Determine Your Dogs Body Condition Score
Whichever method you pick, youll have to use a scale or body condition scoring system to fine-tune the amount of food you offer.
Your veterinarian can help you decipher your dogs body condition score and determine an appropriate calorie amount.
In general, dogs who are at a healthy weight:
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Have an hourglass figure when you look down on them from above. The abdomen should be narrower than the chest and hips.
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Are tucked up when you look at them from the side. This means that their chest is closer to the ground than their belly when standing.
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Have ribs that are not readily visible but are easily felt with only light pressure.
Other Puppy Feeding Faqs
How Do I Know if Im Feeding My Puppy Enough?
You can easily monitor this by looking at your puppys body composition starting from 8-10 weeks of age. Puppys ribs, spine and pelvic bones should not be visible. The outline of the ribs and your puppys waist should be seen. If theyre overweight, their stomach is more rounded, and ribs and waist wont be visible.
Can You Overfeed a Puppy?
Yes, feeding your puppy too much can cause obesity, digestive issues and other problems with their development. If a puppy is overweight, theres a bigger chance of obesity once theyre adults.
When Can Puppies Eat Dry Food Without Water?
At around 8 weeks, puppies should have all of their baby teeth and will be able to start eating dry food. Nevertheless, your puppy might need some time to adjust. For the transition period, mix the dry food with some water. You can add less water every few days.
When to Switch Puppy to Dog Food?
You can switch to adult dog food once your dog has grown to its full size. Have a look at the Petfinder puppy feeding guide above. And of course, follow the guidelines given by your vet, as each dog is unique. Generally, toy dogs reach their adult size by 11 months, small and medium dogs by 13 months, large dogs by 16 months, and giant dogs by 24 months.
When to Switch Puppy to 2 Meals a Day?
How Much Canned Dog Food Equals Dry Food
When it comes to dog nutrition, you can choose to stick to canned, dry, or a mixture of both. The choice is entirely up to you.
Essentially, most parents are geared towards the dry side because they offer more in the way of caloric density compared to a canned diet. This is because dry foods dont have water.
Those with huge dog breeds particularly find it easy to stick to a dry food diet as it doesnt require a lot of volumes to be full.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, canned food is great because it is quality food. Wet food consists of more protein, it is easy to digest , and reduces bloat.
To know the equivalent of canned food in dry food, you have to calculate the calories in the canned food first.
Once you have a figure, calculate the amount of dry food equivalent to the calories.
Heres an example: If ¼ cups canned food = 400kcal, you will replace that with the amount of kibble thats equal to 400k calories.
If you intend of jumping between both canned and dry food, dont forget to offer plenty of water to avoid stomach upsets.
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How Much To Feed Large Dogs
Large dogs are easily recognised. Due to size limit in HDB flats, they are usually spotted only in condos or landed houses. Some examples of large dogs are golden retrievers, Rottweiler, german shepherds etc. This is the ESTIMATED amount of dog food to feed large breeds.
Blood Tests Don’t Lieand Hooch’s Numbers Shifted Drastically In Just The First 6 Weeks We Made These Diet And Lifestyle Changes
He noticeably had more energy, was suffering less from inflammation, was shedding less with a more luxurious coat, and for the first time EVER he had zero bloating! NO GAS for the first time in his entire life! The best news though, was that those stage 4 kidney disease blood levels he had at his yearly checkup had climbed back up to to midrange stage 1 kidney disease blood levels! The extra time and energy invested in making his food and the other small changes we made to his lifestyle have given us more quality time with our beloved Hooch which is more than we could have ever hoped for!
If youve made our Easy Homemade Dog Food for your pup I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours. Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? Its easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on , , , , or to see cooking demos, and peeks into our day to day life.
