How much food can go in the feeding bowl?
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08-04-2022
Determining how much your dog can eat to maintain a healthy weight depends on many factors. In this article, you can read what to consider and how to tell if your gourmand can have a little less (or a little more).
It’s a tricky balance. Overweight dogs can lead to diabetes, joint pain, and heart and liver problems. But your dog needs enough nutrients for his overall health. So how do you determine the right amount?
First, let's discuss the factors that determine how much food your dog needs.
Body
It goes without saying that the size and weight of the body determines the food intake. A 5 kilo dachshund simply needs less food than a 30 kilo labradoodle. The build of the body also has a big influence. A fish is less likely to gain weight, a labrador on the other hand... This mainly has to do with the metabolism, or the conversion of food into energy. Just like with people, some digest food faster than others and gain weight less quickly. For those who know Joe personally 🙄
The energy obtained from food is used during exercise, the second factor:
Movement
The amount of exercise a dog gets determines a lot about how much food is allowed in the bowl. The general guideline for feeding (we will come back to this later) can be adjusted to the level of activity. For example, our Nala got much less food than Stitch, even though she weighed 45 kilos and he 32 kilos. But anyway, Nala was a typical Spanish mastiff, wonderfully lethargic and her great hobby was sleeping. Stitch only wanted to run after the ball.
So a (very) active dog can eat more than a dog that prefers to take it a bit easier.
Age
When your dog is growing, it needs more of certain nutrients so that its body can develop properly. For example, puppies need more proteins and calcium to build joints and bones and more calories for energy. They can start eating kibble from 6 weeks. We recommend fresh meat (our shelf-stable sausages) from 12 weeks. From about 10-12 months, they are fully grown in height and length and no longer need puppy food.
As your dog reaches a higher age, their metabolism will change, their muscle mass will decrease and so will their activity level. They will need fewer calories. This way you can feed them less or switch to a 'light' version.
Want to read more about caring for an older dog? Read it here .
Feed
There are many different types of dog food. Fresh meat, cold-pressed or baked chunks, etc. But not every type has the same recommended amount. For example, you give less chunks in weight than you would give fresh meat. Whatever food you prefer, make sure your dog always has enough fresh water available.
Also look at the composition of the food and of course go for quality food. But you are reading this blog on Dogguardian.nl, so we know that you also want the best for your best friend 😉
Seriously, look at the ingredients list and compare it to what your dog needs in terms of nutrients (based on weight, age, build, exercise, etc.). If necessary, ask a nutritionist or veterinarian for advice.
For example, we believe it is important that our Stitch gets enough meat with vitamins and minerals but without chemical additives. And we switched to cold-pressed chunks a long time ago, because we believe that more nutritional values remain during production than with baked chunks.
But how much is allowed in the feeding bowl?
All of the above has an effect on the amount of food, but does not give a clear answer that most owners hope for. That is why we often give our customers a general guideline in terms of feeding advice:
Puppies get about twice as much food as an adult dog gets until they are 6 months old. After that, you reduce the amount every two months (about 100 grams less). From the age of 10-12 months, they get the same amount as an adult dog.
An adult dog receives kibble per day: 1-1.2% of body weight.
For fresh/steamed meat the following applies per day: 2-2.4% of body weight.
A 30kg dog will therefore get 300g of kibble or 600g of meat.
If, like us at Stitch, you combine chunks with steamed meat, then the following applies: 150g chunks and 300g meat.
Please note : of course we give this nutritional advice based on the food that we sell in our webshop, namely from the brand Darf. This food has a different composition than the food of other brands. Do you want to know why we chose Darf and do you want more information about the food? Then click here .
Number of meals
In general, adult dogs get two meals a day. Stitch gets his kibble in the morning and his tasty sausage in the evening. So divide the amount of food per day over these two meals.
For puppies it is advisable to give several meals per day:
Between 8-12 weeks: 4 times a day
From 3-6 months: 3 times a day
From 6 months: twice a day
Snacks
Of course we all have the best dogs and those who are good get treats. And that is allowed of course, but it does affect the diet.
Are you currently training your dog and using a lot of treats (trainers)? Then reduce the meals or even skip breakfast.
What is the best nutritional advice?
Apart from a general guideline, the very best advice we can give is:
There are several ways to see if you need to adjust the amount of food:
- ribs: rub your hand on the side to see if you can feel the rib cage easily or with difficulty. At a healthy weight you cannot see the ribs, but with very light pressure you can feel them;
- hourglass figure: look at your dog from above. At a healthy weight, dogs generally have an hourglass figure, with a broader chest and a narrower waist;
- side: look at your dog from the side. At a healthy weight, the chest is lower to the ground than the belly;
- harness: our harnesses are of course also a good indication. Is it a bit tighter around the belly? Loosen the band a bit and temporarily give your dog a bit less food. Is the harness a bit looser around the belly or does the harness turn around the torso while walking? Then adjust the belly band to a bit shorter and your dog can get a bit more in the food bowl.
If you feel like your buddy has lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, contact your vet.
Also consult a veterinarian before making significant changes to the diet, in the event of pregnancy, lactation, medication use or illness.
Source:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-nutrition-tips
https://www.ccspca.com/blog-spca/education/how-much-should-i-feed-my-dog/
https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/dr-coates/2015/july/are-you-feeding-your-dog-right-amount-32905
https://darf.nl
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