Times a dog should eat

How many times should a dog eat a day without any problem?

In this section we are going to see how many times a day a healthy, normal, adult dog that does not suffer from any disease, and that is not in a peculiar phase of its life, should do this. In general, an adult dog should eat at least two meals a day, one for breakfast and one in the afternoon or evening. This applies to all dogs, both small and large. In the first case, it prevents the dog from quickly running out of food for most of the day, that is, it prevents problems from arising such as an increase in the amount of acid produced that causes gastritis and vomiting (that is, typical of small dogs that eat only once a day, or that instead of taking their first meal in the morning they do it at noon, this causes too much time to pass from dinner to noon and the acid produced increases). In the case of large dogs, however, the speech is mainly related to stomach dilation or torsion: One of the main factors of this ailment is the only daily meal.

If we choose to eat three meals a day (or five), breakfast, lunch and dinner, although often for work reasons they are not fulfilled, it is because it is the best way to feed ourselves, distribute the nutrients throughout of the day. Well, something similar happens with our dog. But why are there still many people who recommend only one meal a day for the dog? This causes a bit of confusion. Sometimes, some owners think that giving the dog two meals a day means doubling the ration, but they are wrong. Feeding the dog twice means dividing the portion in two, not doubling it. For example: if the dog has to eat 100 grams of dry food or dog food per day, the decision to feed him twice a day does not mean that I give him 100 in the morning and 100 at night, it means that I should divide them in 50 grams in the morning and 50 at night. The daily ration should always be the same regardless of the divisions in daily intake. At the end of the day, the total number of grams is the same.

This does not even take into account those who recommend only one meal for reasons of convenience or laziness: these people must be re-educated about what it means to care for a dog. Of course, water should always be left available, while meals are given at a specific time, the food bowl is left and the dog has 10 or 15 minutes to eat, then the bowl should be removed. The dog should not always have the bowl full and available as a matter of education, he should know that you have control over the food, not him.

What is the number of times dogs have to eat per day in particular situations?

All of the above does not apply if the dog is in special situations. For example, puppies need to eat little and often, they have to eat at least 4-5 meals a day until they are reduced to a minimum of two meals as they grow. Even females during pregnancy and lactation have to eat more frequently: they need more food, but to avoid eating large amounts of food, they eat more frequently.

Dogs with special digestive problems may need to eat little and often, while diabetic dogs usually eat twice a day shortly after giving them insulin. As for working dogs, in the active phase, their behavior must be modified to ensure correct energy intake.