Casual muncher now wolfer

[Isabelle]

Dutchess (4 pounds) gets a few pellets in the morning with a small carrot and some greens from my mom about 5:30 every monrning. I used to give her 1/4 cup of pellets and greens at about 2 in the afternoon, only changing it if I wouldn’t be around at that time. She would nibble a few here, and a few there, and sometimes have a little left over in the morning, so my mom wouldn’t give her pellets. I noticed her getting a little thicker on the belly lately (not just winter coat), so I’ve started to cut down a bit on pellets, giving about 3/4 cup of a 1/4 of a cup of pellets. All of a sudden she sits and wolfs down almost her entire ration when I give it to her! I switched her now for five o’clock feeding, because she’s more apt to have a few left over for nighttime, otherwise they’d be gone. She now sits and licks and licks her empty food dish at night. She can’t be starving, and my parents are like give her more pellets she’s starving! And I’m like she gets free choice hay, then greens, and pellets are third on the list, if I give her more she’ll get fat, and is already starting to get a bit chubby. Is this way of eating changing because she is hungrier, is she bothered by the slightly less quantity, or because she just loves them so much?  I don’t know. I don’t like her wolfing her pellets, I can say that much.

[Beka27]

I would just give one set amount daily. No more, no less. She can have between 1/8-1/4 cup a day. Pick an amount and stick with with it. As you know, hay should be the bulk of her diet, followed by veggies. Pellets are just a little added something to round out nutrition. Once the pellets are gone from the bowl (whether it take her 10 minutes or 10 hours), that’s all she gets til that time the next day.

[Isabelle]

Thanks Beka

[Author]

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