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S For Determining How Much Raw Dog Food To Feed
Some experts prefer the caloric approach but it can be confusing at first. Whats worse, it may turn potential raw feeders awayWhy? Using calories to calculate raw dog food volume can be more tedious. But most importantly, it isnt something all raw feeders can execute. Finding reliable nutrition data for raw dog food can be difficult. It can seem next to impossible to find the calorie count for popular items in a raw diet like:
Concern Over Your Pets Weight
If you are concerned that your pet is too thin, please contact your veterinarian. To determine whether your pet is too thin, look at them from the top and the side. If you can see the outline of each rib, your pet is too thin. When looking down at your pet, if you can see the actual hip bones, this may also be an indication that your pet is too thin. From the side, your pets belly should go up at the end of the ribs. You might be able to see the last rib and this is okay, but you should not see more. If you have to press your hand against you pets side to feel the ribs, there is too much fat. Also, if you look at your pet from the side and the abdomen does not go up at the end of the ribcage, there is too much fat in the belly.
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How Do I Know How Much To Feed My Dog
Not every dog will eat exactly the same amount of food. There are a lot of factors that will affect how much food your dog should be eating.
You can use these factors to get a pretty good idea of how much your dog should eat.
But, for an even more accurate opinion, you can speak to your vet. Your vet will be able to assess your dog as an individual, rather than using broad recommendations based on breed and weight boundaries.
Here are some of the factors you, and your vet, may use to determine how much to feed your dog.
Step : Determine Your Dogs Ideal Body Weight
The first piece of the puzzle is to have an answer to the question:What should my dog weigh as an adult?I cant tell you how many people are misguided on this topic so its an important place to start. For some, this question is an easy answer. For others, it may not be.Here are some tips to get the ball rolling.
Review AKC breed information. Or, do some research on your dogs breed to learn what the ideal weight range is for males and females. From here, choose the lower number or the average number from the range provided.If your dog is a mixed breed and you know the breeds, research them. Make your best attempt to come to a logical conclusion on proper weight.
Consider Breed:
Your veterinarian should be able to tell you what a healthy weight for your dog would be, or at least fall within. Give your vets office a call or ask at your next visit.
Ask Your Veterinarian:
Body Condition Should Be the Determining Factor:
Good question.
The number youve determined for your dogs ideal, adult body weight can now be used for calculations.For example, say 40-lbs was a healthy weight for your dog. Youd calculate 2-3% of that number. That would equal a range of 0.8 1.2 pounds of food, per day.At this point you may be thinking, thats nice but which amount should I use?
Now Write Down Your Dogs Ideal Weight:
Well use a few other factors to narrow down to an exact percentage to begin with.
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How Much Raw Mince To Feed Dogs
Similar to other raw diets, the amount of raw mince you should feed your dog depends on the weight, activeness levels of your dog and other factors. In general, here are some guidelines in feeding raw mince to your canine:
- Adult dogs who are active yet underweight should consume 3% of their present weight in pounds per day.
- Senior dogs which are less energetic or overweight should eat 1.5% of their current weight in pounds per day.
- Adult dogs should be fed 2 – 3% of their current weight in pounds per day to maintain their optimal weight.
The reason why some pet parents prefer raw mince over chunkier meat cuts or bones is that minced meat is easier to digest. This is especially helpful for senior dogs who dont have enough energy to chew or for dogs with underlying stomach problems.
How Often Should I Feed My Dog
Set mealtimes are recommended for most dogs for a variety of reasons. Keeping mealtimes consistent, as well as the type and amount of food you feed him, will help him maintain both his digestive health and his weight. Consistent mealtimes can also help prevent accidents in the house.
For most dogs, feeding twice each dayonce in the morning and once in the eveningis appropriate.
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Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipe
Jump to RecipeMy easy homemade dog food recipe combines lean ground sirloin, wholesome brown rice, fresh vegetables, hard boiled eggs, and tender herbs
***Please note, I am not a veterinarian, just a very passionate dog owner! The information in this blog post documents our own personal experiences, research, and the recipes that we feed our dogs under our veterinarian’s careful supervision. Please, consult with your vet and use your own personal judgment when considering transitioning to a 100% human grade food diet for your pup. This post was updated with video August 16, 2020, updated with additional recipe links 9/14/2020, updated 1/7/2021 with metric measurements.***
Can I Feed My Dog Table Scraps
If our diet is bad, often our dogs is too. Dont believe me?
A study by K9 Magazine showed that 98% of dog owners had fed their pets with scraps from their own tables at one time or another.
