Calculating the amount of dog food is an important aspect of formulating a diet. There are average indicators of the amount of feed. However, the daily norm of food for puppies and for adult dogs is always selected individually. The portion size directly depends on the age and frequency of feeding. In addition, when keeping on “drying”, it is important to calculate how much water the dog needs.
Types of dog food
All feeds differ in types and classes. The class of feed refers to its quality, more precisely, the quality of the raw materials from which it is made. Several types of food can belong to the same class and brand of food.
The following types of food are distinguished:
- Dry – granules.
- Wet – pate.
- Semi-moist – pieces with gravy or jelly.
- Treats – tablets, crackers, medallions, chewy goodies, etc.
Dry food is intended for feeding puppies after a complete change of teeth and adult dogs.
Wet and semi-moist foods are intended for feeding puppies, miniature and senior dogs, they are not contraindicated for animals of any age and complexion.
What is the difference between the types of feed, if we consider best storage containers of the same brand and line? Difference in water content.
Dry food contains from 2% to 8% water, in wet food the indicator can range from 40% to 60%.
Interesting! All wet and semi-moist foods are completely similar in composition, but the pates have a completely uniform consistency (they do not need to be chewed).
What kind of food is best for a dog? If the animal does not have indications for a particular type of diet for health reasons, the choice is completely voluntary. But! When choosing the type of feeding, you need to consider the following aspects:
- With wet food, which is usually more expensive than dry food, about half the price you pay is for water.
- Feeding wet food minimizes the risk of dehydration.
- Feeding dry food reduces the risk of tartar.
- Feeding exclusively dry food leads to rapid abrasion of tooth enamel, which is fraught with caries and toothache.
- Feeding with wet food reduces the load on the gums, which leads to their loosening, as a result, to periodontal disease and other diseases of the oral cavity.
Important! Feed manufacturers and veterinary doctors recommend that you make up an adult dog’s diet of 75% dry and 25% wet food.
On the recommendation of a veterinarian or the owner’s desire, the proportion of wet food can be increased. However, take into account that the energy value of wet feed is several times lower than dry.
Feed classes and their energy value
For the convenience of the owner, the quality of the feed is indicated by classes. There are four feed classes:
- Economy class feeds are considered the most affordable. With a comparative analysis of economy and premium feed, it turns out that their price differs slightly.
- Premium best storage containers contain more vegetable carbohydrates, which makes the feed unsuitable for feeding dogs of allergies.
- The feed of super-premium class, usually well balanced, contain enough proteins, all the necessary vitamins and trace elements.
- Class Holistic feed, like super-premium best storage containers, are optimally balanced, but are made of higher quality raw materials. The manufacturer Holistic feed claims that they use best storage containers suitable for eating people as raw materials.
Important! Premium and super-premium class are considered the best choice for everyday feeding of healthy animals.
How much food to feed your puppy? | Veterinary Approved
| Class of feed | Calorie content per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Economy | 250–300 |
| Premium | 300–350 |
| Super-premium | 360–450 |
| Holistic | 360–450 |
When choosing food, it is extremely important to pay attention not only to its calorie content, but also to the ratio of proteins and carbohydrates.
Important! The calorie content can be increased, due to plant best storage containers. Vegetables and fruits are useful for the dog, but proteins should be the basis of the diet.
Methods for calculating the number of feed
Methods for calculating the number of feed for an adult dog depend on several facts. Key indicators are the calorie content of feed and the activity of the pet. For calculations in the table, the super-premium class is taken as the basis:
| Dog weight in kg | Gram of feed per day | |
|---|---|---|
| High degree of activity | Low degree of activity | |
| up to 5 | 80 | 30 |
| 5–10 | 120 | 80 |
| 10–20 | 180 | 120 |
| 20-30 | 280 | 180 |
| 30–40 | 400 | 280 |
| 40-50 | 480 | 340 |
| 50-60 | 560 | 400 |
| 60–65 | 640 | 460 |
On all dog food storage containers of feed, regardless of the type, there is a table with recommendations for calculating the daily norm of food. The table contains several calculation options that include the weight and activity of the dog. Naturally, the above norms should be considered as a recommendation, and not instructions for action.
The recommended daily feed rate must be adjusted, based on a practical result.
Important! Immediately after eating dry food, the dog does not feel saturation for 10-15 minutes. In contact with water, the granules are actively absorbed, increase in volume and fill the stomach, which gives the dog a feeling of satiety.
