Healthy dogs usually have a strong appetite and wolf down every meal. However, pet owners cannot feed a large amount of food just because the dog has a good appetite and make the dog overeat. Feeding small amounts and multiple times is more beneficial to the dog. The dog’s physical health. So how many meals a day are better for dogs of different ages?
1. How many meals should puppies be fed a day?
Puppies that have just arrived home need to maintain their previous eating patterns first. After the puppies have adapted for a period of time, they can slowly adjust their diet to avoid sudden changes in eating patterns that aggravate the puppy’s stress response.
First of all, because the gastrointestinal development of puppies is not complete enough and the gastric capacity is relatively small, the principle of feeding small amounts and multiple times should be followed to avoid indigestion, vomiting, etc. in puppies.
If the puppy is two or three months old, it should be fed 4 times a day. As the puppy grows older, the frequency can be gradually reduced. When adjusting the frequency of feeding the dog, the pet owner can observe the amount of food the puppy eats at each meal. If the dog is found to be less enthusiastic about a certain meal, he can directly cancel this meal and then adjust the feeding time for the remaining 3 meals. elongated. Similarly, if you find that your dog is no longer interested in one of the meals you feed your dog 3 times a day, you can reduce the meal to 2 meals a day.
If the dog is always very active in eating and has an appetite no matter how many times it is fed every day, then the pet owner must pay attention to controlling the dog’s food intake to prevent the dog from becoming overweight .
2. How many meals should an adult dog eat every day?
Adult dogs can be fed 1-2 meals a day, and it is generally recommended to feed 2 meals a day.
First of all, if you only feed your dog one meal a day, it will easily cause the dog to be overly hungry before meals, so the dog will easily consume more food, which may cause the dog to become obese.
Secondly, eating one more meal a day can help the dog pass the time, because the dog will be bored at home every day, but eating can help the dog adjust its mood and reduce the dog’s feeling of boredom.
Finally, the dog’s digestive capacity is limited. It is easier to digest the food divided into two meals per day than to eat it in one meal. This is more conducive to the dog’s absorption of nutrients in the food and is less likely to cause gastrointestinal related diseases. Especially large dogs, because they need to eat more food every day, but their digestion ability is not that strong, they should divide the food into 2-3 meals a day to ensure normal digestion of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. How to feed elderly dogs?
Small and medium-sized dogs will gradually enter old age after the age of 7, and large dogs will gradually enter old age after the age of 5. The digestive system and body metabolism of elderly dogs will gradually decline, so they should also choose a feeding method of small and frequent meals. It is generally recommended to divide the feeding into at least 2 meals a day. If the dog has a poor gastrointestinal condition, or is sick and does not like to exercise, it is recommended to divide the feeding into 3-4 meals a day.
Many pet owners like to fill their dog’s food bowl with food so that the dog can eat at any time when it is hungry. However, this will not only cause the dog to develop food-protective behavior, but also easily lead to indigestion and excessive obesity, which is harmful to the dog. It affects the dog’s health, so the dog should be kept hungry appropriately to help the dog digest food better.
