Are you Overfeeding your Dog?

Although it might not be one of the most exciting parts of dog ownership, making sure you feed your dog the right amount is absolutely essential to maintain your canine companion’s weight, nourishment and overall health. Underfeeding has obvious consequences for the health of your precious pup and can lead to a number of serious issues. Overfeeding may seem less of an issue, but can also lead to a plethora of problems for you and your dogs.

There are two main reasons why overfeeding can be a burden for you and your dog; firstly the health of your handsome hounds and, secondly, the cost. We all know that keeping our dogs healthy is the main priority here, but, in today's financial climate and the ever-present cost of living crisis, staying frugal is something we will probably all need to do in the not-too-distant future too.

In today's post, we will be discussing the best ways to ensure you are feeding your dog the correct amount, how to maintain a healthy weight for them and how we can make sure we are sticking to our dog food budgets whilst keeping your four-legged friends properly nourished.

How Much Should You be Feeding Your Dog?

Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule as to the amount you should feed your dog, as it can vary depending on food type, weight, size, breed, age and a whole host of other factors. Having said that, the simplest way to get a pretty accurate guideline is by using the feeding guide provided with your dog’s favourite food. These are usually located on the back of the bag and are a really good starting place for most dogs. These guides usually give you a daily amount in grams, which you can easily weigh out with some cheap or old kitchen scales, which should usually be split into two portions and fed twice a day. Some dogs that have difficulty maintaining their weight or have trouble with nourishment absorption might need to be fed at more regular intervals, but that is something that should be recommended by your vet.

If your dog is in training or is just a sucker for a tidbit, make sure you are weighing the treats and taking out the equivalent weight in food from their dinner or second meal of the day. 

If your dog is whining for more food straight after breakfast or is liable to eat voraciously, why not try a puzzle feeder or toy to slow down their consumption and stretch out the time it takes to finish their food?

See Our Perfect Puzzle Toy Selection Here>

What to do if Your Dogs Weight Becomes an Issue

The simple answer is the one that you are probably thinking already, see your vet! You should never try and deal with medical issues in your dogs by yourself unless you are properly trained, there are numerous health problems that can cause weight gains and losses and the root cause should always be identified by a veterinary professional. 

How to Work Out the Cost Per Serving for Your Dog

Sometimes I’m often left wondering what the point of maths class was in school, however, there are times when it all becomes clear! With a little simple maths, we can easily work out exactly how much each portion of your dog’s food costs, so you can budget appropriately as well as make sure your dog is getting the right amount of nourishment each and every day. 

The sum is simple, you first work out the portion size, by using the attached guide, and divide the bag's total weight by this number. You then take this answer and divide the total cost of the bag by it and voila, your cost per serving.

So for example, take Artie, The Pets Larder’s very own beautiful Borderdoodle, who weighs a healthy 13.5kg and has a normal active lifestyle for her breed, and Aflora’s Minster with Chicken & Sweet Potato. According to the guide, Artie should need around 230g of Aflora Minster per day, meaning each portion would work out at 115g. So firstly, we are taking the bag size which is 15kg, or 15000g, and dividing it by portion size, so, 15000/115 which is equal to 130.43. We then take the price of the bag and divide it by this number, Aflora costs just £57 per 15kg, so 57/130.43 = 0.44, so, each portion of Artie’s Aflora Munster would cost 0.44p per serving or 0.88p per day. Simple when you know how! 

So, when it comes to feeding your hungry hounds, don't forget that accuracy is key and getting the scales out and doing a bit of maths can help to keep your dogs healthy and in tip-top condition, as well as keep your wallet happy, whatever might be lurking around the corner.