Is it OK to feed dog 3 times a day

The Pros And Cons Of Feeding Your Dog Once A Day

The most common feeding schedule for adult dogs is one or two meals daily. I recommend that most people feed their dogs twice a day. But feeding your dog once a day can work well in some circumstances.

The best feeding schedule for your individual dog will depend partly on the type of food you give them. And my advice is based on my own forty years experience of feeding both kibble and raw, to dozens of different dogs.You can check out what I feed my own dogs each day in this article

Considerations

Is it cruel to feed a dog once a day?

The short answer is no. Traditionally almost all adult dogs were fed once a day. This was the norm when I was a kid. The rationale behind this schedule is that dogs are carnivores, and it is natural for them to eat a large amount of food in one go, and then fast for many hours, before eating again.

In those days most dogs were fed on a mixture of canned (wet) dog food, and dog biscuits together with scraps leftover from human meals.

However, most modern dogs are fed on kibble. And with dry food, feeding once a day has some disadvantages. Lets dig into those, and help you decide how often to feed your dog.

Natural feeding patterns

Its true that your dog is genetically almost identical to the wolves from which they descend. Wild wolves or other dog species hunting in groups may bring down a large prey animal, and feast on it. Then not eat for a day or two.

Its also true that dogs have been catching much smaller prey and scavenging from humans for thousands of years, and have adapted well to eating smaller and more frequent meals.

Pros and cons large vs smaller meals

Feeding once a day is convenient. And with a raw diet, it can be safe and satisfactory for most medium to large dogs

The natural diet of a dog, raw meaty bones, organs, eggs, and even invertebrates such as worms and beetles, are all processed very quickly by a dogs digestive system. Its designed perfectly for the job. And because there are no fillers or carbs in this food, it isnt very bulky. Everything is digested with little waste.

With kibble, feeding once a day only, can be problematic for some dogs. Its all to do with the portion size. And of course once daily meals are twice as big as twice daily meals.

Big dogs

It can be risky to feed a large or deep chested dog their whole days ration of kibble in one hit. Thats because these types of dog are more prone to suffering from bloat.

When we feed our dogs on kibble, we are asking the dogs digestion to take on a task that it isnt quite designed for. Along with the protein, fat and minerals that your dog needs, are a lot of bulky fillers.

While the food looks and feels light and compact when you pour it into the bowl, at that point it is completely dehydrated. It starts to swell up inside your dog as soon as they start to drink.

Its worth thinking about what happens to the bowl of kibble your dog just ate, when they head over to their water dish. Try dropping a few pieces into a glass of water to see how much they expand!

Your dog needs that water so dont ration it. But be aware that they can end up with a lot of heavy food sitting in their stomach, and this may increase their risk of suffering from bloat.

Little dogs

Small dogs often need a minimum of two meals per day, in order to feel well. My own Jack Russell terrier will often vomit if she misses her breakfast, and this is quite common in little dogs.

Some small dogs also find it hard to consume enough in one sitting to keep their weight up. So feeding twice a day may be necessary for many dogs weighing much less than around 20lbs.

This rule applies with both raw food and kibble.

Puppies

All puppies need feeding more frequently than adult dogs.

Most kibble fed puppies need at least four meals a day until they are three months old, then three meals a day until six months.

Some raw fed puppies can drop a portion a bit sooner.

Food should be fun

Aside from the health and safety issues around eating kibble, food is a source of great pleasure in our lives, and dogs feel the same way. They enjoy their meals. And look forward to the next one.

Most dogs eat kibble quite fast. Its unusual for a dog to take more than five minutes over their meal. And twenty four hours is a long time for a kibble fed dog to go between meals, especially when the last meal was over so quickly!

Raw meaty bones take a lot of time to consume, and can keep a dog occupied happily for half an hour or more. But even so I think there is a lot of pleasure to be gained if this experience happens twice in each day rather than once.

Which is best? One meal or two?

Your adult dog will most likely thrive whether you divide their daily ration into one meal or two. However, if your dog is large or deep chested, and fed on kibble, I recommend you feed twice daily, dividing that ration into a morning and evening feed.

Obviously, twice daily meals doesnt mean twice the quantity. You feed the same daily ration but divide it into smaller portions

I do think it means twice the fun though!

And while once daily feeding is suitable for all but the smallest raw fed dogs, I feed all my dogs raw, and, twice daily

Let me know what you decide to do!

Im always interested to hear from readers about how they feed their dogs, so do drop a comment in the box below!

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When to Switch a Puppy to 2 Meals a Day from 3

As you will already know, puppies develop very quickly and need to take on a lot of food at regular intervals to grow healthy. You will have already been feeding your puppy 3 times or more daily, but at what point do you switch a puppy from 3 to 2 meals a day?

Heres what you need to know about daily feeding amounts, with the short answer you came for first. Theres more to get right though so please do read on further.

When to switch puppy to 2 meals a day? You can move to 2 meals a day from 3 with most puppies from 6 months onwards. Prior to this, puppies will need feeding 3 or even 4 times a day to help aid health development. Its also important to keep them on puppy food until theyre at least one year old.

Switching your puppy to 2 meals a day

Read on to find out why you should change to feed your puppy two meals a day, when the best time to do it and how much you should be feeding your puppy twice daily. Ill also talk about when is a good time to change your fur baby from puppy food to adult food.

