How much should I feed my dog?

 

The amount of food you should feed your dog depends on a few factors: weight, age, reproductive status, body conditioning score and activity level. Therefore, there is no one simple answer. Now, protein and calorie are the two major considerations when feeding your dog food, so some estimates may be derived about these. An adult, healthy dog needs about 2.55 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. The formula for calorie intake is 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 × activity factor. So, if we take the example of an adult, neutered dog that weighs about 25 kg, their protein and calorie requirement would be 63.75 g and 1,250 kcal per day respectively. However, this may change according to the factors mentioned in the beginning. 

Why does this matter?

  • Getting adequate nutrients is crucial for every life stage, be it growth, adult maintenance, pregnancy, lactation or the senior years. Your dog’s food must be adjusted accordingly.

  • Overfeeding food may lead to various health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, stress on the organs, etc. while underfeeding may cause malnutrition, a weakened immune system, extreme lethargy, muscle wasting, and poor coat/skin health, etc.

What do vets generally agree on?

How much food you should give to your dog will vary depending on a number of factors, so every dog’s needs are different. All these factors must be kept in mind when giving your dog food. By rule of thumb, puppies need more protein and calories because they’re in their growth stage, and so do pregnant/lactating dogs. Adult dogs need less protein and calories than puppies or dogs in their reproductive stage. Senior dogs, on the other hand, will need a little more protein and a little less calories than an adult dog. Neutered dogs need less calories than intact dogs. Obviously, food intake will have to be adjusted depending on whether your dog is overweight or underweight and even their activity levels.

When to be careful?

Another factor that comes into play when you think about how much food you should give your dog is the number of times you should feed per day: Puppies may be fed 3–4 small meals a day, adult dogs usually have 2 meals a day, and senior dogs may have either 2 meals a day or smaller, frequent feedings, depending on their health. But, above all, what matters is that you feed your dog a high quality meal. BLEP dog food is 100% natural and made of high-quality, human-grade ingredients. Plus it has zero preservatives, sugars, or chemicals, so it provides an extra layer of safety. You can also use BLEP’s Dog Diet Calculator to get the right amount of food that you should feed your dog. 

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