12 replies to this topic

[Renee]

Just got my Cairn (mix) yesterday from a rescue group. He is about a year old and had been a stray for 6 months. Other than getting over a bout with kennel cough (he was on antibiotics), he is presumably healthy, although skinny. He seems remarkably friendly to everyone, including kids and other dogs, despite having a rough year.

He has a great appetite now that the kennel cough is getting better. He is still pretty skinny, though. The shelter got him about 3 weeks ago and they said he had already put on some weight. He didn't have much appetite they said when the kennel cough started. He's about 12 pounds right now. My main question is how much food to give him. The directions on the bag indicate about 3/4 - 1 1/8 cup per day for his size. So I was figuring on about 1/3 c. three times a day. When I give him the food he inhales it. I feel like he would just keep eating if I offered it to him. He is skinny, so I wonder if I should give him more to start with so he'll fill out a bit? Or should I get him some puppy food that has more stuff that's good for growing? I'm just sure what to do.

Thanks for the help!

[oscar's mom]

Definitly talk to your vet about this. Cairns are usually 12-15lbs. They are seem to not get enough food. You will get used to it. You can give him veggies as treats, like carrots. If he's hungry he will eat it.
Enjoy your little guy.

[Oliver's Mom]

Just for a guideline, I feed 1/3 cup of food twice a day. Then we also will add some treats throughout the day for training/good job reasons. There was a previous post on the board about Cairns always seeming to be hungry, even after they just ate, I think it is part of the breed to always "act" hungry. Not that your little guy does this but just to let you know so you don't overfeed him because of guilt. Give him time to adjust and some good love and he will "fill out" in no time.

Good luck and congrat's!!

[sanford]

I can confirm for you what the others have posted. My cairn also eats as if he's starving, even though he'd be overwight if I didn't monitor his food intake. It's just the way cairns are; it sounds like you're feeding the proper amount.

[Autumn&Molly]

Molly is a bit different in the feeding department. She never acts like she is starving. Sometimes, in fact, she just couldn't be bothered with eating. She is nearly two years old. We got her when she was one. For the first month or two, she was eating about a cup of food (1/2 cup 2x a day). Now it's more like 2/3 cup per day (1/3 cup 2x a day). She is a very healthy weight (she was 14.5 lbs. at the vet last Friday). We "free feed" (which I realize does not work for everyone/every Cairn!) I just put 1/3 cup in her bowl in the morning. If she eats it during the day, then she gets another 1/3 cup in the evening. If she doesn't eat it, I might add a tiny bit more at dinnertime, and then she'll eat. (For some reason, she always, always leaves about 10 pieces of kibble in her bowl. We joke it is because she is a "lady" and doesn't lick her plate/bowl clean.) She also gets a few treats during the day, like a piece of apple, a piece of dehydrated sweet potato, maybe some shredded carrot, or chews on her bully stick.

I don't know about the puppy food. Your dog is year old, but since your little guy spent so much time on the street, he didn't get very good nutrition. That is definitely something to ask the vet. He might eat a lot at first, and then "level off" when he realizes that he now has a constant food source. Some dogs never get over that. Our last dog spent some time as a stray, and we had her for 8 years. Until she died, she would often hide her food around the house. I guess she never got over the mentality that her food source might be taken away at some time.

[Kit'sOwner]

Your dog could be acting that way if he was ever in a situation where other dogs stole his food or he had to eat it quickly before other dogs did. My 10 month old female is going through a "take it or leave it" stage....sometimes she eats and sometimes she doesn't. If she's not in the mood, I pick it up off the floor and offer it later. I give her a 1/4 cup twice a day with spare treats in between. Cheese for recall training in the dog park (it HAS to be good for recall training in the dog park) and dehydrated liver or grain free biscuits for other training. She's a small Cairn - about 11 pounds - and I don't think she's going to get any bigger. At any rate, I would be cautious about giving him more as it appears to you that he is starving; that's a quick way to an obese dog and a whole slew of associated health problems.

[Renee]

Thanks for the replies everyone! You've made some good points. I will def. not not start giving him more than I have been. I'm taking him to the vet this week, so hopefully they will have some advice specific to Kipper.

[cairnrescueleague]

Make sure your vet does heartworm and fecal tests if he hasn't had them already. Depending on where you're located, your vet may want to do a 3DX heartworm test (also tests for Lyme and ehrlichia) or a 4DX (also tests for anaplasmosis). We would also do a mini-blood panel on a dog that had been a stray for 6 months. What is the little fellow's name?

[Renee]

cairnrescueleague, on 07 February 2010 - 06:57 PM, said:

Make sure your vet does heartworm and fecal tests if he hasn't had them already. Depending on where you're located, your vet may want to do a 3DX heartworm test (also tests for Lyme and ehrlichia) or a 4DX (also tests for anaplasmosis). We would also do a mini-blood panel on a dog that had been a stray for 6 months. What is the little fellow's name?

His name is Kipper. He's had tests/vaccines for Rabies, ADHL and Parvo, Heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia and Kennel Cough. However, he has/had Kennel Cough. He took an antibiotic for 10 days and apparently is much better, but he still coughs sometimes. He is eating and drinking well, though. Don't reckon he's had a mini-blood panel, anaplasmosis or fecal test.

Hopefully I can get him in at the vet today to just make sure everything's okay and get some more of my questions answered.

[Sandi16]

Yes, I posted a few weeks ago about my "starving dogs". My husband swore I wasn't feeding them enough, and they would both act so hungry, like they were wasting away. Actually, I took Louie to the vet last week and were told he was too fat. So, he's been on a diet. So, I have proof that he wasn't wasting away, it was quite the opposite!!

Like Brad said the only keeping his cairns from being fifty lbs is a measuring cup and a cold, cold heart. That cracked me up!

[Renee]

Well, I took the li'l guy to the vet and overall things look good. The vet did agree he seemed a bit skinny, so he suggested giving him about 1/2 cup of food 3x a day, instead of 1/3 cup. Then once he plumps up a little, I can back off.

He also wants me to continue the antibiotic a bit longer for the Kennel Cough, since he's still coughing some, and should still stay away from other dogs until the cough is gone.

Edited by Renee, 08 February 2010 - 11:00 AM.

[Hawkeye]

Glad to hear the vet checked Kipper out and he's improving. Poor li'l guy, can't begin to imagine what he went through as a stray for 6 months. I'm so glad he has found a new forever home with you. He will reward you with years of fun!

[MacFluff]

My Sarah Cinderella was adopted at 10 weeks. She always ate like she was starving. As she got older, she didn't seem to be gaining much weight. And yet, she ate as if she was starving. I got one of the bowls with a hump in the middle so she had to go around the bowl to eat, hoping that she would eat slower and not choke so much. She still ate as if she was starving.

I talked to the vet and he suggested a blood test to be safe. As it turned out, Sarah was missing an enzyme in her system. Now, we supplement her food with an enzyme pill in each meal. She still is waiting for her food, but now eats normally AND she is now at a good weight.

Just food for though -- ha-ha.