Fresh food feeders, does your dogs weight fluctuate..

 I rarely ever weigh my dogs but it is pretty normal for all creatures to have some variance in their weight from day to day.

 I will have a good answer in a couple of weeks. Emma is on a new diet, more carefully weighed and measured, and I will be weighing  her weekly.

It seems normal to me.. Sam's weight does that too. I think it's just when you weigh them, like - they will weigh less after a poo but will weigh more after feeding.

My aunt's dog weighs anywhere from 32# to 37#. Her vet said it's completely normal - as long as they dont drop more then 5 - 10#'s, they're fine.

I could also be the seasons(my dogs weigh more in the winter then in the summer).

I dont feed fresh - neither does my aunt. So I'm not sure that I'm any help...

Was just wondering if it's more common on fresh foods because of the moisture content, I don't feed the same amount either on a daily basis. If he's been running a lot on one particular day, I'll give him more that day versus a day he's more relaxed.

I try to weigh all my dogs at least once a month, I'm paranoid about them getting the slightest bit heavy as it's VERY hard to get the excess weight off once it starts to come on. I've been down that road before and it's very hard on their joints.

My 2 little dogs both have luxating patella issue's, and the bigger dog is a Nova Scotia Retriever, of which the Retrievers in general are notorius weight gainers; so I try to be very careful in weighing them every month so that I can see what's happening before it becomes too obvious.

 I think its normal for dogs in general. I feed raw/prey model (does that count as fresh?) and also feed some kibble. I weigh them regularly, usually once a week or so. Some seem to stay about the same most of the time but others do fluctuate, I'd say a few lbs difference is their normal. Even at times when they look the same they don't always weigh the same.

 I feed half fresh and half grain free kibble and I would say they flex a bit on weight, but not enough to have ever caused me to really take notice or go and have them weighed. They are small dogs (16 pounds and 18 pounds (cockers) so a few ounces on them is pounds on a larger breed!

I do a 'body condition check" once a week and find that during season changes especially that I often feel the need to change on an almost weekly basis the amount of food required per dog to keep them in the condition I want them in.

stanton

Was just wondering if it's more common on fresh foods because of the moisture content, I don't feed the same amount either on a daily basis. If he's been running a lot on one particular day, I'll give him more that day versus a day he's more relaxed.

  It may help to know how many calories are in the foods you're using so you'll know if the amount of calories they're getting varies much from day to day. This website has nutritional information for just about any food you can think of;  http://www.nutritiondata.com

 My two are on raw and they do tend to fluctuate quite easily in that if you change the amount they get it makes a fair bit of difference even for a small amount. I don't weigh them a lot, but I'm playing around with Penny's at the moment as she is becoming a lot less active and it's difficult to work out how much food she needs while still keeping the weight off her.

I don't measure what I give them anymore as it seemed like more work than I really need to do. I judge with my eye, which I know to be pretty good because when I was measuring I could generally dish out the amount I wanted in one go and be pretty damn close. At any rate, Kivi hasn't been more or less than 19.x kg since he was about 6 months old. That's not much of a fluctuation, really. 

mudpuppy

I do a 'body condition check" once a week and find that during season changes especially that I often feel the need to change on an almost weekly basis the amount of food required per dog to keep them in the condition I want them in.

I do the same thing.  There usually isn't a big fluctuation, but there are weeks when the dogs feel a little too heavy, or a little to thin.  I just adjust their food amounts accordingly.

 I home-cook and I vary the ingredients constantly, but it's pretty much the same ratio of "kinds" of veggies/meat (i.e., one week it's one kind of root veg vs. another, or one cruciate vs. another, and I rotate meats/fish, etc.).  I also add fruit/juice so it really stays pretty consistent.  I simply watch them carefully and adjust it if it seems necessary.  I have one dog (Billy) who could gain easily, and one (Luna) I almost can't keep weight ON her.  Some of it has to do with weather and how much fluid they retain as well.  I don't over-work it -- I just back off on portion or add some if I think someone looks thin or heavy.

 Ya, my dogs change almost weekly too.  I don't weigh them though as the only way to do that is to stand on the scale while holding them and its impossible to see the numbers in such a case.  Plus our exercise changes all the time as well, so adjusting their servings weekly is about the only way I can keep a handle on that.