How much feed per day should dogs be given?

Each owner takes care of the health of his pet, especially when it comes to a growing puppy, the body of an adult dog or the health of an already aging animal. Feeding is an integral part of the healthy development and proper functioning of all the organs of the animal, so it is very important to pay special attention to making its proper diet, taking into account the amount of feed consumed.

It can be difficult to determine the norm, but it is extremely necessary, since in case of malnutrition and overeating, an animal may experience big health problems. Let us consider in more detail how much feed should enter the animal's body daily and how to maintain balance.

The daily diet for an animal will be determined by a combination of several factors. For example, based on the age of the dog and its size. This is also affected by the characteristics of the reproductive system, since neutered and sterilized animals experience much greater appetite and hunger, and therefore need a special diet. Let us consider in more detail all the features of determining the daily portion of dog food.

It's no secret that puppies are more voracious than adult dogs, so when feeding them, it is especially important to correctly calculate the correct dosage.

The first complementary feeding with dry nutrition should be started from 1-1.5 months, gradually introducing the product into the diet and reducing the proportion of mother's milk. From 1.5 to 3 months, the puppy should already completely switch to self-nutrition and during this period the daily norm of food should be equal to the double norm of an adult animal of the same breed.As the puppy grows, he needs much more nutrients.

For babies aged 3 to 6 months, servings should become smaller and instead of double volume per day, one and a half will be enough. The main thing is to regularly take measurements in order to make sure that the puppy's weight is added correctly and without excess. Particular attention should be paid to 4-month-old animals, since during this period there is a sharp jump in their growth.

From 6 months to a year, servings should also be gradually reduced. The approximate dosage of the daily norm in this period is 1.25 of the norm for an adult dog. And starting from the age of one year, the daily daily portion should be calculated solely from the breed characteristics and weight category of the dog.

Serving Size for Adult Dogs determined not only by weight category, but also by the degree of activity of the animal.

• For a two-kilogram animal leading an active lifestyle, 60 grams of food will be enough, and even 30 grams will be enough for a four-legged homebody.
• An individual weighing 5 kilograms, with active walking, needs a portion weighing 100 grams, while an animal with a calm lifestyle will need only 60 grams.
• 160 grams - daily daily portion of a 10-kilogram animal, leading an active lifestyle. But a lodger of the same weight category is enough and 120 grams of dry food.
• For an active animal weighing 20 kilograms, the average weight of a daily portion should be approximately 300 grams, and for a passive pet - 180-200 grams.
• A dog weighing 30 kilograms needs a good portion of food - 400 grams, provided that the pet is regularly subjected to physical activity. In their absence, 250 grams of feed will be sufficient.
• For a 40-kilogram dog, the serving size should be carefully selected in accordance with his lifestyle: for active dogs - 450-480 grams, for passive dogs - about 300 grams.
• 50-60 kilograms is a pretty big weight for a dog. Typically, these pets are large, strong, but not very mobile, so when calculating the daily diet, it is necessary to take into account training and training. For animals training more than 60 minutes a day - 550-650 grams of feed, for those whose training lasts less than 1 hour - 350-400 grams.

During pregnancy, the dog’s body needs special support and a special feeding regimen, since the animal’s strength is spent not only on the natural process of life, but also on bearing offspring.

If the owners have the opportunity, it is recommended to purchase a special animal feed in position, but if this is not possible, then the daily portion of the feed should be slightly larger than with normal feeding.

As for the period of lactation, here you need to treat the diet with special attention. Since at this time the dog’s body is most exposed to stress, and most nutrients and vitamins go to feed the puppies, it is necessary to provide it with free access to food in any quantities.

Many manufacturers set their standards for daily dosages of dog food.Most often, a detailed instruction is located on the back of the package, and you can measure the right amount using a measuring cup or a special measuring spoon. If such a tool is missing, then you can use the usual tablespoon, which on average holds 20 grams of dry food without a slide.

Let us consider in more detail the dosage of feed of various manufacturers in the form of a table.

Pedigree - economy-class food, which veterinarians do not recommend feeding pets, but some still prefer it.

For puppies.

For adult dogs of all breeds, the dosage of feed is determined as follows.

Purina one - A premium line of feeds featuring many options. There are divisions by breed, and the instructions indicate how to feed the animal in order to maintain its weight or in the case of a diet.

Dosage of feed for small and medium breeds of dogs.

The daily feed rate for dogs of large breeds.

Alma nature - high-quality holistic class food, which has recently been very popular because it contains only natural components that are useful for the animal’s body.

Daily rates for puppies of different breeds.

Daily allowance for dogs of small breeds.

Daily dosages for dogs of medium breeds.

Daily allowance for animals of large breeds.

In addition to the correct daily dosage of food, it is also necessary to determine the number of feeds per day. It is very important to maintain a balance in this matter, since the dog should not be hungry during the day, as this can directly affect not only its health, but also behavioral reactions.

When weaning the puppy from the mother and introducing feed into his diet, it is necessary to divide the feeding process into 6 meals in small portions. So the food will be better digested, and beneficial microelements and vitamins can be more absorbed in the growing body.

By 2-3 months, the number of meals should be reduced to 5, and by the end of 6 months of the puppy's life - up to 4 times a day. In the period from 6 months to a year, it will also be necessary to reduce the number of meals at first to 3, and later to 2 times a day.

It should also be borne in mind that for 1 meal, the animal must eat the full food offered to it. If it remains in the bowl, it is necessary to reduce the serving size, as the dog is fed less feed.

Special attention should be paid to the issue of feeding pregnant dogs. As previously mentioned, during this period, the animal's body needs special support, therefore it is recommended to gradually increase the number of feedings, first up to 3, and then up to 4 times a day.

It’s not a secret to anyone that in many dogs the feeling of fullness can be dulled, therefore they are prone to uncontrolled absorption of food in any quantities. Naturally, this negatively affects the animal’s health, therefore it is especially important for the owner to monitor the dog’s nutrition and learn to determine that the animal is full and feeding can be stopped.

The first and sure sign that the dog is full is the cessation of food intake. The animal finishes eating and simply moves away from the bowl, without asking the owner for supplements or food from the table. This is quite rare, since many animals are prone to begging sweets.

If after the animal has been denied the supplement, it resentfully leaves for its place - you can be calm, the dog is full and just tries to grab a few more tidbits. But if she constantly walks around her bowl during the day, sniffs it and tries to lick an empty bowl, you should think about increasing the portion or checking the health of your pet's gastrointestinal tract.

If the dog during the meal begins to openly play with the food, push it out of the bowl with his nose or just throw it on the floor, this may indicate that the animal is full, but out of greed does not want to leave anything in the bowl, because it knows that the owners will remove leftovers.

Another sign of satiation may be that the dog begins to hide the remains of feed. Such actions are characteristic of dogs of hunting breeds, as they try to leave for later what they could not eat at one meal.

When feeding puppies, the definition of satiety can be a problem, because up to a year of age the animal can eat uncontrollably in any quantities. Therefore, in this case, it is recommended to adhere to systemic nutrition, give the animal a norm corresponding to its weight and age, and also take into account the correct number of meals, without reacting to the puppy's attempts to ask for an addition.

About how many times a day and how much food to give the dog, see the next video.