Why is it important to give our dog good nutrition?
Before starting to talk about how many grams of food a dog should eat, it would be important to know what factors can influence the way we have to feed our furry friend, and what amount we should give him.
The most important factors to take into account are:
- Weight: Our dog should have a healthy weight, so if he is overweight or underweight, we should consider changing his diet, either temporarily or permanently. We can consult our veterinarian to advise us on how to do it.
- Activity: a dog that is very active, that goes for long walks, runs a lot, should not be fed the same as one whose walks are shorter and likes to sleep a lot, for example.
- Age: the diet varies depending on the age of the dogs, whether they are puppies, adults or old people.
- Type of food: feed is not the same as wet dog food . In each case, the amounts will be different.
It is very important that our pet has a balanced diet that provides proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water.
With this we will ensure that you have good muscle tone, that your muscles develop perfectly, that you have healthy teeth, etc. All of this contributes to a healthier and longer life, and thus we avoid infections and possible health problems.
So that we can feed our dog correctly, and offer it a diet with all its nutrients, we first need to know how much food a dog should eat.
How often should a dog eat and how much should I give it?
Knowing how many times a dog eats a day is not as important as knowing how much we should give it.
There is no rule on this topic, but generally feeding twice a day is a good option, which many veterinarians recommend. But it can vary depending on:
- Age.
- Race.
- If you have medical problems or special dietary needs.
Most veterinarians do not recommend leaving food for them all day and not following certain schedules, as this can cause obesity.
Planning a meal schedule is important so that our dog feels part of the family, develops eating habits and does not get bored.
There is no specific amount of food that we should give to our furry friend, since each one of them has different needs, but there are some guidelines that can help us guide ourselves to know how many grams of food a dog should eat.
The most important thing is to know how much you should eat per day. We can use a food table according to age, or there are also online calculators that can give us a starting point. In addition, generally in all feed bags we can find the recommended daily dose for your pet's weight (we can take this as an indicative reference).
With this basis, we can create a schedule that will help us give them the food they need and thus avoid anxiety, obesity and other health problems that can arise from poor nutrition.
The most common is one meal in the morning and another at night, although if we want to give it one or three times a day, we do so with the daily ration adapted to the number of feedings.
How much food should I give my dog based on his age?
Most of us usually use the indications that we read on the labels of conventional feed, this is not entirely correct since they are calculated on standards, and do not take into account the needs of each dog.
Online calculators tend to be much more useful since they ask you for certain habits, race, size..., and the calculations are somewhat more specific.
How to feed a puppy
Puppies grow quickly, which is why they need more food so they can develop optimally, especially bones and organs.
It is very important that there is enough calcium in your diet for your bones to grow properly, and in the long run to avoid bone problems. Knowing exactly how many grams a puppy should eat is complicated, it is best to get advice from a good veterinarian.
They usually need less food, but more frequently in the first months so that their stomachs get used to it. From 4 months onwards they can eat 3 times a day, and then they can get used to it with two meals a day.
It is very important that we get them used to a schedule from when they are puppies.
If you have two dogs at home, and one of them is already an adult, you could ask yourself the question "can I give my puppy adult food?" The answer is yes, but it is not appropriate.
Puppy food is prepared especially for this stage of growth, and does not contain the same nutrients as food for an adult dog.
Feeding an adult dog
To know how many grams of food an adult or senior dog should eat, one of the most important factors to take into account is its activity level. A very active adult dog is not the same as a senior dog that craves more. be lying down resting.
Senior dogs usually need less calories than younger dogs, since they tend to lead a less active life. Therefore, we recommend that if your dog is over 7 years old, you start giving him a senior feed .
It is important to know how often an adult dog should eat since at this stage of their life they are somewhat more sedentary, and if we do not monitor the amount of food they can suffer from obesity.
Adult dogs usually eat 2 times a day.
All food brands have special feed and wet food for each of the stages of a dog's life, and in them we can see the specifications for the recommended quantities.
How many grams of feed should a dog eat depending on its size?
According to the AKC (American Kennel Club), the times a dog should eat depending on its size would be:
- Toy and small breeds, between 4 and 6 times a day.
- Medium Breeds 3 meals a day.
- Large breeds between 3 and 4 meals a day.
Food for small dogs
PetMD (group of veterinary experts in pet health) gives us a general rule to know how much we should give our small dog, they indicate 3/4 cup to half a cup per day.
Among the small dog breeds, we can find chihuahuas, pomeranians, maltese bichon or dwarf or toy poodles, among others.
In the case of a Toy dog, the recommended amount is less than 1/3 cup to half a cup per day.
Both small dogs and Toy dogs need to eat less but more frequently.
These small dogs are more prone to diseases, so good nutrition, schedule patterns and the correct amount will help us prevent them.
Food for medium dogs
In this case PetMD recommends 3/4 cup to 1 and a half cups per day.
Here we find dogs such as beagles, bulldogs, border collies.
These dogs in their puppy stage usually need to eat about 4 times a day, once they reach 6 months of age, 3 times is enough, but we must increase the amount progressively as they grow.
If we see that he is gaining weight too quickly, we will have to give him less food.
Food for large dogs
For large dogs, PetMD recommends 3 to 4 and a half cups per day.
These breeds such as German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, Great Dane... usually have a maxi dog food that contains all the nutrients they need and larger kibbles.
They need more food than the little ones, since being larger, their physiological needs are different.
Tips and recommendations
Knowing each breed and its needs well will also help us know the amount of food to give them. To do this, if you have a mini or toy dog, we recommend that you find information on a small breed dog blog , where you will find a lot of information about different breeds and their particularities.
Knowing how dogs should eat is important to feed them properly, and get them used to habits that will be beneficial for them.
Learning how I should feed a dog is essential for it to live many years.
Our recommendation, after experimenting with different types of food and diet, would be to feed the puppy dog 3 times a day, and an adult dog 2 times a day.
