Our Gigi was spayed in December 2016, she is now 7 months old. We still feed her 3 times a day, 1 1/2 cup each time. Since she was spayed should we decrease her food? Or because she is getting older do we need to increase quantity but less often? thanks peg
Hello and welcome to the forum. The number of times you feed her each day is entirely up to you. The reason puppies are fed more frequently is just because their stomachs aren't large enough to manage a lot of food in one go, but as they get older, they're more able to cope. That said, I still feed my adult dogs three times a day, because I feel it enriches their day a bit more and, since I work from home, it's convenient for me to do. It's generally the case that you should reduce food after a spay, as the dog's metabolism usually slows down. However, since all dogs are different, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The only advice really is to adjust the amount of food based on your dog's condition. How does she look? You should be able to see a nice up-tuck when viewed from the side, and a pronounced nip in when viewed from above. When you run your hand lightly down her side, you should be able to feel her ribs without pressing down. When she eats and drinks, or sniffs deeply, you should be able to make the ribs out more clearly. If you think she's putting on too much bulk, cut down her food by 20% and monitor for a week. If you think she's getting to skinny, add a little more. We'd love to see pictures of Gigi
