Feeding Guidelines

Your pets metabolism

When considering age, there are different requirements for a puppy vs an adult dog. For puppies, they are going to eat more as they grow and have a faster metabolism. Once they hit a year old this feeding amount will change to reflect what an adult dog would eat at that weight. We suggest checking every 5 lbs they gain or vice versa if you are wanting them to lose weight to fluctuate the feeding amount.

Activity level is another factor to take into consideration. For my white lab Jax, he eats more in the summer months due to his increased activity levels with swimming at the cabin and going for long walks. In the winter months, he is a couch potato and therefore isn’t as active. It is perfectly normal for your pet's feeding amount to fluctuate depending on their activity level. 

An opinion from an expert

The owner of our company, Robert Mueller has a great rule of thumb for determining if your pet is overweight or underweight. When feeling for your pet's ribs, if you notice that it feels like the palm of your hand, your pet may be overweight. If it feels like the top of your hand when in a fist, your fur baby is at a healthy weight. 

Lastly, breed is another factor to take into consideration when looking at feeding amounts. Naturally, there’s going to be a drastic difference between a Chihuahua and a Golden Retriever when it comes to feeding amounts. What works for one pet, may not always be the case for every pet. It is just like humans, each of us is unique and may require different feeding requirements. 

If you find yourself struggling to maintain your fur babies weight, you are not alone! It can be challenging to navigate the correct feeding amounts and requirements to ensure that your pet is feeling happy and healthy. Our team can customize a feeding plan that will work best for your pets needs. When customizing a feeding plan we also take any health concerns into consideration.

My pet won’t gain weight

If you notice that your fur baby is struggling to put on weight, we recommend adding either rolled oats or cooked quinoa to help keep them feeling satisfied and their tummy full. Another great option is to stick with a protein that is higher in fat. Lamb is a great option as it is richer in protein, which will help keep them feeling fuller. 

On the other hand, if you are noticing that weight gain is a concern, there are a couple of suggestions to help lose or maintain a healthy weight. A good rule of thumb is to do this in 5 lb increments and gradually reduce their weight until the desired goal weight. It is recommended to use a slow feeder or to spread out their meals throughout the day. 

While feeding guidelines and weight can be difficult to navigate, we understand that the health of your pet can be of utmost concern. We will always do our best to support our customers through every step of this process.