How Many Meals Should Your Dog Eat?
Finally, you decided! You are going to adopt a pet. It’s your first time and you’re very excited, but suddenly you realize that several doubts attack your mind. One of the first and most important might be about the amount of meals your dog should have. There are different opinions about this, but today we will give you a definitive answer.
The answer to how many meals your dog should have
Knowing how many meals your dog should have will depend, in part, on your pet’s age. Dogs, for example, need to eat more times a day, at least four. This is because if they eat less, they will need nutrients constantly for their development.
These four times a day will be reduced as the dog grows, this will be done gradually. Thus, when the animal is between three and six months old, it can be reduced to three meals; from six to 14 months, the number will drop to two meals; after 14 months you can feed it once a day. This is just a generalization, as an adult dog can also be fed more times a day.
How many meals should your dog have?
This is a viable option if, for example, because of your work, you cannot feed it more times a day. It’s also possible that your dog is small and has a delicate stomach, and one meal a day will be more than enough.
Better two?
This will be possible for an adult dog that does not have health problems. It is recommended to do this in the morning and in the afternoon, and thus distribute the amount of energy throughout the day. Then your pet will be active throughout this process.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should double the recommended amount, but you will have to distribute it twice. This form of feeding is not suitable for hyperactive or nervous dogs, as it will only encourage their activity and worsen their coexistence.
What if you decide to feed him three or four times?
Without a doubt, feeding your pet three or four times a day will be an ideal option if your dog is calm or sedentary, for example, if he doesn’t exercise ; also if he has to lose weight.
As with people, the less time that passes between meals, the faster your pet’s metabolism will be. So this will be ideal for losing weight. Once again remember that the amount of food must be the same, only its distribution will be different.
Your veterinarian will determine how much food your dog should eat and you will simply spread that amount over several servings daily. Experts say that feeding a dog more times a day maintains a good energy level and regulates its weight, and therefore maintains good health.
what you shouldn’t do
Something that under no circumstances should be done is to leave the bowl full of food at all times so that your pet can go to it whenever he wants. This can cause your pet to eat more than necessary. You may find he is hungry and fill your pan more often than necessary. Even if that doesn’t happen, your pet’s metabolism won’t work properly because it wouldn’t spend the recommended time between meals.
As you can see, there are several options for answering the question of how many meals your dog should have, but in the end it’s up to you to decide the one that best suits your circumstances.