Why you should feed your puppy twice a day

Once your puppy reaches six months old, you can start feeding them 2 meals a day. For the first six months of your puppys life, hes been burning up calories like mad.

I dont think I need to remind you how active your puppy can be! But, if youre still new to puppy raising, be warned!

With so much growing, walking and playing your little one is naturally using up all his reserves. Which is why puppies are fed more often throughout the day.

By the time they reach six months they generally start to calm down and can be switched to 2 meals a day instead of 3. Im still not convinced by this though after witnessing my own puppy being a ball of fire way beyond six months old.

Having said that, your six-month-old puppy is ready to eat two meals a day. Youll notice hes not growing as fast as he was in his first six months. So, to avoid him becoming a pot belly pup, you need to cut down on his food quantity.

Always follow the guidelines on your puppy food packet to ensure shes getting the right quantity for her age despite cutting down to two meals daily.

If your gut feeling tells you that its not the right time or age to switch your puppy to 2 meals a day, then dont but talk to your vet for an expert opinion.

When are the best times to feed your puppy?

Its a good idea to split the two meals up. Most dog owners choose to feed their puppy in the morning and in the afternoon.

Pet feeding experts recommend giving your puppy their first meal at 7 am in the morning, soon after waking up. You can then take them for their walk or play a game with them. The last meal of the day should be at 5 pm. This is about the maximum time recommended to let them go without eating.

By feeding your puppy at 5 pm you are giving her ample time to digest her food before going to sleep. You can also take her for an evening walk after her meal or play a game of ball.

Another advantage of feeding your puppy at 5 pm is less chances of your puppy making a mess in the middle of the night. Between 5 pm and 7 pm, your puppy will have more than enough opportunities to perform her bathroom routine.

Generally speaking, its not a good idea to feed a puppy late at night, and heres why.

How soon after feeding can I take my puppy walking?

Its essential you dont take your puppy walking directly after feeding them. Always give her at least an hour before walking or playing a game with her. Otherwise, you run the risk of your dog developing an abdominal bloat.

If you do choose to feed your puppy before walking, make sure you wait at least 15 minutes before feeding them on return from your walk.

If your puppy is hot and panting, she needs to calm down before taking in any food. Otherwise, shell gobble her food down and end up with bloat again.

Handy Hint: Heres my guide to feeding dogs before or after exercise, and what the consequences can be if you mess this up.

How much should puppies eat twice a day?

The amount of food you feed your puppy depends on their size and weight. Your dog breed plays a big role in how much your puppy should eat. Some dog breeds are more active than others.

It also depends on whether youre feeding your puppy wet or dry food. The following tips will help you gauge if youre overfeeding or underfeeding your pup:

• Your puppy starts to look a bit chubby. Weigh your puppy regularly. This is easy enough to do. Weigh yourself and then pick up your puppy and weigh both of you together. Find out what is the average weight for your dog breed at different ages and stick to that. Cut down on the quantities when your pup looks chubby or weights more than they should for their age and breed.
• Your puppys ribs are showing: This happens when youre underfeeding your pup. Its fine to feel the ribs but you dont want them sticking out. So, step up the quantities slightly until the ribs are not showing obviously.
• Read the feeding recommendations on the food package. This is the best way to ensure youre giving your dog the right quantity every day. Remember, if the package gives the total quantity per day to split it into two half-meal portions.

Dont let your puppy fool you into thinking shes still hungry after a meal. If your puppy loves to eat, shell try to get you to feed her more with puppy eyes.

This could lead to overfeeding your puppy. Another danger area is begging at the table. You may think your puppy is hungry but in fact, theyre simply hoping to join you in your tasty meal.

Switching from puppy to adult food twice a day

When is the right time to change your pooch from puppy kibble to adult food? Puppy food is full of extra nutrients and calories to meet your puppys growing needs. But as they mature, they need less of the rich stuff.

Handy Hint: Heres the age at which puppies will start to eat solid food and drink water instead of their mothers milk.

Its essential you dont switch your puppy too soon to adult food. Its also just as important you dont keep them on puppy food for too long. This could lead to obesity and other health issues.

Smaller dog breeds mature quicker than larger dog breeds. So, if your little Dachshund is 7 to 10 months old, you can start switching them to adult food.

Large breed dogs should reach 80 pounds before you start switching them to adult food. This can be anywhere between 12 and 16 months.

The switch over from puppy food to adult food should be done gradually. By introducing adult food to your puppys diet over one to two weeks, theyll adjust better and cope with the change with less stress. The gradual process might also help you deal with any problematic begging behavior. If it doesnt heres how to stop your dog begging and barking when you eat.

Once again, follow the feeding guidelines on the dog food package or can to ensure your puppy is getting the right quantities. You can also speak to your vet if youre still unsure about how much to feed your puppy when you move to adult formula.

Conclusion

Your puppy has become firmly part of the family ever since you brought them home at eight weeks old. Its been a joyride, chaotic at times especially when she discovered the pure ecstasy of chewing your favorite shoes.

One of the first items you purchased when you brought your puppy home was her special food bowl. Feeding your puppy correctly may have taken a lot of time researching (and reading articles like this one). You also spent a lot of time actually feeding the hungry pooch.

But there will come a time when you need to switch your puppy to 2 meals a day, and I hope that this guide has helped you make the decision on when that should be.

Other aspects of puppy development

Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/golden-retriever-puppy-2706672/