on; why? because much of the food ends up being passed out as sloppy, stinky, gassy poo because it is indigestible.

A good food is good for your dog while adding an extra benefit to you! Glad Remy's digestive system is happy!

 

[Bill Porter]

Think of it as 'garbage in/garbage out'. The best 'review' of a dog food isn't in the label, the advertising, it's in what comes OUT of the dog once the food goes in. Less fillers, less 'stuff' = less poo. It means your dog is getting more stuff that is used by him/her and his/her digestive system so it sticks around. And with food that has lots of fillers, you often have to feed LOTS so that the dog can keep weight on; why? because much of the food ends up being passed out as sloppy, stinky, gassy poo because it is indigestible.

A good food is good for your dog while adding an extra benefit to you! Glad Remy's digestive system is happy!

I am so blown away by the change in after-product from what it was before and how it is now. Since I am the primary picker upper, I am incredibly pleased. Plus, I feel so much better about what we're doing for him health wise. If Fromm ever needs a satisfied customer for advertising, we're a top candidate family for sure!