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Feeding Guidelines for your Dog

Updated 28 February 2024
Read time: 4 mins

Knowing how to best feed your dog to ensure optimal health is not always straightforward. Owners generally find it hard to decide:

  • How many times a day their dog should eat
  • How much to feed per meal
  • Whether to feed wet or dry diets
  • Whether their dog needs a special diet or not

Read on to learn a little more about best feeding practices.

How often we should be offering food

Typically, the frequency of feeding will depend on the dog’s age. As a rule of thumb, we feed young puppies very regularly; at least four times a day. This is because they have small stomachs and are less able to regulate their blood sugars. Once pups reach about three months of age, we should be able to increase the portion they are given and taper their feedings down to three times daily. It is at six-month-old that it is usually advised that dogs are offered two meals and these should be given in the morning and evening. Some owners are comfortable continuing this pattern lifelong, while others may choose to go on to feed their dogs once a day. For an in depth guide for feeding puppies read our Puppy Feeding Guide blog piece.

Many small lap dogs are picky eaters as adults and will only want to eat once a day. However, a larger dog who is active may well need a couple of meals a day to keep them fuelled. This is especially true for working dogs and those who get a lot of exercise. Listen to your dog; they will soon let you know if they are hungry!

How much to put in the bowl

Every Pooch & Mutt diet has a feeding guideline which can be found on the packaging as well as online. The guideline takes into consideration the nutrient profile and calorie content of the food, as well as the dogs weight and age.

If you find your dog is constantly leaving food behind, they are likely being overfed. More often than not, this is because they are receiving their calories elsewhere; in the form of treats and dental chews! Remember, no more than 10% of a dog’s diet should be made up of treats so it may be time to cut down.

Of course, a guideline should not be solely relied upon as each dog as their own individual metabolism. As well as following a guideline, keep an eye on your dog to ensure they are a good Body Condition Score. You may find you need to alter the recommended amount they are fed over time in order to prevent them from becoming over or under weight.

For over-weight dogs:

Dogs who are over-weight should not be fed for their current weight. So, if your dog weighs 20kg but should weigh 18kg, we should provide the amount recommended for an 18kg dog. Using a kitchen scales to weigh out food has been proven to be a lot more accurate than ‘eyeballing’ the amount or using a measuring cup.

TOP TIP: You will achieve best results by feeding a diet specifically designed to help portly pooches such as Pooch & Mutt Slim & Slender. With ingredients that promote satiety as well as fat breakdown, you are guaranteed results.

For under-weight dogs:

Again, dogs should be fed for their target rather than their current weight. While your dog may only weigh 10kg, if they should weigh closer to 12kg, this is the weight we should feed them for. For those who struggle to put on weight, feeding their meals little and often may prove easier for them to manage.

Choosing a wet or dry diet

You may opt to offer only wet dog food, only dry food or a mixture of the two.

Wet Foods:

  • Are frequently preferred by dogs due to their texture and flavour profile
  • Provide lots of moisture which can be beneficial for those with kidney or bladder issues
  • May be easier for older animals and those with dental disease to eat
  • Can cake to teeth, leading to gum inflammation and tartare build-up, especially in the absence of tooth brushing
  • Can be messy, especially for those with long fur and ‘beards’ such as Griffon Bruxellois and Schnauzers.
  • Can have a stronger smell which some owners may dislike

Dry Foods:

  • Are easy to weigh and measure out
  • Can be stored for a long time and in large containers
  • Are nutrient and calorie dense
  • Can improve dental health and reduce tartare build-up, which is especially helpful for those prone to dental disease such as Chihuahuas and Greyhounds.
  • Contain little moisture so may not be appropriate for dogs with kidney or bladder disease.
  • Are not always as palatable as wet foods so may be declined by very fussy eaters

What about Prescription Diets?

Animals with chronic medical conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease or Diabetes will generally benefit from specific veterinary-formulated diets which are prescribed by their vet. These diets should not be started without medical advice.

For dogs who do not require prescription diets for medical diseases, owners might wish to take a look at Pooch & Mutt’s functional dog foods. These are designed for those with minor health or behavioural issues and include calming and sensitive stomach dog food. The ingredients are specifically chosen to benefit these dogs and help combat their problem.

Comments (94)

Hiya my puppy is expected to be 12 to 15kg. He’s 17 weeks, bit of a teething process to get the food weight right but feeding him 180g over 3 meals ATM of the puppy food. In the day this seems fine but at night he is waking us and crying for food. I’ve given him another 20/25g at times is this ok? Thank you

Sian - Sep 13 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Sian, your puppy crying at night could be a sign that they are teething, we have done a recent blog post on this if you wanted to take a look. If you find giving them extra food helps then this is absolutely fine, the guidelines are there for a rough estimate as every dog is different with varying metabolisms and activity levels; so you can adjust this accordingly :)

Team Pooch - Sep 13 2023

I have a Springer spaniel just turning one year old. He weighs around 20kg vet very happy with weight and condition. He has been on Beta puppy since brought home from breeder and currently eats 330g per day plus one chicken breast . Just switching him to Pooch and Mutt dry food but didn’t know exactly how much I should feed once change is complete ??

