I see a lot of people on here feeding their chis different times of the day, three or four, and maybe its just the type of food they eat, but how often am I really supposed to feed Cricket? I don't want to overfeed her (as she is already gaining some much needed weight) but I don't want to underfeed her either. Please help. I feed her wet food. Pedigree. A whole package, I give her half in the morning and the other half at night. She seems ok with it, and if she's acting hungry again, I'll give her another half a package. I'm just curious. I want what's best for her.

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How old is Cricket? If she is a puppy under 6 months she will need to be fed 3-4 times a day. If she's older than that twice a day would be fine. Also consider supplementing her diet with some bones such as raw chicken wings for her teeth a couple of times a week, this can be in place of a meal.

Pedigree is not really a good dog food. There are much better foods that are better for her, not just a lot of fillers that she doesn't need and are hard for a dog to break down and process. I personally feed a grain-free food because of all the different allergies my dogs have. There is regular kibble that is made better, with no corn or wheat which is the main cause of allergies. And some here feed raw or premade raw. I personally do not like the canned food, I think it sticks to their teeth and cause more rot and tarter. IMHO If you like the canned, be sure to give chew sticks or chew toys to help get the teeth cleaned.

Here's a web site that breaks down the dog food, it's recommnded for chis to get a 5 to 6 star food. They are a bit more expensive, but they need less because there is no fillers. As for feeding times, I'll let someone else talk to you about that as I free feed all my dogs.

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Thank you Jan for the wonderful siggy!

I would switch her to a better food to start with, and then feed her 2-3 times per day.

I like this site for finding good foods:

dogfoodanalysis.com

Some good grain-free kibbles are:

Taste Of the Wild (probably the least expensive)
Acana/Orijen
Fromm

You could also try a pre-made raw such as Ziwipeak, or Stella and Chewys.

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Thanks LS!

I agree with the better food options and kibble is better for chis than wet as they tend to have dental problems anyway.

I free feed all of my chis so kibble is available all the time. Chis tend to be snackers I think. twice a day they get a 'meal'. This is usually eggs, or meat, or fish mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt and kibbles.

And I feed wysong epigen which is starch free.. not grain free but starch free..

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Cricket won't eat dry food. She will starve herself before she goes near it. She is small enough already, she doesn't need to lose anymore weight. Is brushing her teeth ok? I know they make doggie toothpaste.

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The only one I had that came to me with a feeding problem supposedly was Delilah. She was skin and bones and was just getting over a broken pelvis. I free feed. She learned that what was in the bowl was all she was going to get. It took a bit, but she gained a pound and three ounces and looks so much healthier.

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Thank you Jan for the wonderful siggy!

She can be on a canned food but you really need to have her on a good quality one. Kibble is no more helpful to teeth. What you are feeding now will not help her health.

Not certain the pouch variety but you can see that the one I selected and list here is a 1 star food:
Dog Food Reviews - Pedigree Little Champions Chunks in Gravy with beef - Powered by ReviewPost

Many here feed Ziwipeak canned and Wellness canned. I am certain that there are others as well, like these, that earn 5-6 stars.
You will be shocked at the difference a higher quality food makes to her eyes, coat, skin and teeth. I certainly was.

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photos-Jennifer Hague, fixyourimages.com