Two of the most common questions regarding dog nutrition are: how much should my dog eat? And how often do you have to feed it? The answers to these two questions depend on many factors such as the age of the dog, its level of physical activity, diseases or medical conditions that it may have, dog food that you offer, etc.
The best person to tell you how much and how often you should feed your dog is undoubtedly your veterinarian, especially if we are talking about a puppy or elderly dog. However, on our site we offer you some tips that can help you in terms of schedules and amounts of food for your pet.
Discover how many times a dog should eat a day below:
How to choose a good dog food?
To begin with, you should know that the dog, regardless of its age or breed, will need a quality dietwhether it is feed or homemade food. If you have doubts, you can always go to a veterinarian for guidance, but the basic thing will be to guide us by its size and physical activity.
For example; on the market there are specific feeds for giant dogs that have a high calcium content. That's perfect as it helps strengthen bones that will have to bear a lot of weight. Don't forget that there are many different varieties:
- Puppy
- Junior
- Adult
- Senior
- Toy dogs
- Small dogs
- Medium dogs
- Large Dogs
- Giant dogs
Finally, remember that the dog is an animal that appreciates routine and perseverance. This helps you orient yourself and feel comfortable in your surroundings. For this reason it is advisable to always choose the same times and places for feeding. Whether in one, two or three takes. Properly choosing the food for our dog is vital, you should know that many dogs do not want to eat food because it is not suitable for them or is of low quality.
You can always combine the feed with a little homemade food or wet food.
How often should a puppy eat?
Generally speaking, the frequency with which you should feed your dog is higher when he is a puppy and decreases as he gets older. Unless your dog has a clinical condition that requires different rates, you can use the following recommendations as a general guide:
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Puppies up to 8 weeks of age: Up to 8 weeks of age, puppies feed on their mother's milk, so they should be with his mother and brothers. Separating them prematurely is detrimental to good socialization, in addition to the fact that artificial food, such as artificial milk formula, does not provide adequate protection for the little one.
From the third or fourth week they are you can start offering some small semi-solid bites to get them used to solid food. For this, you can mix a little puppy food with water. From the age of six weeks you can already offer the puppies puppy food about 4 times a day (consult the veterinarian to choose the food), but should still be able to drink breast milk. Remember to always choose a quality food and adapted to its size.
- Puppies 2 to 3 months old: Must be fed at least 4 times a day. In some very small breeds, such as Chihuahuas or Yorkshire Terriers, it may be necessary to feed the puppies up to 5 times a day to avoid hypoglycemia.
- Puppies from 3 to 6 months of age: at this stage the puppy is already well used to solid food. We will begin to reduce your usual dose for a smaller number of intakes. They should receive food 3 times a day.
- Puppies from 6 months to 1 year of age: at this point your dog should start receiving food only twice a day. This will help you better keep schedules and adjust to your next adult life.
- Dogs over 1 year of age: From one year of age, the dog can eat once or twice a day. Some people find it more comfortable to feed their dogs just once a day, while others find it better to give them the same portion spread over the morning and evening.
The puppy dog stage is very important for good development. That means that a quality feed, an adequate routine and moderate feed will be essential. Don't forget to go to your vet to make sure your puppy is developing well.
How often should an adult dog eat?
Adult dogs can be fed without problem in one or two daily feedings At this stage their digestive system is stronger and more stable, and at Unlike what happens with other animals, the dog does not need to eat regularly to keep its intestinal transit active.
Don't forget to occasionally change your menu so that you feel motivated and happy to receive food you like. Also, in the diet of the adult dog, we must include the prizes that we will use to reward him using positive reinforcement.
You can offer your dog all kinds of snacks if he is at a he althy weight and you consider that he completely burns the caloric intake. However, if in doubt, you can choose buy low-calorie snacksAlthough these tend to be slightly more expensive, they are very beneficial for preventing obesity in dogs.
The right amount of food for the dog
On average, adult dogs eat about 2% or 3% of their body weight each day. However, this depends on the age of the dog, the caloric intake of the food in question, the physical activity that your dog performs and the optimal weight for his size and physical build.
As it is not possible to give general guidelines for all these factors, the bags of dog food themselves offer general recommendations based on weight Use those recommendations as a general guide and from there decide if you are going to give him a little more or a little less than what is indicated on the bag. Keep in mind that very active dogs (for example, who do dog sports like agility or go jogging with you), will need a little more food than dogs that do not do much physical activity. Always consult the packaging of your pet's food and follow the marked instructions.
In any case, it is important that you weigh your dog once a month to know if he maintains, reduces or increases his weight. If you think that your dog has weight problems or you have any doubts about the amount to give, consult your veterinarian.