Tricia Mclenaghan - Sep 18 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Tricia,
Our team will reach out to you directly to discuss feeding guidelines for your pooch :)

Team Pooch - Sep 18 2023

I am thinking of changing my 2 year old show cocker from another brand of kibble to P&M kibble but was thinking of using three different ones [skin and coat dry food, joint care dry food, health and digestion dry food], so he gets a different flavour each day. Would this upset his tummy (changing flavour each day) or would it be OK because it is the same brand (P&M)?

Mari - Oct 10 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Mari,

You can feed multiple types of food however, we do recommend sticking to one food to ensure your dog is receiving all the natural nutrients they need for their specific condition. If you wanted to mix up the flavours of their meal, you could always look at adding a little wet food to their meals instead and we have a mixed multipack you can purchase for this. :)

Team Pooch - Oct 10 2023

Hiya,

Firstly, we have a VERY fussy puppy who we have struggled to feed, and she loves the pooch and mutt puppy mix so thank you! We will mix pooch and mutt with Butternut box, and we would like to make sure we are not underfeeding or overfeeding her. Her recommended daily calories are 560 (she is 8kg) . Could you please let me know how many calories are in 100g of P&M puppy food so i can work it out?

Kind regards,

Harriet

Harriet - Oct 25 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Harriet, Are you going to be feeding our Puppy Wet or Dry/Mixture? :)

Please let me know and I can calculate some feeding guidelines for you!

Team Pooch - Oct 25 2023

Hi! Do the feeding guidelines refer to current weight or expected adult weight please?

Gabbie - Oct 31 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Gabbie! For our wet food we use your pups current weight and then for dry food we use their estimated adult weight as a guideline. :)
Please feel free to reach out to the team on [email protected] if you need any advice

Team Pooch - Oct 31 2023

My 11 month old Shihpoo is currently on your dry puppy food.
I am wanting to stick with the kibble in the morning and then do a mixture of wet and dry for his tea. Please could you let me know the ratio of wet and dry?
He weighs 6kg
Thank you

Katy - Nov 16 2023

I have an overweight Greek shepherd. Currently weighing 29kg and vet advises she should be approx 25kg

Looking at Slim and Slender dry food mixed with a wet food (fish, potato and pea)

I can find feeding guidelines for both but can’t see how much to reduce it by if I am giving her a wet topper.

Please advise. She is 5 years old and has moderate exercise.

Thank you.

Kathryn Beanlands - Nov 16 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Katy,

Our team will reach out to you directly to discuss this with you further. :)

Team Pooch - Nov 16 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Kathryn,

Our team will be in touch with your directly to discuss this with you. :)

Team Pooch - Nov 16 2023

Hi
I have a spayed Boston terrier/ pug mix who weighs 12.65 kilos and should weigh about a kilo less. She has a very excitable Boston character and I would like you to recommend a feeding guide for her.

Maz - Dec 13 2023

Hello,
I’m currently feeding my 10 month old puppy 250g of a pooch and mutt puppy dry food. He’s 15kg am I feeding him enough?thank you

Lucy - Dec 13 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Maz,

If you head over to the product page you are feeding, there is a table for guidelines towards the bottom of the page. We would advise feeding for a target weight, which will help her to loose some weight. If you need any further guidance, please reach out to us on [email protected] :)

Team Pooch - Dec 13 2023
Pooch Admin

Hi Lucy,

For puppies on our dry food, we feed for their expected adult weight. If their adult weight is over 15kg then you are feeding around the correct amount, should their adult weight be less – you might be over feeding. Please feel free to reach out to the team on [email protected] and we can discuss this with you further :)

Team Pooch - Dec 13 2023

I have just got an 8 Week Old puppy and was looking at getting the Dry Primal food. However I was wondering what the feeding guideline would be for this? My dog is a German shorthaired pointer, so medium-large breed. I note the feeding guideline and weights are for adult dogs I believe.

Kieran - Feb 26 2024

Can you a little add water to the kibble? Or feed on its own?

Kelly - Feb 26 2024
Pooch Admin

Hi Kieran,
If you enter your pups age in the feeding guideline calculator, along with their expected adult weight, it should give you the daily amounts. If you aren’t sure, reach out to our team on [email protected] :)

Team Pooch - Feb 26 2024

I am in the process of changing my two labradors from Royal Canin Maxi Light kibble to your Slim and Slender. Please could you tell me how much I should be feeding them to enable them to reach their ideal weight.

Dog 1 is 50kg and is 9 years old – his ideal weight should be 40-45kg

Dog 2 is 42 kg and is 4 years old – his ideal weight should be 35-40kg

They both have a walk of 1 – 1 1/2 hours per day plus garden exercise.

Debra - Mar 19 2024
Pooch Admin

Hi Debra,
Our team have tried to reach you directly to discuss this with you, but the email keeps bouncing back. Would you please be able to reach out to the team on [email protected] and we can come back to you with feeding guidelines :)

Team Pooch - Mar 19 2024

Hi,

We have a 15 week old male whippet puppy, he currently weighs 7.4kg. His adult weight is estimated at 11kg. I would like to feed him a mix of Wet and dry. Can you advise on the amounts he should have of each food please?

Many thanks

Kelly Warburton - Mar 22 2024
Pooch Admin

Hi Kelly,

Our team will reach out to you directly to discuss feeding guidelines for your pooch! :)

Team Pooch - Mar 22 2024

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