If 15–20 minutes after eating food, the dog looks hungry, the portion you calculated is too small. If, through a similar period of time, the dog becomes inactive, tries to lie, suffers from excessive gas formation – a portion must be reduced.
The better the feed, the more insignificant it increases in size when getting wet.
Daily norm of puppy feed
The daily feed rate for puppies is calculated according to two indicators: age and calorie content. For convenience, below is a table, according to which you can calculate the daily feed rate of any trademark:
| Puppy age, in months | Number of calories per 1 kg of body weight per day |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | 200–220 |
| 1–3 | 265–280 |
| 3–4 | 200–220 |
| 4–8 | 135–150 |
| 8–12 | 100–120 |
To calculate the amount of feed for the puppy, you need to take into account age, weight and activity. For the basis, for calculation in the table, the feed of the super-premium class is taken, the amount of feed is indicated in grams:
When compiling a diet for a puppy, it is important to consider that its needs for vitamins and trace elements are very high. In addition, the puppy cannot eat the amount of food he needs in 2 or 3 doses, like an adult dog. In order for the baby to grow normally and develops, it must be fractionally feed.
In order not to harm the bite and teeth of the puppy, up to 6-7 months of age (full change of milk teeth), dry food must be soaked before serving.
Wolled dry food begins to mix with canned best storage containers when the puppy is 4–5 months old. To the end of the change of teeth, the pet will get used to the taste of dry food and the transition to an adult diet will pass without difficulties.
Daily feed rate for adult dogs
The daily feed rate for adult dogs is calculated by the dimensions and direct weight of the dog:
| Dog size | Number of calories per 1 kg of body weight per day |
|---|---|
| Dwarf | 110–120 |
| Petite | 85–95 |
| Average | 70–80 |
| Large | 60–70 |
| Giant | 55–65 |
If the dog does not have hereditary diseases, aged 1 to 7 years, it is important to protect the pet from food allergies and other acquired ailments.
Elderly, dogs over 7 years old are considered. Due to natural degenerative processes, older dogs may have problems with digestion and absorption of food.
For the prevention of the manifestation of age-related ailments, older dogs, it is recommended to transfer to a specialized diet. With age, dogs are reduced in dogs, and with the consumption of feed of “standard” calorie content, there is a risk of gaining excess weight.
With obesity, an elderly event is guaranteed to inflammation of the joints, impaired operation of the cardiovascular system and hormonal background. As a result, the dog can acquire chronic forms of arthritis, heart failure and diabetes.
The frequency of feeding
The frequency of feeding directly depends on the age and dimensions of the dog:
| Dog age, in months | Number of meals per day |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | 6–10 |
| 1–2 | 5–6 |
| 2–3 | 4–5 |
| 4–6 | 3–4 |
| 6–12 | 3–2 |
| 12+ | 2 |
The table shows that the smaller the dog, the more often it should receive food. Fractional feeding is used as the prevention of gastric overestimation. If from an early age the puppy eats through strength, the muscles of the gastric walls lose their elasticity.
In adulthood, the stretched stomach causes overeating and obesity. Dogs that regularly transmit are suffered from metabolic disorders.
How much water does a dog need when eating dry food?
The work of metabolism and hematopoiesis system directly depends on the amount of water in the body. When dehydration, the blood of the animal thickens, which leads to oxygen starvation of all organs and a decrease in immune protection. It is believed that the state of dehydration is much more dangerous than exhaustion.
Sources of water can be considered:
- Vegetable juices.
- Low-fat broths.
- Serum.
Liquid food that cannot be attributed to water:
- Milk, including dry and substitute for bitch milk.
- Dairy best storage containers.
- Raw chicken eggs.
You can calculate how much water the dog needs, depending on the type of nutrition:
- Natural diet – food contains up to 40% water, does not contain salt and preservatives – the daily water rate: 50 ml per 1 kg of body weight.
- Wet and half-willed feeds – contain 40-50% of water, may contain preservatives and/or salts – the daily norm of water: 75 ml per 1 kg of body weight.
- Dry feed – contain up to 10% water, may contain salts and/or preservatives – the daily water rate: 100 ml per 1 kg of body weight.
If you transfer a puppy or an adult dog to dry food for container storage, be sure to ensure that it drinks water after eating.
To reduce risks, transfer to dry food for container storage is made in three stages: first they accustom the dog to a damp stern, after, to a soaked dry stern. Only after you make sure that the dog is actively drinking water after eating, you can switch to dry granules.
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