Feeding Basics: Portions, Timing And Changing Food Safely
Feed to the dog in front of you, not to the number on the bag. How to judge portions, space out meals and switch foods without an upset stomach.
Feeding guidelines on packaging are averages, and your dog is not an average. The most reliable tool you have is your hands.
Judging body condition
Run your palms along their ribs. You should feel them easily under a thin layer, without seeing them clearly from across the room. Looking down from above, there should be a visible waist.
If you cannot feel ribs, reduce the portion by ten percent and reassess in three weeks. Small adjustments, slowly.
How many meals
- Puppies under four months: three to four small meals.
- Puppies four to eight months: three meals.
- Adults: two meals, roughly twelve hours apart.
Two meals suit most adult dogs better than one. It steadies energy and reduces the chance of an empty, acidic stomach.
Changing food without drama
Never switch in one go. Over seven days, move gradually from a quarter new food, to half, to three quarters, to fully changed. If loose stools appear, hold at the current ratio for a few extra days rather than pushing on.
Treats are food too
Treats should stay under ten percent of daily intake. If you are training heavily, take that portion out of their meals rather than adding it on top.
Worth avoiding entirely
Chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion and garlic, xylitol sweetener, cooked bones and anything heavily salted. Keep the vet's number where everyone can find it.