Quote:There are three methods described for feeding puppies: free choice, amount restricted, and time-restricted feeding. Free choice feeding is easiest but not appropriate in the prevention of orthopedic diseases and obesity. Amount restricted feeding requires recalculation of food quantity as the dog grows. Recommending that an owner feed 60% to 75% of ad libitum intake is not a useful concept, particularly for new pet owners. Time-restricted feeding may be the most practical; however, the appropriate amount of time is seemingly different among puppies. Some puppies consume too much food in 5 minutes, whereas others can have access to food for 30 minutes without overeating. Labrador retriever puppies, ranging in age from 8 to 34 weeks, fed two 30 minute meals a day are reported to have consumed 15% less than paired littermates fed ad libitum,(12) but final body weights were only slightly less in the time-restricted feeding group (28.3 kg versus 27.2 kg). One other useful piece of information is that growing dogs consume between 2.1% and 5% of their body weight in food daily matter when offered a palatable diet free choice.(13) There are no published growth curves for a variety of canine breeds such that an individual dog's growth could be compared with the breed average. This information may be available for certain breeds from large pet nutrition centers and may be useful to practicing veterinarians if compiled and published.
