How many meals?
Most dog owners feed their pets one to three times daily. The exact amount that is ideal depends on various factors.
Once a day: Absolute minimum
It's very easy, just the dog once a day to give a meal. This is usually recommended for most adult animals that have no digestive problems and normal eating behavior: their stomach is then stretchy enough to be able to hold and digest a daily ration without any problems.
It is highly advisable to bring the dog about lunchtime to feed: On the one hand, this means he is less likely to disturb the rest of the family during their meal, but on the other hand, he has the rest of the day and night to digest the bowl full of food. After eating, he can usually take a nap.
In some cases, however, one meal per day is less recommended: If the dog has to be alone a lot during the day, it may be impossible to feed the animal at an appropriate time. Even very active dogs who are out and about a lot in the morning or evening have more available energy if they are fed at times of the day that correspond to their movement profile.
Even when dieting, you have to feed
Even if your dog is on a diet because he needs to lose weight, regular feeding is mandatory: this is the only way he will have enough energy to burn off excess pounds. However, you should then adjust the amount of food or use special “light” or “diet” mixtures.
2 to 3 meals per day: Highly recommended for some dogs
The alternative to one-time feeding are two or even three meals per day. This usually means breakfast and dinner for the four-legged friend, and in some cases there is also lunch.
If your four-legged friend has to be alone during the day or does a lot of exercise in the morning or evening, this rhythm is very practical. Multiple feedings are also recommended for dogs that have difficult digestion or are even prone to stomach upset. Animals that tend to gobble should also be fed several times a day.
It is important that the daily feeding amount distributed throughout the day becomes. You definitely have to keep this in mind, because if the dog gets more than it needs over a period of time, it will become overweight pretty quickly.
More meals necessary for puppies
The general consensus among experts is that dogs should have between one and three meals. But there are some Exceptions to the rule, which make it necessary, at least temporarily, to fill the bowl a little more often:
- Puppies are still growing and therefore have a smaller digestive system, and the stomach is not yet as stretchy as in adult animals. As soon as the little four-legged friend is switched from milk to solid food, he should get four small meals a day. From around the 6th month of life – or a little later for larger breeds – you can slowly reduce this to the adult rhythm.
- Dogs suffering from chronic or acute digestive problems or, for example, inflammation of the salivary glands Bland food have been planted also need to be fed much more frequently. Otherwise the digestive tract would quickly be overloaded – bite by bite is then the best choice.
Zero diet exclusively for medical reasons
Unfortunately, some dog owners also use feeding as an educational measure: If they think their four-legged friend has misbehaved, they then send him “to bed without supper,” for example.
Perhaps many who take this to heart will remember such a disciplinary measure from their childhood, but it is no longer recommended for people either. What makes things even more difficult for dogs is that the four-legged friends cannot establish a connection between misbehavior and punishment – so their behavior does not change, but their bodies and psyches suffer instead.
A zero diet should therefore only be carried out on veterinary advice. e.g. in acute pancreatitis or diarrhea. Even then, it must be very limited; for small dogs, a maximum of 12 hours is usually recommended; larger dogs should go without food for a maximum of 24 hours.