Should I feed my dog a breed specific food?
A dog’s nutritional requirement depends on many factors; including his activity level, age and temperament. Therefore; it is important to choose a diet that fits his specific health and nutritional requirements rather than his breed. If in doubt, ask your veterinarian for advice.
How much should I feed my dog?
Choose a high-quality food and look at the recommendations on the label. Most high-quality dog foods recommend approximately 1-1/2 cups per 10 kg of body weight per day for smaller breeds, since they require 15-25% more calories per pound than larger breeds. Large and giant breeds are more often fed 1 cup per 10 kg.
You must also consider the following, and adjust the food amount accordingly:
· Actual Calorie Content Of The Food
· Current Weight & Projected Target Weight
· Activity Level
· Other Environmental Variables (Temperature)
· Any Additional Calories From Treats Or Table Foods
Does the amount to be fed in the feeding guidelines pertain to each meal or the daily amount?
It pertains to the total daily amount to be fed. If feeding multiple meals, divide the daily amount accordingly.
How often should I feed my dog?
PUPPIES require small meals throughout the day and generally should be started with FIVE small meals a day, bringing this down to FOUR meals a day at the age of THREE months, then THREE meals a day at SIX months. It is important that the puppy is fed a diet designed for its age and breed size. There are diets specifically designed for puppies and young dogs, which will ensure the growing dog receives the nutrition required for healthy growth. Traditionally, it has been recommended that dogs of 12 months or older should be fed just ONCE a day, with small breeds being fed TWICE a day because they only eat a small amount at each mealtime.
Feeding Tips
It is better to stick to one variety of good quality “complete and balanced” dog food and not add any supplements (unless instructed by your vet), as over supplementing can be harmful to your dog.
If your dog does not eat all of its meal at one sitting, you may be offering it too much. Not all dogs eat the amount recommended by the food manufacturers. The right amount should produce firm, dark brown, crinkly stools. If the stools are firm, but get softer towards the end, this is a classic sign of overfeeding.
Never change your dog’s diet abruptly (unless under the direction of your vet). If you want to change its diet, do it gradually over a period of a few days to a week.
Do not feed your dog before travelling in the car, as this can encourage car-sickness, or an hour before or after exercise as this could contribute to a stomach dilation and torsion (also known as bloat) which is a life threatening condition requiring immediate veterinary intervention.
Medium to large breeds of dogs should be fed from a raised bowl to prevent them from swallowing air while they eat, which can also contribute to bloat. You can buy bowl stands for this purpose. For owners of breeds who are thought to be susceptible to this condition, you should seek advice from your breeder, vet or breed club on further precautionary measures.
Leave your dog in peace while it is eating from its bowl. Taking the bowl away while it is eating causes anxiety, which can lead to aggressive behavior. If you want to be sure that your dog is comfortable with you approaching it during mealtimes, add a little food to the bowl while it is eating, so it sees you as an asset rather than a threat.
Never feed your dog from the table or your plate, as this encourages drooling and attention seeking behaviors such as begging and barking.
Make sure that water is always available to your dog, so never take the water bowl away.
Edited by: Jan Mitchell
Photos provided by:_Kimberly M Lunsford
_Wyndi Harp Carson
_Laurie Richardson
_Audra Burghard
_Sharron Valdez DolBeare
_Crystal Brown
_Lindsey Baima Beard
_Nicolle Nikki Von Tempsky
_Desiree Shearer Schellinger
_Wendy Browne
_Gina Ayer Mimms
_Arlene D Johnson
_Dara Fotias