How Much Food Should a Dog Eat Per Day: How Much Food Should a Dog Eat

How Much Food Should A Dog Eat Per Day

Often, new pet owners would ask the 64-dollar question, “How Much Food Should a Dog Eat?” Here are three strategies in feeding a pooch:

Free feeding;
Calculating calorie need against dog weight as a factor; and
Calculating food weight against body weight and percentage of desired body weight as factors

The first strategy, free feeding, is the easiest practice for pet owners because all they have to do is to keep the dog bowl filled with dog food and they’re all set.

This is hinged on the belief that most dogs are able to self-regulate their food intake, so it’s safe to free-feed them. However, the fact that there are obese dogs gives pet owners enough caution about the risks of free feeding.

The second and third strategies entail doing some math. It’s essential to first determine the dog’s weight to find out his prescribed need for calories and the corresponding accurate amount of food. It does seem more taxing, but to determine the correct amount of dog food needed by a pet, this is the only way to go. The following formulas serve the purpose:

For dry food or kibbles

Daily calories = Body Weight (kg) X 30 + 70

If for example the dog weighs 8 kilos, then his daily calorie need is 310 calories per day. Examine the formulation of the kibbles and take note of the amount of calories in each cup of dog food, and feed the pooch accordingly. Remember that the amount calculated is a per day basis, so spread out the calorie amount in three or four meals.

For raw food

Food weight = Body weight x percentage of desired body weight, where percentage may range from 2% t o 10%

For example, if the pooch weighs 8 kilos and he is fat, multiply 8 by 2% (the variable recommended for fat pets) and get 0.16 kilograms. The mutt must be fed with only 0.16 kilograms of raw food per day.

Hopefully, these mathematical formulas will help pet owners in determining how much food a dog should eat per day and how many ounces of food should a dog eat per meal.

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How Much Food Should a Dog Eat Per Day: How Many Ounces of Food Should a Dog Eat