Dogs
'Woof, Woof'. With his tail wagging at 80 miles/hour, one look and you could guess Patchie is hungry. Patchie is our dear 3 years old pet. We got him as a pup loitering around the street and did not know what breed he actually was. Anyway, he was a bubbly little pup who grew up to be an active dog. But, I did not know how much to feed him. This is because I did not want to overfeed him or underfeed him. He is a healthy dog, and I always wanted him to stay healthy. After speaking to his veterinarian and doing a little research myself, I found out some answers.
Quantity of Food
Most of us dog owners, feed our pets commercial dog food. Each brand and type of dog food contains a different formulation and ingredients. Thus, it is not possible to understand the exact amount of dog food one should be feeding a dog. The best way to decide this is to understand certain parameters and adjust the amount. You should keep a watch on the dog's health after you begin feeding a particular dog food brand and amount. If you feel the dog has improved in health, continue with the same brand and quantity of food.
In Dog's Years
One of the main factors that influences the food quantity is its age. You need to remember a puppy tends to have higher metabolism rate than that of an adult dog. This is because a puppy is a growing dog and needs more nutrition to fulfill his growth and development needs. Adult dogs on the other hand, have reached their maximum size and developmental potential. Thus, they need enough food to maintain their average weight and nutritional level. If you own an old dog, you need to decrease the amount of food. Its metabolism rate has slowed down and do not need to be overfed. Just like a human senior needs to watch the amount they eat, a senior dog needs to watch his diet too.
Size Matters
Weight, one parameter that will help you understand whether you need to feed him more or less. How do you decide if your dog is a bit underweight? Well, you need to check the dog's rib. If you feel the ribs of the dog, this means he is underweight. You need to follow a general rule that will help you feed him food according to his weight. For example:
Get Ready for Exercise
After a nice walk down the park or a game of basketball, don't you feel a bit more hungry than usual? Yes? The same rule applies to your dog. If he is an active dog, who spends a lot of time running around the yard or plays with his dog toys, then you need to feed him more. This means slightly more than normal and not too much more. Or else you will turn him in a fat blob. If you dog takes it lightly, does not undertake a lot of physical activity, then you can feed him normal or slightly less than normal amount of food. This will prevent him from gaining those extra pounds that will be hard to shed, taking into consideration his low activity level.
You know the factors you need to take into consideration. Based on these parameters you need to decide how much you should feed him. If your dog comes under the ideal weight range, then feed him according to the recommended amount printed on the dog food label. If your dog weighs less, then feed him a little more. You can feed him to cup extra each day for about 4 weeks. If your dog weighs more than normal then feed him cup less than normal. When you find his body weight coming down to the normal range, adjust the amount and number of times fed per day.
If you are still having doubts, speak to your dog's veterinarian. He will be able to guide you correctly based on your dog's weight and health. Make sure you feed you dog only the best dog food on the market, to make him a healthy and happy dog.
- What Is The Best Way To Feed Your Pet?
By the Drs4Pets Team There really isn’t a single “best” way to feed every pet. It is important to make adjustments to your feeding regimen to fit the lifestyle that you and your pet lead, as well as taking into account any health needs that your...
- Choosing The Diabetic Dog Food
Many of the pet dogs are at a risk of suffering from diabetes. In fact, canine diabetes is reported as an important chronic disease of dogs. This commonly reported dog health problem is resulted due to improper insulin metabolism in the body. As...
- How Much To Feed A Cat?
Cats are great pets and companions but taking care of them can create a few questions, such as how much to feed a cat? What type of food? Canned or Dry? Every cat is a little different, just like us humans some prefer dry food and others wet food. It...
- Facts On Dog Nutrition
Nutrition plays as important part in the life of dogs as it does in the life of human beings. Are you aware that dogs too, suffer from a variety of health problems, which are caused due to improper nutrition. Therefore, in order to protect your pet...
- Want To Give Your Pet A Treat? Dont Overfeed Him!
By Carol Johnson Many pet lovers think they can easily show their dog or cat how much they love them by giving them a treat and rubbing their belly. But too many of those treats, and that belly will get bigger and bigger. Which is a sad state of...
