barf and ideal weight

[Alane]

Hi All!

I'm new here and have an (almost) 4 yr old male pembroke who's been eating raw almost his whole life.

I'm ALWAYS hearing from people that he's "big, for a corgi." He is 14" tall, and about 32 lbs. All of the books I've read say a corgi stands between 10" and 12" tall and should be around 28 lbs.

He currently eats 4 oz of food daily, which doesn't seem like much.

Vet says he's healthy. He runs around the yard and goes on daily walks plus longer hikes a least once or twice a week.

How much should he be eating?

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Alane

I'm new here and have an (almost) 4 yr old male pembroke who's been eating raw almost his whole life.

Hi and welcome to Go Corgi!

I'm ALWAYS hearing from people that he's "big, for a corgi." He is 14" tall, and about 32 lbs. All of the books I've read say a corgi stands between 10" and 12" tall and should be around 28 lbs.

That's from the standard describes the "ideal" corgi, however, oversize and undersize do happen. I've known 8" tall corgis that weigh under 20 pounds. You just happen to have a big boy, which is fine. He isn't one someone would want in a breeding program, nor would the doodlebug sized one be; but that does not preclude them from being the adored love of your life.

He currently eats 4 oz of food daily, which doesn't seem like much.

Vet says he's healthy. He runs around the yard and goes on daily walks plus longer hikes a least once or twice a week.

How much should he be eating?

Let me preface by saying I don't feed raw, so I can't really say you need to feed X ounces per day. Likewise, even with those who feed kibble, it isn't really feasible to say at age 4 one should X number of cups a day. How much to feed depends on quite a few variables. One can have two corgis of the same age and general size, one can maintain their healthy weight at 3/4 cup a day, while the other one may need a cup and 1/2. It depends on metabolism, activity levels, calories in the food one is feeding, type of food one is feeding, just a number of things.

Given his overall size, 32 pounds sounds like a healthy weight for him. Your vet seems to think so. A few "tests" you can check yourself - can you feel his ribs - not count them <G>, but feel them. Is there a layer of flesh over them about the depth of a couple of slices of Kraft cheese singles? Can you see a defined waist? When you stand over him and look down at his back do you see an egg shape? IF the answer to these questions are yes, then <IMO> he should be at a good healthy weight for him.

Hope this helps!

Debbie

[MyPemCharlie]

For 14" tall, 32 pounds also sounds healthy to me. He is just oversized compared to the ideal standard, just like my Charlie is the standard height at just over 11" but he is undersized at 22-23 pounds. He is long, lean and racy and eats close to 2 cups of kibble a day (which is a lot of food).

Four ounces of raw food doesn't sound like much, since raw meat is about 80% water. I've been reading quite a bit on raw/BARF diets the last week or so, initially looking to see if there were many accounts of dogs choking or having any other problems with raw chicken wings, backs and necks. Didn't really see any evidence of problems, and I'm interested in feeding these as a trial with a focus on teeth cleaning.

I did read one consistent formula for how much raw diet to feed a day, which was to feed 2-3% of your dog's body weight per day. Dogs weight * 16 gives you the dog's weight in ounces, then times 2% or 3%. Using this formula if I were feeding all raw and a 2.5% of weight baseline, my 12.5 pound Cairn would eat about 5 ounces of food and Charlie would eat about 9 ounces of raw food a day. Your dog at 32 pounds suggests almost 13 ounces per day. However, if 4 ounces is working for you, no one can argue with success.

Perhaps you can help me, since I've just been "boning up" (ha ha!) on raw diet info. Are you feeding a prey model with mainly meat, bones and organs; the traditional BARF plan with meat, bones, organs and veggie mush; or some diet with the above plus some grains? What supplements are you using? I'd be curious to hear what a typical day's menu is for your dog.

[Michael Romanos]

With his size, 32 pounds sounds pretty good. My fellow is within the standard just and he weights in a 26-27 pounds. And i am trying to get a friend's female Pem who is well within the standard, down to 24 pounds - currently she is 29-30 pounds and overweight.
You should think food quantities in standard cup size. I would say your fellow should be on around 2 cups of food daily which can be dry food (kibble) supplemented with other healthy bit and pieces.
It's great that your Corgi not only gets to play in the yard but goes for long walks and even bigger hikes once or twice a week. Keep it up. So many Corgi owners think that some yard play is ample compensation for a hike on leash or off leash.

[Peggy]

I don't think any of us can say how much is the correct amount for someone else's corgi to eat. It depends on the food, (brand, protein and fat content, if it's raw or kibble, etc.) and how much exercise your dog gets, and the dogs age. Older dogs usually don't need as much as a younger more active dog.

Here my Pems get between 1 cup and 1 1/2 cups of food (kibble) per day. My Cardigan gets 2 cups a day. It depends on the dog.

And yes, yard play can be enough exercise. It depends on the dog and the owner's lifestyle. Not everyone can go for a hike. And some owners can't get out for walks. Running in the yard, chasing a ball, etc. is exercise and I know of many corgis who do just fine with that. Not all of mine get a walk every day. (Let alone more than one.)

Peggy