How much food should I feed my dog?

Different diets contain different levels of nutrition and calories. For example, wet food has a high-water content. This means you will need to feed a larger volume compared to a dry food alternative to fulfil your dog’s nutritional needs. There will also be variations between pet food brands.

Active, growing dogs require more energy and a different nutrient balance than senior dogs. The most important thing is to pick a diet that is appropriate for your pet’s life stage (e.g. puppy, adult or senior).

Dogs vary hugely in their size and weight. Giant dogs are naturally going to require much more food than small or toy breeds such as Frenchies and Chihuahuas.

Very active or working breeds will require more food than a sedate, inactive lap dog. They will be burning off more calories and have more muscle repair and maintenance needs.

Your dog’s health may determine how much food they require. For example, obese dogs may need less to encourage weight loss. Whereas dogs that are lactating (nursing puppies) will need more calories for milk production.

There is no simple answer to this, as you will need to consider all the factors listed above. A good starting point is to choose a diet appropriate for your dog’s life stage and size, then check what the manufacturer's feeding guidelines are for your pet’s ideal body weight. This will tell you how much to feed a dog (or how much to feed a puppy) in a 24-hour period so you can weigh this out and divide it into the number of meals your pet requires each day.

At Years, we do all the hard work for you! By using your dog’s details, we can work out their ideal daily food requirement and package it in single-serve recyclable trays. No measuring or food weighing required!

As with all pet food providers, we always advise that owners check their pet’s weight and body condition regularly. If your dog is gaining weight on their current portion size, then they require less food. The opposite is true if they are losing weight.

With so much variation between individuals, body condition scoring gives us the best way of checking whether your pet is at their optimum weight. This allows for dietary tweaks to be made as needed. 

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) designed this method which is used by vets to evaluate a dog’s fat coverage. If you want to have a go at assessing your pet’s body condition then the PDSA’s step-by-step guide is very helpful. Alternatively, speak to your vet for advice.

If you are interested and want to get into the specifics of daily calorie allowances, then you can check out this dog food calculator. Remember that the recommended calorie amount calculated for your pet should apply to everything they consume in a day, including treats and dental chews, as well as their main means.

Most adult dogs should have their daily food ration split into two equal meals. This helps to keep them more satisfied than feeding them just one larger meal, as well as being easier to digest. However, if your dog has a health complaint you may need to divide their daily portions into several smaller meals.