Vet‑Approved 2025 Guide: Are You Feeding Your Dog the Right Amount? Portion Tips & Best Practices 💉🐶🍽️

By Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc

Feeding your dog the correct amount ensures optimal health, energy, and longevity. This comprehensive guide by Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc explores how to calculate portions based on age, size, activity level, and life stage. Expect best practices for daily calories, feeding schedules, portion adjustments, and tools like Ask A Vet to help maintain a healthy canine diet. 🐾✨

📊 Why Portion Matters

• Overfeeding = obesity, joint stress, metabolic issues.
• Underfeeding = poor growth, weak immunity, nutrient deficiencies.
Both conditions shorten lifespan and degrade the quality of life.

🐶 Life Stage Guidelines

Puppies

• Grow fast—need 3–4 meals/day until ~6 months, then 2–3 meals.
• Feed growth-specific food with 22.5%+ protein on dry matter.

Adults

• 2 meals/day is ideal—morning and evening, ~10–12 hours apart.
• Feed about 2–4% of body weight in food daily, depending on size.

Seniors

• Often need fewer calories (<2% body weight) due to slower metabolism.
• Monitor muscle mass; use senior/low-calorie formulas.

⚖️ Key Influencers on Calorie Needs

• Breed & Size: Active breeds burn more calories; smaller dogs need relatively more energy.
• Neutered vs Intact: Spayed/neutered dogs require ~10–20% fewer calories.
• Activity Level: Working dogs or active pets need more than sedentary breeds.
• Health Status: Puppies, gestating, nursing, injured, or sick dogs need more calories.

📏 How Much to Feed: Portion Guide

Use the following table as a starter—then adjust based on body condition and energy:

• 3 lb dog: ~⅓–½ cup/day
• 10–20 lb: ~¾–1⅓ cup/day
• 30–50 lb: ~1¾–2⅔ cups/day
• 60–100 lb: ~3–4½ cups/day

Divide the total daily amount between the two meals.

🧮 Calculating Calorie Needs

1. Use resting energy requirement (RER):

   RER = 70 × (body weight kg)^0.75

2. Multiply RER by an activity factor (1.2–2.5) based on lifestyle.
3. Consult your vet or use tools like Ask A Vet to refine portions.

🍽️ Meal Timing & Routine

• Consistent mealtimes support digestion and routine.
• Avoid free-feeding unless the pet self-regulates well—portion control is critical.

📦 Label vs. Real Life

Food bag guidelines are estimates. They don’t factor in muscle mass, medical conditions, or activity. Adjust based on:

• Body Condition Score (1–9 scale)
• Veterinary advice and regular weigh-ins

🩺 When to Adjust Feedings

Modify portions if your dog shows:

• Weight gain: Reduce food by 10–20% and increase activity.
• Weight loss: Increase food intake, and check for medical issues.
• Digestive upset: Try smaller meals, a bland diet, and consult a vet.

🛠️ Tools to Optimize Nutrition

• Ask A Vet: Send weight logs, and get personalized feeding advice.

📅 Monitoring Guide – Sample Schedule

Track the first 8 weeks:

• Week 0: Note baseline weight, body score, and feeding amount.
• Weeks 2 & 4: Check weight and body condition.
• Week 6 & 8: Reassess; if overweight use diet strategies, if underweight check health.

⚠️ Common Feeding Pitfalls

• Over-reliance on treats—should total <10% of daily calories.
• Feeding adult food to puppies—leads to nutrient gaps.
• Ignoring life changes like age, health status, or reproduction.
• Free-feeding without monitoring weight.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Feeding your dog the right amount is a dynamic process—adjusting for life stage, activity, health, and environment. The formula-based portion guides are a starting point, but your dog's body condition score, vet advice, and monitoring are key to long-term wellness. Use tools like Ask A Vet to support portion control, enrichment, and household mealtime harmony. 👍🐾