Feeding your dog with the right amount of food is one sure-fire way to keep your furry friend healthy. To feed your dog with the right amount of dog food, consider its body weight, activity level, age, and type of food. Your dog’s body weight is one of the most important and accurate factors to guide you when feeding your dog.

How You Determine How Much to Feed a Dog Based On Weight

Generally, dogs require about 1/3 cup of dry food for every 5 kilograms of weight. But this amount may vary depending on the age and breed of the dog. It is important to feed your dog not just the right high-quality food, but also the right amount. When you feed a dog with too little food, it will experience nutritional deficiencies, while too much will lead to obesity and other health problems.

An accurate way to first determine how much to feed your dog is by weighing your pet and following the instructions on the manufacturer’s labels. Then you can adjust the quantities if you observe that your dog leaves food in the bowl or looks hungry after finishing food.

Here’s a more in-depth guide for feeding your dog based on weight.

Toy Breed Dogs Weighing Less Than 10 Pounds

Smaller dogs such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers, and Toy Poodles are usually light and weigh less than 10 pounds on average. These breeds consume less food than other dogs. A ¼ cup to ¾ cup of dry food per day is enough to feed these smaller breeds. The more active ones may consume one cup of food daily.

Miniature and Small Breed Dogs Between 10 Pounds and 25 Pounds

Miniature poodles and pinschers, Pekingese, Scottish terriers, and other small breeds typically weigh between 10 pounds and 25 pounds. A ¾ cup of dog food or one full cup per day is enough to feed dogs in this weight category. You may feed your dog one meal, or divide it into two meals. Typically, puppies and the more active dogs are best suited with two meals a day, while older dogs enjoy one meal a day.

Medium Breed Dogs Averaging 25 Lbs to 50 Lbs

These breeds include bulldogs, cocker spaniels, springer spaniels, and beagles. To keep them full and healthy, you’ll require one to two cups of dog food per day. The more active ones may consume more food, and you may need to increase the amount of food. When increasing the quantity of dog food, balance between wet and dry food to keep the diet healthy.

Large and Extra Large Breeds Weighing Between 50 Lbs and 75 Lbs

Golden retrievers, collies, and Labrador retrievers are examples of large breed dogs that weigh between 50 pounds and 75 pounds. They’re heavy feeders and may consume 2 ½ cups of dog food per day. Animal vets recommend you include wet food, so it makes up half the diet of your dog’s daily food. The extra-large breeds such as St. Bernard, Mastiffs, and Great Danes may weigh over 75 lbs. Typically, they consume between two cups and 4 cups of dry food daily.

What About Transitioning from Puppy Food to Adult Food?

Another important thing to know about feeding your dog is how to transition from puppy food to adult food. The best way to handle the transition is by mixing small amounts of adult food into your puppy’s food, then gradually increasing the amount in the subsequent days. If you notice any abnormalities like constipation during the transition, visit an animal medical center to have your dog checked.

While weight is not the only factor that should guide the amount of food you feed your dog, it’s one of the most accurate guidelines to consider. Veterinarians are best suited to advise you on the exact amount of food you should feed dogs in various stages of age and development. Vets recommend that you should have your pets checked up twice a year, to keep them in optimum health.

At Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center we are happy to provide a wide range of veterinary specialty and emergency services. It is important to have a “primary care” veterinarian to keep your new family member healthy and happy with routine vaccinations and health checks. But if you find yourself in the midst of a veterinary emergency, our team of experienced veterinarians is here to help. When it comes to visiting animal hospitals, we understand that the experience can be full of stress and worry, so we aim to make things as simple as possible. For more information, get in touch with one of our experts today.