How much should a dog eat per meal?

Jun 23,2024
8Min

It is not good for a dog to eat too much or too little. For people who have never raised a dog, the first question is what to feed the dog? How to feed it? In the past, dog food was not on the market, so owners mostly used Feeding leftovers, chicken, chicken necks, etc. to dogs saves money but is troublesome. Nowadays, there are various types of dog food, whether domestic or imported, at affordable prices and very convenient.

1. Types of dog food

There are two main categories of dog food: dry food and canned food. The other type is snack biscuits, deodorized biscuits, beef jerky, etc. The main nutritional components of various brands are similar. The ones with higher prices have special food formulas and have different considerations for various ages and varieties. You can compare them in advance. According to the age of growth, let the dog eat dog food suitable for it.

Puppies eat puppies, adult dogs eat adult dogs, old dogs eat old dogs, and fat dogs eat fat dogs. Don’t confuse them to avoid getting too fat or too thin. The nutritional content of dry food is relatively stable and average. Dogs can clean up dental calculus and relieve itching by chewing. But if you have a problem with urinary stones, try to avoid eating dry food unless it is a prescription feed for stones.

Canned foods also have different nutritional content depending on their price. High-priced cans are made of better materials; low-priced cans are mostly filled with unshredded offal. The advantage is that the vitamin content is less likely to be lost and the palatability is better. The disadvantage is that there is a lot of meat and the bowel movement is difficult. The smell is strong, and if you eat it for a long time, you will easily develop dental plaque. Dry food is not as tasty as canned food, but it is easier to digest and absorb, and bowel movements are less smelly.

Snacks can be used in life training and basic training as a reward when the dog does something right. Don’t give the snacks that people eat to dogs often, as this can easily spoil its appetite. Chewing gum, ice cream, cakes, it is better to avoid these desserts as they are prone to tooth decay. Having gastrointestinal problems can also make you gain weight easily. After eating too much sweet food, the biggest problem is that the dog loses his appetite for dinner.

 2. Different weights

When a puppy is just born, he or she should eat mother's milk; when the puppy is weaned, it can start to be fed with liquid food, canned meat mixed with warm boiled water to make a paste, or dry food for puppies heated in water and soaked until soft. At two months old, you can start eating puppy food.

Large dogs are big and grow quickly. You can add some calcium powder and other nutrients to their meals, but they must be taken according to the doctor's instructions and the recommendations in the instructions. Some people raise large fighting dogs and like to feed them raw meat to let them get used to blood. This is very dangerous because uncooked meat is dangerous. Secondly, after getting used to eating raw meat, it may be harmful to people when the owner forgets to feed it or abandons it. Many incidents of dogs attacking people are caused by this.

3. Feeding frequency and time

The number of feedings per day is largeAs follows: from weaning to three months old: three to four times. From three to six months old: two to three times. From six months to one year old: two times. Over one year old: one or two times. The feeding time can match your schedule. , but it’s not just about feeding, you also need to consider adding the time for walking the dog after meals, defecating, urinating, cleaning the potty, and washing dishes.

Wash the bowls immediately after meals to prevent the residue from attracting rats, cockroaches, and ants, or leaving too much food left to rot in the sun and rain. At the same time, remove the bowl to prevent it from getting bored and playing with the bowl or even chewing it. As for how much to feed, usually follow the instructions, and then adjust according to whether there is any leftover from the last meal.

4. How much is appropriate to eat

Feed your dog only seventy percent full. Don’t overdo it. Let it lick the bowl with satisfaction. If you eat too much and run and jump after the meal, it will be easy to vomit it out intact. For puppies kept in cages all year round, eating is their rare entertainment, so they will be as greedy as a starving ghost. Don't be fooled by them into thinking they are really hungry.

But a dog that always eats not enough, does not have much activity, and has poor excretion may be really sick, and it is best to take it to see a doctor. When changing your dog's food, don't change it all at once. Mix in half of the new food each time, try it for two or three days, gradually increase the new amount, and then use the new food after a week. Only in this way can the dog's digestive system adapt, otherwise it will be prone to diarrhea. Many people think that dogs just want to chew bones. In fact, chewing bones can easily block the dog's intestines, make it constipated, cause vomiting and reduce appetite. In particular, avoid chicken bones, as they are small and brittle and can easily clog the esophagus and pierce the gastrointestinal tract. When feeding, be sure to give plenty of water at the same time. There is no need to use distilled or boiled water, as their intestines and stomach do not care about these.

It is not good for the dog's health to eat too much or too little, so we need to feed it regularly, quantitatively, and at fixed points. The puppy will be happy and the whole family will be happy.

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