Content
- How to choose a good dog food?
- How often should a dog eat?
- How often should an adult dog eat?
- The amount of food suitable for the dog
Two of the most common questions about dog nutrition are: how much should my dog eat? And how often should I feed it? The answers to these two questions depend on many factors such as the dog's age, its level of physical activity, illnesses or medical conditions it may have, the dog food you give it, etc.
The best person to indicate how much and how often you should feed your puppy is without a doubt your veterinarian, especially if we are talking about a puppy or an older dog. However, at PeritoAnimal we offer you some advice that can help with regard to times and amounts of food for your pet.
find it out how much and how often should you eat your dog then.
How to choose a good dog food?
For starters, you should know that the dog, regardless of its age or breed, will need a quality food, whether it's feed or homemade food. If in doubt you can always go to a veterinarian to guide you, but the basics will be to be guided by your size and physical activity.
For example, in the market there are specific rations for giant dogs that have a high calcium content. This is perfect as it helps to strengthen bones that will have to carry a lot of weight. Don't forget that there are many different varieties:
- puppy or puppy
- Junior
- adult
- Senior
- dogs toy
- small dogs
- medium dogs
- big dogs
- giant dogs
Remember that the dog is an animal that appreciates routine and constancy. This helps you orient yourself and feel comfortable in your environment. For this reason it is recommended to always choose the same times and places for meals. Whether it's once, twice or three times. Choosing the right food for our dog is vital, you must know that many dogs do not want to eat food, since it is not suitable for him or is of low quality.
You can always combine the feed with a little homemade food or moist food.
How often should a dog eat?
In general terms, the frequency with which you should feed your dog is greater when it is a puppy and decreases as it grows. Unless your dog has a medical condition that requires different frequencies, you can use the following recommendations as a general guide:
- Puppies up to 8 weeks of age: up to 8 weeks of age, puppies are fed on breast milk, so they must be with their mother and siblings. Separating them prematurely is detrimental to good socialization, and in addition, artificial food, such as artificial breast milk, does not provide adequate protection for the offspring.
From the third or fourth week onwards, you can start offering the puppies semi-solid bites so that they will get used to solid food. For this, you can mix some dog food with water.
From six weeks onwards, you can already offer puppies food for puppies about 4 times a day (consult your veterinarian to choose the food), but they must still be able to drink breast milk. Remember to always choose a quality food adapted to your size. - Puppies from 2 to 3 months of age: must receive food at least 4 times a day. In some very small breeds, such as chihuahuas or yorkshire terriers, it may be necessary to feed the dogs up to 5 times a day to avoid hypoglycaemia.
- 3 to 6 month old dog: at this stage the puppy is already used to solid food. You should start reducing your usual dose to a smaller number of meals. They must receive food 3 times a day.
- Puppies from 6 months to 1 year old: at this point your dog should start receiving food only twice a day. This will help you keep schedules better and adjust to your next stage of adult life.
- Dogs over 1 year old: from one year of age, the dog can eat once or twice a day. For some people it is more convenient to feed their dogs only once a day, while others it seems better to give them the same ration but spread out in the morning and in the afternoon.
The puppy stage is very important for a development. This means that a quality feed, a proper routine and moderate feed will be essential. Don't forget to go to the vet to make sure your dog is developing well.
How often should an adult dog eat?
Adult dogs can feed without problems in one or two meals a day. At this stage, your digestive system is stronger and more stable, and 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 vary your menu so that you feel motivated and happy to receive food you like. On the other hand, in the adult dog's diet, we must include prizes that we use to reward him using positive reinforcement.
You can offer your dog all kinds of snacks if he is healthy and considers that he completely burns this caloric supply. However, if you have any doubts, you can choose to snacks low in calories. Although these are usually slightly more expensive, they are very beneficial in preventing obesity in dogs.
The amount of food suitable for the dog
On average, adult dogs eat around 2% or 3% of your body weight each day. However, this depends on the dog's age, the calories in the food in question, the physical activity you do with your dog and the optimal weight for its size and physical context.
As it is not possible to give general information for all these factors, the dog food packages themselves offer general recommendations based on weight of the dog. Use these recommendations as a general guide and from them decide whether to give a little more or a little less than what is indicated on the package. Keep in mind that very active dogs (for example, those who play sports like agility or who go out running with you), need a little more food than dogs that don't do much physical activity. Always check 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 see if it maintains, reduces or increases its weight. If you think your dog has weight problems or have any questions about how much to give him, consult your veterinarian.
