How Much Should I Feed My Pet?

Or

Why Is My Pet Fat?

 

When your pet is young, under 1 year of age, it requires nutrients for growth. By 1 year, most pets have reached their adult body size. Some large breed dogs will continue to grow until around 2 years of age.

 

As the “Controller of Food” in your pet’s life, you need to be able to adjust the quantity of food your pet receives as nutritional needs change. This will help keep your pet at a healthy weight.

 

“How do I do that?” you might ask.  The most important thing to realize is that every animal is different. One dog weighing 20lbs may eat ¾ cup of food daily, while another needs 1 ¼ cups to maintain a healthy weight.

 

You can use the label on the dog food as a guideline, but most food manufacturers will have you overfeeding by as much as a ½  cup. This may not seem like a lot, but it adds unneeded calories that turn to fat on your pet.

 

If you are unsure about your pet’s weight, let us check it for you. The following guidelines can help you get started.

 

Don’t give in to finicky eaters – Cats need to eat on a regular basis, but missing one meal, or even one day of eating won’t hurt them as long as they are otherwise healthy. Dogs on the other hand can go for days, even up to 2 weeks without food. If your pet suddenly becomes a finicky eater, take a good look at what’s going on. Did you give the pet people food? Is the pet nearing 1 year of age? How long has the pet gone without eating? Is it vomiting or having diarrhea? Call us if you are unsure.

 

Does your pet eat every thing you put in its bowl? – If you go to refill Fluffy’s bowl and there is regularly still food in it, you may be feeding too much. Measure the amount that’s left and decrease the amount you feed.

 

Don’t fall for “The kibble is too big to chew”- If the kibble can fit in the animals mouth, it’s not too big. Dogs and cats mouths are designed to break bones, a little kibble isn’t an obstacle and it’s healthier for them to chew. If your pet seems painful when chewing, it may be caused by a medical problem, like gingivitis. In this case, we need to see the pet.

 

Don’t change foods all the time – Changes in diet can cause upset stomachs and food allergies. Even when you change from the puppy or kitten food to an adult, or adult to senior food, you need to do it gradually over a 7 day period. Slowly add the new food and decrease the amount of the old until you have switched completely.

 

 

This is a guideline only!

 

For most cats – Feed ½ to ¾ cups dry food daily. REMEMBER, each cat is different, if yours seems to be under or overweight on this quantity, change how much you feed accordingly. If you are unsure, let us examine the cat and advise you.

 

For most dogs – Feed around ½ cups dry food per 10 lbs. REMEMBER, each dog is different, if yours seems to be under or overweight on this quantity, change how much you feed accordingly. If you are unsure, let us examine the dog and advise you.