When man’s best friend moves in, many dog owners are anxious to do everything right in keeping the four-legged friend.
It is ideal to feed the dog between two and four times a day. In the morning and afternoon, your dog can have the meal at your personal time.
In addition to choosing the right food, the time at which the dog is fed is also crucial. However, it is not necessarily about a specific time of day, but about the right time of day.
How often should a dog be fed?
A dog’s need for food has to do with its age. A puppy cannot eat as much food at one time as it needs for optimal growth.
For one thing, the gastrointestinal tract is not yet developed enough to digest large amounts of food, and for another, the puppy is still accustomed to the multiple feedings it received from its mother dog in the first few weeks of its life.
The puppy should be fed something like three to four times with age-appropriate food.
The first food of the day is also breakfast for the puppy. After a long night, puppies are hungry and need to gather strength for the day.
Therefore, the puppy’s first feed of the day may be somewhat larger. Depending on the breed of dog, a smaller snack can be fed in the late morning before a tasty lunch is served at noon after the walk.
In the evening, the puppy is then fed after the evening round before going to bed.
Small breed – small appetite
By the way, a larger dog can also eat larger amounts of dog food during a feeding. According to the size, the stomach is also bigger than the stomach of a small breed.
So medium and large breeds need fewer feedings overall than smaller dog breeds with small stomachs.
This also means that a Doberman needs to be fed a different amount per day than a Havanese.
Over time, the meals can be reduced.
The young dog can get along well with three meals a day, the adult dog can actually get along with one meal a day with good nutrition.
However, it is always important that the dog owner offers his pet a nutritious food that has a good nutritional content and provides the dog with the valuable vitamins and minerals that he needs to stay healthy and fit for a long time.
Your dog’s teeth also need to stay healthy. QCHEFS cheese* is the perfect choice for this! The healthy mixture as a snack comes completely without artificial additives. It prevents bad breath and reduces plaque.
Qchefs – dog bones
For a balanced dog diet, it is important to combine all the building blocks of a food plan. In addition to meat, vegetables, salad, curd cheese and fruit are also part of the diet. This is the only way your dog can get all the nutrients he needs.
Two meals a day are ideal
Ideally, you should feed your dog twice a day. The food ration should be based on the dog’s weight.
One meal in the morning and one in the evening. The feed is then divided into two meals and does not overload the sensitive stomach of the animal.
In addition, feeding twice a day prevents begging.
Can I always feed the same amount?
You will get to know your dog better and better. To avoid feeding too little or too much, it is advisable to base the amount of food on the dog’s weight.
If there is something left over in the dog’s bowl, your dog was not that hungry. Of course, you have to try whether your dog was simply full at this meal or the distance to the previous meal was too small.
Check your dog’s weight. Neither an overweight nor an underweight dog is good for your dog’s health.
Ask your vet for advice if your dog’s weight seems odd to you.
What time of day is ideal for feeding?
It’s not the time of day that’s important, it’s just that you feed your dog after you’ve walked him.
Especially active dogs can endanger their health with a full stomach if they romp wildly during the walk and possibly romp through the area with other dogs.
A life-threatening stomach bug can be very dangerous for the dog if it plays too wildly after feeding.
In addition, the dog becomes lethargic after breakfast and wants to recover first. It is therefore advisable to serve breakfast after the first walk of the day.
What time the first feeding takes place is up to your personal habits.
Ideally, the dog should have its last meal of the day in the evening, again after walking. After feeding, the beloved four-legged friend can then slumber blissfully.
What happens if a feeding is skipped?
If the dog is fed a food that meets its individual needs, it will be sufficiently supplied with the important nutrients it needs to stay healthy and fit.
Even if the dog owner forgets a meal or it cannot be given for other reasons, this is no cause for concern.
The dog will still be lively after a forgotten meal, provided the animal is healthy.
Simply feed your dog after the mistake has been noticed. The same amount can be given that is fed regularly anyway. Of course, the feeding should be adapted to the walk.
What should I do if the feeding time cannot be kept?
The dog does not necessarily have to be fed at the same time every day.
The time of the meal can vary and be adapted to the individual daily routine.
Nevertheless, you should keep to the approximate times as much as possible, as the dog is also a creature of habit that adapts its rhythm of life to the habits of its family.
Make sure that the intervals between meals are not too long and adjust the feeding time if necessary.
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Conclusion: What time is ideal for feeding?
For puppies, between three and four meals a day are ideal. These can be spread throughout the day and timed according to the owner’s needs.
For adult dogs, two meals a day are ideal. Feeding should be done after exercise because of the dog’s sensitive digestive system.
The food ration is based on the dog’s weight. In addition, care should be taken to provide a balanced diet so that your dog can absorb all the important nutrients.
If a meal is skipped, this is not a big deal. The dog is waiting to be fed and will certainly notice.