amount to feed

Question
I have recently (1 1/2 maonths ago) rescued a golden lab.  When I found her she was very skinny, her hip bones showed.  We have always had siberian husky dogs and still have one now.  My siberians are not very food motivated.  They eat when they're hungry and sometimes that means they even skip a day.  My lab appears to never be full.  I think a lot of this is due to her not being fed and cared for.  We have put a considerable amount of weight on her, but I'm not sure how much is to much to feed her.  We feel so bad because of her past that I don't want to see her hungry, but she eats like a horse.  She eats the cat food if we don't watch her, she eats our siberians food, she even eats out of the litter box if we turn our backs.

Answer
Hello Sue and thank you for your question.

Welcome to owning a Lab! Labrador retrievers are VERY food motivated and will eat off counters, out of garbage cans/eat another dogs treats or rawhides and steal cat food as well lol. They will eat anything so anyone who owns a lab must take care they don't get over weight. Its always good to hear of someone rescuing a dog I always say, My labrador was skinny when I bought her, at three months her ribs were showing and I had got her from a breeder!(a very horride one I mind you). A female lab should weigh in at 60/70 pounds my girl is 71 or 72 right now I'm cutting out milk bones and fatty things right now as she has put on 1 or 2 pounds she normaly is 70.1. I reccomend feeding what the bag of food says I feed my dogs free choice and the food is always down, i've never been able to get them to eat at the time the dish is offered. They are fed food for over weight dogs she has maintained an ok weight with this and my other dog(a jack russell terrier is the perfect weight as well). For a dog around 60 pounds 4 1/2 cups of good quaility food should be enough daily. My lab will put her paws on the counter and try paw things far back down to eat, she will stick her head in teh fridge when you open it.... lol and watches you very closey when you eat, she will eat anything and a little while after I got her I realized All labs are genraly this way and get fat easily. Also for treats I'm not sure if you give them or not but if you do give only low fat treats or other higher fat treats infreqintly as I have been giving my lab and other dog peddigree breath busters lately around 3 a day and shes been sneaking some table scraps recinitly and already she has gained weight and I walk her everyday! She is also Very active with my toher dog running and wreasling all the the time in our yard but she gains weight very, very easily its shocking sometimes really. And for the cat food dogs really shouldnt have it its very high in protine(compare a good brand of dog food to a good brand of cat food the protine levels and fat also), puppies need more protine then adult dogs for growing but that doesnt mea you should feed them cat food it just means that if you were to feed an adult perfect weight dog puppy food it would put on weight quickly, so maybe try putting the cat food up high on a table or shelf somewhere or over a baby gate where only the cats can jump and go eat, the same with the little boxes my sister has a cupple of kitties and the person shes living with has a golden ret/lab X and they have to put up a baby gate in front of a spare room and put the cats food and litter pan in there it works great as long as your dog doesnt knock the gate over then your in truble.

I hope this has helped you out if you need more info or help with anything else feel free to email anytime and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, thanks.