How much food is too little in dog

Are You Feeding Your Dog the Right Amount?

Why the Right Dog Food Amount Matters

If you feed your dog too little, they can suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

However, If you feed your dog too much, it will eventually result in obesity and its related health issues, like:

Giving your dog the right amount of quality dog food can help support your pets overall health and keep them feeling their best.

How to Find the Right Amount of Dog Food for Your Dog

You need to account for several factors when determining exactly how much your dog should be eating.

Consider the Important Factors

The correct meal size depends on factors like:

• Type of food

• Number of meals

• Body weight

• Metabolic rate

• Amount of exercise

Look at the Feeding Guide on the Bag

To start the process, take a look at the feeding guide on your dog foods label. They are usually presented as a table that looks something like this:

Unless stated otherwise, these amounts give you the total that is recommended for your dog over a 24-hour period.

Most adult dogs should eat two meals a day, and puppies often require threeor more feedings, so youll need to divide the amount in the table by the number of meals you are offering.

Take Your Dogs Lifestyle Into Account

Combine this information with your knowledge of your dogs lifestyle to come up with the initial amount of food to offer your dog.

For example, if I had a relatively inactive 35-pound Corgi who had a tendency to gain weight, I might start with a little less food than the table recommends. On the other hand, if my dog was a 35-pound Border Collie who never sits still, I would feed a little more.

Consider Using a Calorie Calculator

Another option is to try using a calorie calculator for dogs, but keep in mind that while these often spit out a precise number, your dogs actual needs may be as much as 25% more or less.

Determine Your Dogs Body Condition Score

Whichever method you pick, youll have to use a scale orbody condition scoring systemto fine-tune the amount of food you offer.

Your veterinarian can help you decipher your dogs body condition score (BCS) and determine an appropriate calorie amount.

In general, dogs who are at a healthy weight:

• Have an hourglass figure when you look down on them from above. The abdomen should be narrower than the chest and hips.

• Are tucked up when you look at them from the side. This means that their chest is closer to the ground than their belly when standing.

• Have ribs that are not readily visible but are easily felt with only light pressure.

Keep a Record of Your Dogs Weight Change

Check your dogs weight every 2-4 weeks and keep a diary of your results. If your dog is inappropriately gaining or losing weight, adjust your portion sizes appropriately. Make sure to discuss these changes with your veterinarian so they can ensure that there are no underlying conditions.

Reassess the Portion Size if You Switch Foods

Every time you change dog food formulas, you will have to go through this entire process again, because the number of calories in the food will be different.

Always Talk With Your Veterinarian

Talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions about your dogs health or diet. They can help you determine exactly how much food to offer based on the specifics of your dogs case.

Featured Image: iStock.com/Chalabala

What Is Canine Bloat? Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Canine bloat is a fast-acting, life-threatening illness that requires emergency veterinary treatment. Knowing the symptoms beforehand is extremely important, so you can detect it early and get your dog the care he needs.

If you notice symptoms soon enough, your dog may be one of the few dogs to survive this terrible disease. Also, learning how to prevent canine bloat can help protect your dog from this scary disease.

What Is Canine Bloat?

Gastric dilatation-volvulus is the scientific term for canine bloat, also known as gastric torsion. Canine bloat is a serious and often life-threatening illness that strikes many dogs every year, and the outcome of each dogs affliction depends on various factors.

Much like humans, a dogs stomach resembles a balloon. For us, humans, overeating and eating too quickly can result in bloating, gas, and general discomfort, but we can recover quickly with minimal illness. Dogs, however, are not so fortunate, and what begins as gas can soon turn into something much worse.

My Dog Ate Too Much Food

If a dog eats too much or too quickly, canine bloat can occur. During the passing of the food to the stomach, there is a buildup of gasses, and the stomach begins to blow up like a large balloon. As gasses continue to build up, the stomach stretches beyond its limits and prevents blood circulation to the heart. The stomach also experiences a lack of blood flow which can result in the death of stomach tissue.

In many cases of bloat, the dogs stomach twists at the top and bottom, cutting off the stomach from the esophagus and pyloric valve (entrance to the small intestine), preventing gas from moving out of the stomach. When this occurs, the damage to the stomach is unrepairable due to cell death veterinarians are not able to regenerate the dead tissue.

If a dog begins to show symptoms of bloat and its caught soon enough, its possible to untwist the stomach and relieve the buildup of gasses that are contributing to canine bloat.

Bloat can become fatal exceptionally quickly, and a dog can die within hours of the onset of bloat, so its vital to get medical attention immediately upon noticing symptoms.

Will A Dog With Bloat Still Want To Eat?

Dogs are food-oriented animals and might still show signs of hunger after canine bloat. But the condition is painful, so there is a chance your dog could stop eating as a result.

