How frequently should we feed our dogs?
The usual uncertainties that need to be cleared up when it comes to dog care are mostly about the dog’s diet, or more specifically, how often they should eat in a single day. One of the crucial responsibilities as a furry parent is to feed our pet dogs on time and monitor their nutrition. We buy dog foods that we choose that are good for the dog’s diet, but the timing and frequency of feeding affect the dogs’ health, especially when they age. As a result, it is critical to understand the proper methods for maintaining dog health and preventing problems
The frequency of meals must consider factors such as age, which is heavily associated with the frequency of feeding, the type of food, and the dog’s clinical status. In general, the frequency of feeding dogs is greater when they’re young and decreases as they get older. similar to our human body, whose metabolism slows down as we get older. If the puppies are at the age of 3 to 4 weeks, you may introduce them to small portions of food every 2 to 4 hours. But this doesn’t mean that they should abstain from sucking milk from the mother. Mother’s milk is still essential, along with food. When the dogs are aged 6 weeks of life, you may feed them 3–4 times a day, and, of course, the mother’s milk still goes along until the mother refuses to breastfeed them. If you’re feeding puppies with dry food, make sure to soften them first with water. You may divide the ration of food for older puppies aged 2-3 months into five sittings. When the puppies are 3 to 6 months of age, you may reduce the frequency of meals to 3 times a day. And then, as the puppy now gradually transitions to adulthood, which occurs between 6 and 12 months of life, you may reduce the rations to 1 to 2 sittings per day. And this could go on as the puppy becomes a fully grown dog.
Overfeeding dogs leads to obesity and other health issues, so we should be careful. But with that limited frequency of meals, we have to make sure that the food we are serving has the nutrition your dog needs. You may serve them human foods such as bone broth, which is good for your pooch’s gut, carrots that contain vitamin A, and fiber-rich apples (just remove the pits from the center). One to two meals a day is enough for the dogs, as their digestive system slows down as they get older. Older dogs now are more prone to health conditions and might have a certain way of feeding. It is recommended that you see a vet to know the “do’s and not” when taking care of your furry best friend. Without a doubt, the sparkle in our beloved furry companion’s eyes is endearing. If we want them to stay longer, we have to educate ourselves and practice taking care of the health of our dogs.
