Mom has been working to create quality combinations for our dog meals. Mainly to make sure we have a balanced diet full of nutrients to stay healthy and fight disease. Luna is growing into her new adult dog body but Ella began SHREDDING weight with the latest healthy food changes! (Yep, that happens to humans too when you switch to whole, healthy, non-processed foods)! So, Mom began wondering…How Much Food Should My Dog Eat?!
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How Much Should I Feed My Dog?
At the furSmiths we’ve been enjoying human-grade frozen meals from Just Food for Dogs combined with freeze-dried human-grade raw patties plus home-made toppers. (We also have a local pet kitchen that makes lightly cooked healthy pet meals which we rotate throughout each month). In general we eat mixtures of human-grade, lightly cooked, pre-made foods with a rotation of foods from the fridge as delicious toppers such as:
- Blueberries
- Eggs
- Lettuce
- Arugula
- Cilantro
- Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Carrots
- Organic Pumpkin
- Organic Applesauce
If you wish to make your own meals, Just Food for Dogs provides recipes with their nutritional supplements! The Forever Dog book also has great recipes to experiment with. You can also search “holistic dog food recipes” and check out Integrative Vets who have amazing recipes! Their recommendation is to serve “lightly cooked” or even raw. (We don’t like raw so we opt for lightly cooked)! Our Holistic Vet also recommends to add a splash of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil as “healthy fat” quality calories.
How Do I Know If I’m Feeding My Dog Enough?
After ton’s o’ internet research and decided to strategically “calculate” Ella’s meals by calories (instead of ounces) to help her gain and maintain weight in a healthy way. If you are buying any dog food the total calories are listed under the nutritional value. But, what if you are making dog food at home? What if you are mixing different combinations of foods and adding healthy dog-safe human foods as meal toppers?
Mon’s always used her “eyeball” method – basically keeping an eye on our weight and adjust if needed. But it became apparent very quickly with Ella that Mom needed a little better scientific method for determining our meal quantity!
How Much Should I Feed My Dog Calculator
Is your pup overweight, underweight or you’re just generally curious how much food does a dog need per meal? How much should a dog eat per day? We have a great calculator to give you guidance!
How Much Food Should I Feed My Dog Chart
First, select your dog’s activity level and input their desired weight. The calculator will tell you the amount of kcals (same as calories) and ounces / grams per day that your dog needs. We prefer going by calories to be as precise as possible and really like this “How Much Should I Feed My Dog Chart” for guidance.
How Much Food Does a Dog Need Per Meal?
Once you’ve determined your food quantity by calorie intake, adding small amounts of dog-safe organic vegetables can be a very nutritious and low calorie bonus (after clearing with your vet, of course). Make a list of the veggies you generally eat and ask your veterinarian which are ok for your specific pet. With all new foods it should only be “taste” size to see if it agrees with your pups tummy. Save the rest for leftovers the next 2 days and enjoy some yourself!
Reminder: If your dog eats twice a day, divide the total daily calories by two for each meal!
How Many Times Should I Feed My Dog a Day?
Have you ever wondered…How Many Times Should I feed My Dog? Us too! How many times do you currently feed your dogs per day? Our Favorite in-person and online Traditional, Holistic and Integrative Veterinarians all have different opinions. Some say once a day is ok and some say twice a day is ok. If you dog has health issues that require more frequent “mini meals” may be ok too.
At the furSmiths, we have 2 dog (and cat) meals per day with occasional extra healthy “mini meals” if it seems appropriate (a scrambled egg with veggies & cilantro or a couple bites of apple or 2 pieces of bananas or bites of watermelon, etc. Speak with your vet first to get their opinions for your specific pet. Consider consulting a second veterinarian who is Integrative if you have that opportunity in person or online for additional input. This will give you the best plan for your pet!
Is It Cruel to Feed a Dog Once a Day?
Overall, no, it’s not cruel to feed your dog once a day if your veterinarian thinks it’s ok for their overall health profile. If so, try once a day and see how your dog does. Remember Snacks and Dog Treats count towards calories too. Under the guidance of your vet, see what food schedule your pet thrives with. Once may suffice but move to twice if your pet does not seem to be doing well.
How Many Treats Per Day for a Dog?
It’s important to discuss the best treat options and quantities with your veterinarian so they can give you the best ideas! Keep in mind that treats and snacks add calories per day to your daily “calorie” count so keep a stash of healthy, delicious and low calorie treats handy.
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cats?
The furSmith family includes dogs and cats so we can never leave kitties out of important topics! Lovey has always been a very small cat compared to Zach who was a big boy (not a heavy kitty just a large one)! After Zachy suddenly passed away Lovey lost even more weight and became extremely picky about her food. She no longer loved the foods she and Zachy enjoyed which made it tougher. Finding healthy cat foods and flavors that Lovey would eat became an urgent matter.
After consulting with our Integrative Vet we determined Lovey had a urinary tract infection – we think from all the stress of grieving her brother. We are happy to say we’ve found 2 flavors Lovey really likes (she’s a chicken girl) plus she still loves all her treats – so we try to make those as healthy as possible (they are still pretty much kitty crack)!
Chewy has a really good calorie feeding guide for cats. It’s a good tool to use as a guideline but always consult with your vet and observe how your cat is doing and tweak from there. Lovey eats twice a day and if she begs more than usual, she’ll get a third serving or sometimes a Churu for cats. (Which, by the way was still eaten with antibiotic liquid stirred into)!
We also HIGHLY recommend that you find as many healthy wet cat foods as possible (make your own or try How Much Food Should My Dog Eat?
In summary, it’s important to determine how many of nutrient dense, healthy calories your dogs and cats should be eating. BonAppetite! Be sure to check out our Kidney Failure in Dogs and Cats blog to learn how to feed kidney friendly foods to your pets to keep them healthy!