Top Dog Mealtime Questions Answered
Hannah Roundy
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How often should you feed your dog? What about how much food to give them? We answer these questions and more.
Your dog’s mealtimes can come with a lot of queries. How much food should I be feeding my dog? Should dogs eat once or twice a day? Never fear – here’s the complete Sundays for Dogs feeding guide to answer all your questions.
How much food should I feed my dog?
Each dog requires a different amount of daily calories based on their age. Breed and size also play a large role in how much food your pup needs. Toy dog breeds don’t need nearly as much food daily as a giant breed.
Puppies need to eat more frequently than adult dogs for the first year of their life. Younger dogs also require a different diet compared to adult and senior dogs. This is because puppies are growing at a faster rate so their nutritional needs are a bit more complex.
The amount of feed senior and adult dogs need is much more simple. Unless your pup has special health conditions or is over/underweight, serving sizes depend on their breed and weight.
For example, a toy breed dog that weighs around 10 pounds will need around 2/3 cups of food per day. A medium-sized dog, like a Beagle or Australian Shepherd, will need around 2 1/2 cups per day. Dogs that weigh 80 pounds will need 3 1/2+ cups of food per day.
How much should I feed my dog if they are more than 100 pounds? You can add an extra ⅓ cup of food for every ten pounds that your pup weighs.
Sundays for Dogs Feeding Guide
How much Sundays should you feed your dog? At Sundays, we offer custom feeding guides and meal plans that are tailored specifically to your dog’s needs. We ask each new customer to fill out our feeding quiz. In this short questionnaire, you’ll provide us with your dog’s weight, breed, body condition, activity level, age, and more.
After completing the quiz, we provide your pup with their unique serving size, calorie intake, and a recipe recommendation. We also provide a general feeding chart on our packaging for those who don’t want to follow their dog’s custom meal plan.
How many times a day should I feed my dog?
Even when you know how much food to give your dog, there’s still a question of mealtime frequency. You might be wondering, “Should my dogs eat once or twice a day?”. Again, the answer to this question is mostly dependent on your dog’s age.
While one meal a day is fine, most veterinarians suggest feeding adult dogs twice a day. The best times to feed your dog is once in the morning and once at night. Two meals per day can keep your dog from feeling hungry in the middle of the night and prevent vomiting from an empty stomach.
How many times a day should a puppy eat? Puppies that are 6 months or younger need to be fed four times per day. When they reach around 6 months old, you can slowly wean them onto twice-a-day feedings.
Puppy Feeding Tips
Puppies have more high-maintenance feeding needs than adult and senior dogs. Not only do they need more food, but they need double the amount of meals than older pups. Here are a few puppy feeding tips to make that first year of mealtime a breeze.
Can puppies eat adult food?
Yes, puppies can eat “adult food” if it’s AAFCO-approved for dogs of all life stages. But puppies cannot eat dog food that’s certified by AAFCO for senior or adult maintenance. All life stages recipes have nutritional profiles that are suitable for dogs of all ages, including puppies.
How many times a day should a puppy eat?
Veterinarians recommend that puppies 6 months or younger eat four times per day. After puppies are older than 6 months, they can start eating larger portions twice a day.
Any puppy feeding tips for picky eaters?
Pickiness is very common for dogs, especially when they’re puppies. If you find your pup isn’t eating as much as they should, try adding toppers and treats to their food to make it more appetizing. You can add their favorite treats, blueberries, carrots, or cheese to spice up their bowl.
Puppies may also dislike the texture of their food. You can soften dog food by topping it with bone broth, warm water, or pumpkin puree. If this doesn’t seem to work, we recommend testing out a few different types of dog foods to see what spurs their appetite.