Pet nutrition is an essential part of their good health and longevity. Indeed, suitable food served in optimal quantities will contribute on the one hand to the daily well-being of your animal and on the other hand to extending its life expectancy. This is particularly the case for dogs, with whom it is not always easy to dose their diet correctly. Here are some tips for knowing how much food to give your dog.
How much food for your dog?
Taking into account only the weight criterion, here are some indicators of the quantity of food to give to your dog daily. You will adapt them with the other parameters.
So, if his diet only includes kibble, the recommended dose is approximately 15 grams of kibble per kilo of the dog’s weight. So for a 10kg dog, the dose of kibble is 150g per day. For a 20kg dog, the dose is 300g per day, etc.
Once again, this basic indication must be increased or lowered depending on the characteristics of your dog (activity, age, sterilization).
Dual nutrition
If you have opted for dual nutrition, that is to say, the combination of dry food (kibble) and wet food (freshness sachets, etc.), you will logically reduce the daily ration of kibble. You should know that weight equals, kibble and wet food do not have the same energy value. In fact, the caloric intake of kibble is higher than that of wet food. On average, it is estimated that the energy intake of kibble is between 6 and 8 times higher than that of wet food.
Therefore, by introducing a certain amount of wet food into your pet’s meals, you will not reduce kibble as much. Otherwise, its energy needs will not be met. On the other hand, this can be a solution if your dog is overweight: the water contained in wet food will fill the stomach and satisfy your dog, without providing him with additional calories.
For example, for a healthy 10kg dog, if you give 80 grams of wet food, you will not reduce its kibble ratio by 80 grams. If you used to give him 135g of kibble, reduce it to around 120g. Likewise, for a 20kg dog, you can go from 230 to 200 grams of kibble while giving between 180 and 210 grams of wet food at the same time. And for a 30kg dog, you can combine 270g of kibble and between 240 and 300 grams of mash.
To make your calculations easier, remember the following rule: 10g of kibble corresponds to 60g of wet food.
Adapt the quantity to senior dogs
The energy needs of a senior dog are lower than those of an adult dog. Even if the senior dog does not suffer from any particular ailment, he will have less physical activity.
A dog is considered to become senior from approximately 10 years of age for a small breed, 8 years of age for a medium breed, and 6 years of age for a large breed. You will then move towards kibble designed for senior dogs. Generally, they are smaller in size and contain a lot of protein and vitamins. In addition, they contain very little fat: older dogs tend to store more fat.
Gradually replace old kibble with kibble for senior dogs. This way, you will not disturb your dog or his digestive system… Start by replacing a third of the old kibble with the new ones. Then you will gradually increase the dose of news until you only give this.
Know if your dog is well-fed
You can determine whether the quantity of kibble provided to your dog is correct in two ways: firstly by weighing it, and secondly by physically observing it.
Weighing your dog regularly will allow you to monitor the evolution of his weight and, possibly, adapt the food doses accordingly. On the other hand, you can also monitor the physical condition of your pet. For example, if you can see the hollow in his sides, it is probably because he is at his ideal weight. You can also guess its ribs by running your hands along its sides.
If you can see your dog’s bones from a distance or feel them too easily by running your hands over his sides, then he is too thin. Conversely, if you can no longer easily feel his ribs without pressing and if his waist is no longer marked, then he is overweight.