How much food

We have recently taken on our daughter's 7 year old male Westie by the name of Archie and we are not certain how much food to give him.

He has maintained a steady weight of 11kg since he was an adult and has been fed just once a day on 1 x 150 g pack of Cesar which he loves. The only problem is that on the pack it says that Cesar suggests that a dog of his weight needs 5 packs a day. Even allowing for exaggeration by Cesar, we are wondering if we are feeding him enough, even though he seems perfectly healthy and active on his one pack a day. If anything Archie looks overweight although that could just be his body shape, so just how much should we be feeding him ? In addition to the Cesar, he has two Markies for breakfast and a medium Jumbone after his morning walk but no other treats until he gets fed at 4pm.

Finally, is 11kg for a 7 year old Westie about right?

Package suggestions are often high, but 5 times as much? The last word is the dog's ribs.

Many thanks Labman. I found it difficult to relate Archie's body shape to those in the link because from what I have observed in other Westies their undercarriage is more daschound shaped. However, I agree that 5 x150g packs is way over the top but aren't the manufacturers being very irresponsible in recommending that amount? I think Archie would explode if I gave him that much!!

In the meantime I am hoping that some Westie owners might answer my queries about average weight for a 7 year old and amount to feed.

each dog is individual,there is no strict amount to feed a dog or specific breed.you should always go buy feeling the dog,you should be able to feel the spine and the ribs without digging too much,if you cant feel them the dog is being fed too much,if they are protuding too much or you can see them,the dog needs more food,simples.com

Many thanks Tupacs2legs. If that's the yardstick then I am pleased to say Archie is about right but I am still surprised there is no general guide as to what a particular breed of dog should weigh in adulthood. Take pedigree Westies for example, I thought they were more or less the same shape and size and I would have thought weight would have been a far better guide. Still, I am a newcomer to dog ownership so who am I to argue but I would still like someone to comment on his weight.

in any breed its a range,like humans, are we all the same,do we have the same metabolisms? dogs are not clones of each other but if it is a weight you want,roughly, average weight for male whwt(fit not fat) around the 8kg mark but really it means nothing because you get undersized dogs outsized dogs,honestly its best to go by the guideline i gave before good luck with dog ownership

From looking generally on the net, apparantly Westies can vary from 7-10kg; so at 11kg, I would say Archie is fine.

It's quite subjective really. I've got 2 male Boxers, same parents, same food etc. My youngest is at least half a stone heavier than my eldest (without being overweight), and is much heavier built than him too.

My only concern is that Archie gets fed once a day. I'm not sure I agree with that

If he's fairly active, then a morning and teatime feed should be OK. Imagine only having one meal a day and doing lots of exercise.

5 x 150g packs is loads!!! My boys eat about 800g a day (of dried food) and they weigh about 30kg!!!

A lot of wet food has a very high water content as well, so you may want to consider finding a good quality dried kibble instead?

Many thanks both of you for taking the trouble to reply.

I have taken onboard what you both have to say and will forget about weight as you suggest. He gets two good field walks each day and he seems fit and healthy on what we feed him, so we will just keep an eye on his physique in future.

Just as a matter of interest, Archie has amazed us with what we can only describe as real human traits and has quickly become one of the family. Never thought I would say that when we first took him on but now we could not part with him. We just want to make his life a happy one!!

I also have found that food needs vary greatly and that the 'advised' amount is huge!! I have 2 Irish Setters (part of the gang), both female and spayed, mother and daughter, same exercise, (few) treats & food etc etc. Potter is on 9oz per day and weight is fine, Molly is on 5-6oz per day & I am trying to get weight off her! Molly is the younger one and runs around more!

I am so glad Archie has made himself at home! You sound converted!

Many thanks Miss Potter - I thought for one minute I was getting a reply from one of my old teachers!!

However, although it surprises me I have finally accepted that feed requirements vary tremendously and provided Archie stays as he is and is healthy and active, I will just leave things as they are. And yes, we have fallen under his spell and would miss him terribly if he weren't there when we get up in the morning.