Dogs
How Much should I Feed my Dog
'Woof, Woof'. With his tail wagging at 80 miles/hour, one look and you could guess Patchie is hungry. Patchie is our dear 3 years old pet. We got him as a pup loitering around the street and did not know what breed he actually was. Anyway, he was a bubbly little pup who grew up to be an active dog. But, I did not know how much to feed him. This is because I did not want to overfeed him or underfeed him. He is a healthy dog, and I always wanted him to stay healthy. After speaking to his veterinarian and doing a little research myself, I found out some answers.
Quantity of Food
Most of us dog owners, feed our pets commercial dog food. Each brand and type of dog food contains a different formulation and ingredients. Thus, it is not possible to understand the exact amount of dog food one should be feeding a dog. The best way to decide this is to understand certain parameters and adjust the amount. You should keep a watch on the dog's health after you begin feeding a particular dog food brand and amount. If you feel the dog has improved in health, continue with the same brand and quantity of food.
In Dog's Years
One of the main factors that influences the food quantity is its age. You need to remember a puppy tends to have higher metabolism rate than that of an adult dog. This is because a puppy is a growing dog and needs more nutrition to fulfill his growth and development needs. Adult dogs on the other hand, have reached their maximum size and developmental potential. Thus, they need enough food to maintain their average weight and nutritional level. If you own an old dog, you need to decrease the amount of food. Its metabolism rate has slowed down and do not need to be overfed. Just like a human senior needs to watch the amount they eat, a senior dog needs to watch his diet too.
Size Matters
Weight, one parameter that will help you understand whether you need to feed him more or less. How do you decide if your dog is a bit underweight? Well, you need to check the dog's rib. If you feel the ribs of the dog, this means he is underweight. You need to follow a general rule that will help you feed him food according to his weight. For example:
- 10 pounds dog - Feed one cup food per day
- 10 to 25 pounds - Feed him 1 to 2 cups per day
- 25 to 50 pounds - Feed him 3 cups to 5 cups per day
- 50 to 75 pounds - 5 to 8 cups per day
Get Ready for Exercise
After a nice walk down the park or a game of basketball, don't you feel a bit more hungry than usual? Yes? The same rule applies to your dog. If he is an active dog, who spends a lot of time running around the yard or plays with his dog toys, then you need to feed him more. This means slightly more than normal and not too much more. Or else you will turn him in a fat blob. If you dog takes it lightly, does not undertake a lot of physical activity, then you can feed him normal or slightly less than normal amount of food. This will prevent him from gaining those extra pounds that will be hard to shed, taking into consideration his low activity level.
You know the factors you need to take into consideration. Based on these parameters you need to decide how much you should feed him. If your dog comes under the ideal weight range, then feed him according to the recommended amount printed on the dog food label. If your dog weighs less, then feed him a little more. You can feed him to cup extra each day for about 4 weeks. If your dog weighs more than normal then feed him cup less than normal. When you find his body weight coming down to the normal range, adjust the amount and number of times fed per day.
If you are still having doubts, speak to your dog's veterinarian. He will be able to guide you correctly based on your dog's weight and health. Make sure you feed you dog only the best dog food on the market, to make him a healthy and happy dog.
- What Is The Best Way To Feed Your Pet?
By the Drs4Pets Team There really isn’t a single “best” way to feed every pet. It is important to make adjustments to your feeding regimen to fit the lifestyle that you and your pet lead, as well as taking into account any health needs that your...
- Choosing The Diabetic Dog Food
Many of the pet dogs are at a risk of suffering from diabetes. In fact, canine diabetes is reported as an important chronic disease of dogs. This commonly reported dog health problem is resulted due to improper insulin metabolism in the body. As...
- How Much To Feed A Cat?
Cats are great pets and companions but taking care of them can create a few questions, such as how much to feed a cat? What type of food? Canned or Dry? Every cat is a little different, just like us humans some prefer dry food and others wet food. It...
- Facts On Dog Nutrition
Nutrition plays as important part in the life of dogs as it does in the life of human beings. Are you aware that dogs too, suffer from a variety of health problems, which are caused due to improper nutrition. Therefore, in order to protect your pet...
- Want To Give Your Pet A Treat? Dont Overfeed Him!
By Carol Johnson Many pet lovers think they can easily show their dog or cat how much they love them by giving them a treat and rubbing their belly. But too many of those treats, and that belly will get bigger and bigger. Which is a sad state of...