Chaska Valley Veterinary Clinic Dog Information

Feeding Adult Dogs

chaska valley vet clinic dog at reception

Many commercial dog foods are available to adequately nourish the average adult dog. A good general rule is to avoid the cheapest brands. Even though cheap foods may have the proper ingredients listed on the label, they may not contain high quality, usable protein.

Factors to consider when choosing a diet for your pet include your dog’s age, activity, breed, and temperament. Also, special diets are needed during pregnancy and disease. Prescription diets are available for pets with cardiac, renal, allergic, nutritional, skin, and intestinal diseases.

The 10 - Minute Routine

For unenthusiastic eaters, offer a small amount of food, wait 10 minutes, and remove the uneaten portion. Allow nothing but water until the next regular mealtime. Repeat this 10-minute routine even if your pet eats nothing for several days. Your pet will learn that it must eat when food is provided or go hungry. Do not allow uneaten food to remain available after 10 minutes. And don’t supplement your dog’s diet with table scraps.

How Much Should You Feed?

In general, you can feed your dog according to the manufacturer’s directions, but under certain circumstances the amounts should be modified. Your doctor will advise you of your pet’s needs.

Another approach is to determine the caloric requirements of your pet, calculate the calories present in a given amount of food, and feed the necessary amount to meet your dog’s needs. Remember that activity, pregnancy, lactation, and environmental factors also govern total calories required by adult dogs. For instance, dogs that live outside in cold climates burn more calories per pound of body weight than those that sleep all day indoors.

The following are total daily caloric requirements for adult dogs of different weight ranges:

Weight		Caloric Needs
1 - 2 lb		60 cal/lb of body weight
5 - 10 lb		45 cal/lb of body weight
15 - 30 lb		35 cal/lb of body weight
30 - 45 lb		30 cal/lb of body weight
45 - 75 lb		27 cal/lb of body weight
75 - 110 lb		23 cal/lb of body weight

Different foods vary in caloric content, but you can use the following general rule. Dry foods contain about 1500 calories/lb. Semi-moist foods contain about 500 calories/6 oz. Canned foods contain about 600 calories/16 oz. Special diets vary in their caloric content.