does anybody know how much dry complete food a Shiatsu X should eat each day please.?

[kaye r]

My friend has a Shiatsu X, and he's like a little barrel (fat) on legs in my opinion.
i think that she is feeding him to much and he does'nt get much exercise either, she feeds him them little pouches of dog meat and complete dry dog food,
Does anybody know how much dry food it should have per day in weight,? ounces would be good but i can convert metric for her. Iam only thinking of the dogs health and i know that a fat dog is not a healty one, the dog is only four years old and woddles around like something dead old. i have a dog myself a lurcher x german sheppard, she is nearly ten now but very fit and active loving pooch that she is.
if anybody has other info on Shitzo X dogs about health problems i would greatly apreciate it. i'm only thinking of my friends dog's health thats all. I am getting her to walk him more now, as she is a bit of a lazy owner and we have had words about this to her, about not walking him enough.

 

[Ninni]

we have bred shihtzu's for years (hopin u just spelt it wrong or i am on about the wrong breed) we never starve the dogs, but we dont go off there weight either, if the hungry the get fed, just like a human, they are neither overweight nor under weight, ( vets say so!) but we have always called the eldest tessa the tank (hence she a walkin barrel on legs to look at!) lol. they go for rare walks (due to the fact they sit down and refuse to move wen they are tired! and you end up carryin them!) but they have free run of the garden wen they want it.
But then again i aint no vet, so i wouldnt no the condition ov the dog so still get more info if u can, just tellin you what i know from personal experience.

 

[Collie]

Lines two and three sum up the answer to your query. Why is your friend feeding dog meat AND a complete food Complete means what it says...COMPLETE!

 

[anwen55]

Dogs are like people, different dogs need different amounts. If your friend's dog is overweight, then it's eating too much & overweight dogs are more prone to many diseases than fit dogs. Never go off the amount the packet tells you a dog needs. The food manufacturers always put the maximum amount - the dog eats more, so the owner buys more! Tell your friend, she's killing her dog!

 

[OntarioGreys]

depending on the quality of a dog food the amount suggested by size of dog varies alot for example some of the highest quality of foods recommend I feed my 80 lbs greyhound 2 cups a day the cheapest foods would be 8 cups a day

On the back of side of the dog food bag she is feeding there will be feeding guidelines which is based on size, the amounts suggested are for normal active dogs so you need to feed a bit more for very active dogs and less for couch potatoes. If your friend has cut back and dog still not losing weight then a vet visit is inorder as it could be a sign of hypothyroidism.

I also have a greyhound that was gaining weight eating 1 1/2 cups a day of diet food (nutro natural choice Light) he was up to 96 lbs but gaining 1 pound a month with low normal thyroid test results, gaining weight faster than on a regular food, someone suggested eliminating the grains from his diet so I switched to EVO still 1 1/2 cups but twice the calorie and his weight started dropping, which meant he was not metabolizing grains properly
so now down the 84 lbs, (6 lbs over his racing weight and holding)

This site here gives a list of health issues for shih tzus, include bad teeth to the list my moms died or heart and kidney problems

http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/shihtzu.htm