Dogs can eat table scraps, of course, but its a simple formula to calculate that if our own diet is not healthy and were sharing that with our dogs then our bad food = dogs sharing in our own poor diet!
But therein lies another problem with many of the foods that we eat, unsuitable for dog consumption.
Many people are finding good results in preparing their own dog food using only those ingredients that will enhance the health of the dog but dont discount the range of high quality diets that are available in prepared form. Dont for a second assume theyre all bad because nothing could be further from the truth.
Good quality dog nutrition is available in the form of commercially prepared foods, canned dog food, raw dog food and even tailor-made dog food. The quality isnt the main issue here if youre asking yourself how much should I feed my dog, but over feeding will have a detrimental effect on your dog in multiple ways. It can and most likely will lead to them having a shorter lifespan.
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Can I Give Jif To My Dog
Go for pure peanuts Your dogs peanut butter should only contain peanuts. Avoid big brands of peanut butter such as Jif, Peter Pan, and Skippy, which often contain added sugar. And just because the label says its natural peanut butter doesnt mean there isnt added sugar, so be sure to read the ingredients.
Why Dog Food Matters
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Make no mistake, food is the most important factor in your dog’s life. Through diet, he has to get everything his body needs: from the energy needed to keep chasing those balls to the incredible array of nutrients that form every tissue and keep every cellular process going, it must all be delivered through his diet. Too much or too little of any one nutrient can quickly cause upsets and if something gets into your dog’s diet that shouldn’t be there, you can be sure that problems won’t be far away. From weaning right through to old age, it is diet more than any other factor that will determine the quality and the length of your dog’s life.
You owe it to your dog to get his food right but don’t fret, we’re here to help all the way!
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Wet Dog Food For Seniors
If youre looking for the best senior wet dog food, our moist tub dinners like Dukes Din-Din Stew all have less than 225 kcal per container, with Dukes Din-Din having only 209. Senior dogs sometimes start to have issues chewing harder things like kibble and dog biscuits, so wet dog food is also a great option in cases like these.
Wet Food Contains Additional Moisture
As the name implies, wet food contains more moisture than dry food. This is helpful for pups who don’t drink enough water and are prone to dehydration. It can also be important for dogs who have kidney issues. If you think switching to wet food might help with your pup’s medical condition, talk to your vet before making dietary changes.
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How Come My Dog Lost Weight On Raw
After figuring out how much to feed, some people remark that the quantity of food seems too small. That or it seems less than what their dogs were eating before.This is nothing to be worried about.Raw diets are calorie dense foods. They contain more fat than kibble, which is mostly starch-based. Fat carries more than twice the calories per gram as protein and carbohydrates.From a food volume perspective, you may be feeding less raw than dry dog food and thats okay.Remember why you chose to feed raw. Now that your dog is eating real, quality foods, expect there to be some differences in how their food bowl appears.
How Much Should Puppies Eat
A fresh meal service like Ollie helps change your feeding approach as your dog changes ages from puppy to adult so you dont have to worry about portions during different life stages.
Since puppies are growing rapidly, they need more food than adult dogs. Puppy nutrition is crucial for developing a foundation for future growth, as well as their bone and organ development. Puppies must have a specific amount of calcium in their diet, otherwise, they can develop metabolic bone disease or orthopedic conditions like early-onset arthritis. Toy-breed puppies, in particular, are prone to hypoglycemia.
Puppies need small, frequent feedings. For the first few months of a puppys life, they will need small meals of food throughout the day as they transition from their mothers milk to solid food. Starting around four months, puppies can begin eating about three times a day, and after that, puppies will quickly graduate to twice-a-day feedings.
Feeding them three or four times per day makes it easier for puppies to digest and help keep energy levels consistent. However, its important to not overfeed them, since overweight puppies are more likely to become overweight adult dogs.
Even though puppies grow quickly, its important to keep caloric intake and food amount consistent from four to twelve months of age. Puppies use fewer calories for growth as they become older. This comprehensive puppy feeding chart has vet-recommended guidelines on how much and how often to feed your puppy.
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When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Let’s Get That Out Of The Way First
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pup’s gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you – if you get my drift.