how much to feed a Shiba?

Niko

Hi, I was wondering how much or how often do you feed your Shibas? And how often they usually poop? I have a 6 month old Shiba, about 10.5 lbs, and I feed her about a cup of Orijen kibbles twice a day. She always has a big appetite and finishes her food, but she poops A LOT. I mean a lot as in the amount per poo and she poops frequently. Her stool is usually pretty firm. I also checked her stool at the vet, and she doesn't have any bugs. I hope I'm not over feeding her, but she's still a healthy size, and other Shiba owners say she's pretty small for her age. I used to feed her Natural Balance and she also pooped a lot. I was hoping changing a better quality food will make her poop less, but it doesn't seem to work. Is it normal for a young Shiba to poop this much???

tsukitsune

There are feeding instructions on the bag - follow them. You'll want to feed at the weight she will ideally be. With a female shiba, 18-20lbs is a safe number until they are adults.

With grain free foods, they are moderately high in calories and fat (and protein), so you feed less than you would a food with grains.

At 6 months old, my shiba was fed twice a day and eliminating (stool) twice a day.

KFontaine04

Puppies poop a lot. My 8 Month old Shiba poops 2-3 times per day. Sometimes more depending on what "yummy" things she finds to eat in our yard :P

dlroberts

Just like humans, dogs have differing metabolic rates. Depending on her genetics and how much exercise she gets, her caloric intake will vary. Both my pups get 3/4 of a cup twice a day, and both are slightly underweight, but still healthy IMO. I'm constantly (every month or so) adjusting the amount of food they get based on their weight fluctuation. At 6 months old, your pup is still growing and will likely need more nutrition than she will when she's older. A full cup twice a day at face value seems a bit high, but it all depends on your specific case. If she's in good body condition, then you've got nothing to worry about.