Having a pet dog is not always as much fun as it may appear to an outsider- there is always something that will make you doubt whether you are doing the right thing or not, and feeding your dog is very much one of those things. Even when you have decided which of the hundreds of foods to feed your pet, knowing how much you should feed them and how often to do so is just another stumbling block.
What should dog food portion control look like?
Unfortunately, as with most pet care, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to feeding, but this article should give you some tips on what could work.
Seek Veterinary Advice
Before making any sort of attempt to control your dog’s eating, you should seek veterinary advice. You should make the vet aware of your dog’s activity levels and ask them what the ideal weight for a dog of their age and breed should be. This way you will know whether your dog needs to maintain the weight they are at, or lose or gain weight.
Be Aware
Many owners mindlessly pour food into their dog’s bowl without really acknowledging the quantity of food. Use something constant to measure the food, whether that is scales, a cup or scoop. This way, you can be sure that you are providing your dog with the same (and correct) amount of food each day, and you can adjust it accordingly, depending on what adjustments needs to be made to your dog’s diet.
Consider Their Lifestyle
If your dog has free reign of the garden all day, and you take them for long walks, you may prefer to leave their food bowl down all day for them to graze on. This way, you can still control the portion size that they eat, but they are in control of when they eat it. On the other hand, if your dog does very little in the way of exercise, or is simply very greedy, you may wish to divide their daily food allowance into two or three smaller portions in order that they don’t simply eat as much as they want throughout the day.
Make Gradual Changes
If you do decide that you need to make changes to your dog’s diet- especially if you are looking to significantly reduce what they eat- you should do so gradually to avoid causing your dog any discomfort. You should also expect, and be patient towards, changes in behaviour when making adaptations to your dog’s diet to prevent it from seeming like some kind of punishment.
Ensure Water Is Available
Even if you are making an effort to control the amount that your dog is eating, you should never limit their access to clean drinking water as it is of vital importance that dogs are kept hydrated. Also, if your dog is able to drink enough water, they are less likely to notice the difference in what they are fed, as often thirst is confused with hunger.
There are no absolute rules in regards to how much and how often you should feed your dog. What is most important is that your dog is happy and kept healthy, and if you have any worries or concerns about your dog’s diet, you should contact your vet.