There’s no doubt dogs enjoy their food, and many of them would eat all day long if they could.
It’s important that we do control how much food our dogs eat. This means calculating how much to give him, and feeding him a measured amount several times a day. Ad lib feeding, where a bowl of kibble is left down all day for a dog to nibble on when he wants to, is not a good way to feed him. In most cases, he will eat too much, and become quite overweight.
Some people feel their dogs should eat like their ancestor the wolf, with a regular fast day when they don’t eat at all. This mimics the wolf lifestyle where if they didn’t manage to kill some prey, they just wouldn’t eat. This is also inappropriate, because our pet dogs aren’t wolves, and don’t live like they do.
Ideally, your dog should be fed twice daily. This helps to even out his energy intake over the course of the day, and to regulate his blood glucose. This is particularly significant in diabetic dogs, where feeding twice daily at specific times is an important part of controlling the disease. Many dogs do just fine on one meal a day. There are disadvantages to this. Firstly, it means that they often run out of muscle glycogen and have to rely on fat metabolism to keep up their activity levels. This is fine, but it’s a slower method of providing energy than using glucose and glycogen stored in the muscles. Secondly, a long period between meals may cause a condition known as bilious vomiting. This is characterized by vomiting bile with no obvious illness, and often responds well to feeding the dog two or three meals daily.
There are some circumstances in which more frequent feeding is necessary.
Young puppies should be fed three times daily until they are three or four months old, then they should be fed twice daily.
Toy breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers can suffer from low blood glucose when they are young because their liver metabolism is not yet mature. These tiny pups need food every 6 hours or so, to prevent their blood glucose dropping too low, which can lead to weakness and coma.
Feeding one meal daily is a risk factor for bloat. This potentially fatal condition occurs in deep chested dogs after a big meal or a big drink of water. Their stomach swells and may twist, and they need urgent veterinary care if they are going to survive. Deep chested breeds are most prone to bloat, and they should be fed three times daily.
Underweight dogs also benefit from three meals a day. This makes it easier to give them the nutrition they need to improve their body condition, without overfilling their stomach.
However you choose to feed your dog , it’s a good idea to give him his meals at the same time each day. Dogs enjoy the routine, and it also makes it easier to predict when he is likely to need to go to the toilet. This is particularly important if you are toilet training him.
Ultimately, your dog’s feeding schedule must fit in with your lifestyle. If your dog isn’t in one of the groups mentioned that need three or more meals a day, then you have some flexibility. People who work long hours may prefer to give their dog a big meal in the morning, so they are comfortable for the rest of the day. Ultimately, whether your dog is fed once or twice a day is less critical than feeding him a good quality food in the right amount.