Dog Bloat Symptoms

Dog overeating symptoms can include:

• Change in personality and physical activity level
• Abdomen is larger, distended, and hard
• Lack of normal digestive sounds (place your ear on your dogs stomach and note if there is any difference)
• Standing in a hunched-over position, unable to get comfortable
• Refusing to lie on their side
• Dry heaving or vomiting foam or mucus
• Anxiety
• Pacing
• Whining
• Licking the air
• Looking at their abdomen
• Standing with their legs spread
• Shallow breathing
• Weak pulse
• Collapsing to the ground
• Cold gums that are dark red (or blue or white in later stages)
• Unable to defecate

How To Treat Canine Bloat

The biggest factor in helping a dog survive canine bloat is the speed with which he gets treatment. The moment you think your dog is suffering from bloat, you should seek veterinary care immediately. Treatment is based on how advanced the bloat condition is.

A dog with canine bloat may be in shock, which must be treated before any treatment for bloat can begin. Treating the shock will stabilize the dog enough to begin bloat treatment.

If the stomach hasnt twisted yet, the vet may sedate your dog and put a tube down your dogs throat to help remove gas from the stomach.

If the stomach has begun twisting, your dog will require surgery. First, your vet will deflate and untwist the stomach, which will help alleviate pressure from gas. Then, they will staple the stomach to one side of the abdominal wall (gastropexy) to help prevent canine bloat in the future.

Unfortunately, despite emergency treatment, canine bloat is highly fatal. If your dog survives treatment, you should schedule a follow-up exam afterward to ensure there is no remaining damage. Any remaining dead stomach tissue must be surgically removed to help maintain proper stomach function.

What Causes Canine Bloat?

Veterinarians have no definitive data as to why canine bloat occurs. There are some theories, which are listed below.

One Large Meal Per Day

One of the factors is feeding one large meal per day instead of two or three smaller meals. Part of this theory comes from the fact that a dog who eats only once a day is generally starving by the time mealtime rolls around. He will gulp his food down quickly and, along with it, will swallow large pockets of air that contribute to gas buildup in the stomach.

Extreme Exercise Near Mealtime

Dogs should have one hour before and after vigorous exercise to calm down from play before eating. Exercise before meals can leave the dog riled up and extremely eager to eat, which again leads to the gulping of food and large pockets of air. Eating too quickly before exercise can also result in bloat because running can cause dogs to swallow large pockets of air, again contributing to gas buildup in the dogs stomach.

Excessive Grain In Kibble

Some vets reject this theory, but others accept it because excessive grain in dry kibble can lead to fermentation during digestion, which releases a large amount of gas.

Drinking Lots Of Water During Mealtime

When a dog swallows large gulps of water, he also gulps large pockets of air that can build up in the stomach. Many think that this potential cause of bloat can be eliminated by removing water from the dogs reach while he iseating and making it freely available at all other times.

Does Dog Size & Breed Play A Factor?

Large breed dogs are generally more susceptible to bloat than smaller dogs because they tend to eat larger meals and swallow greater amounts at one time. However, this does not mean that small dogs do not bloat; plenty of small dogs have suffered from canine bloat.

Certain dog breeds are also more susceptible to bloat due to the shape of their chest. Dogs that are barrel-chested or deep-chested (the sternum hangs down at a lower point from the backbone than in small-chested dogs) are prone to canine bloat.

In one large study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers analyzed medical records of more than 27,000 dogs from the UC-Davis veterinary clinic to compare the incidence of 24 genetic disorders in mixed versus purebred dogs.They found that the risk of bloat was significantly higher in purebreds. The breeds with the highest rates of bloat in this study were Saint Bernards, Irish Setters, Bloodhounds, Great Danes, and Irish Wolfhounds.

These and other breeds noted for a high incidence of canine bloat include:

Is Canine Bloat Hereditary?

If your dogs parent or sibling has suffered from bloat, its likely that your dog will too. Dogs are also at higher risk for bloat if they are excessively thin; this results from a dogs eagerness to eat whenstarved and underweight. If your dog is underweight, you can help reduce his risk of bloat by getting him to a healthy weight. For example, feed him several small meals throughout the day. Your vet can recommend a diet plan to help your dog gain weight and get the nutrients he needs.

For this same reason, dogs that are fearful or anxious should also be fed small meals in areas of their home where they feel most secure. A dog thats fearful of losing his food for any reason will eat quickly and likely swallow large pockets of air.

Canine Bloat Infographic

Heres a graphic summarizing what it is and how to treat and prevent bloat in your pup.

Sample Claim From Fetch

Below is a claim filed with Fetchfor canine bloat.

• Dog: Connor, 6-year-old male German Shepherd
• Total Vet Cost: $2,944.94
• Plan Details: $200 deductible (per condition, annually); 80% reimbursement
• Total Reimbursed: $2,311.89

How Can I Keep My Dog From Eating Too Much?

If you think your puppy ate too much and is now bloated or your dog has overeaten and is suffering from canine bloat, you should seek vet care immediately. Try to prevent overeating in the future by splitting up meals and using a slow-feeder dog bowl to help keep your dog from wolfing his food down too quickly.