Feeding Your Adult Dog

Your puppy isn’t a puppy anymore—as your dog grows into full adult form, make sure her diet matches her age. Here, a Reynoldsburg vet tells you more.

Match Diet to Activity Level

Different dogs have different levels of activity. While all dogs need to get the proper amount of exercise, some pets tend to lounge around more indoors, while some like to go running in the fields, happily chasing after mice. Talk to your veterinarian to determine the amount and type of food you should be feeding your dog, based on his or her activity level.

Choose the Correct Method

Some dog owners feed their dogs free-choice, meaning food is left out at all times for the dog to eat as she pleases. With dry food or nursing mother dogs, this method can work, but it can make normal adult dogs obese. Healthier choices are portion-controlled feeding, which consists of measuring out your dog’s food during every meal, or timed feeding, where your pet is allotted the proper amount of food for a specific period of time. Discuss your dog’s meal options further with your veterinarian.

Diet for Dogs with Health Issues

If your adult dog has a special health concern of any type, talk to your veterinary professional to see if your pet should have any specific dietary considerations. Certain diets may help treat, prevent, or manage disease, and different nutritional policies can help a pet recover from surgery or fight off infection.

Normal Adult Feeding

For most normal, healthy, adult dogs, veterinarians usually recommend two meals a day. Read the label of your dog food’s packaging, and divide the recommended amount in half for two meals per day. This is the starting point for proper feeding for a healthy adult dog.