To keep your dog healthy and happy as well as helping them live a longer, fuller life, it is important to feed them a balanced diet suited to their breed, age, size and health.
However, the tricky thing can be finding out what your dog's diet should actually involve as well as knowing how often you should feed your beloved furry friend to avoid over or under feeding them.
According to a study by Dog Aging Project, pups who are only fed one time per day were less likely to develop health disorder compared to those fed multiple times. The 2022 research came as a to scientists who did not expect to see such vast differences and were "surprised to see associations in so many domains"
Despite last year's study finding that "once-daily feeding is associated with better health", various other canine specialists believe that multiple meals per day are important, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to the Mirror, Dr Sean McCormack at tails.com issued some advice to pet owners when it comes to feeding and helping maintain a health lifestyle.
How often should I feed my dog a day?
"There's a lot of talk about this, and ultimately it boils down to personal preference," Dr McCormack explained - though he advises twice-daily for most dog owners.
"If we think about dog biology, they are certainly capable of eating one huge meal at a time every so often, but this can come with health risks like bloat, especially in certain breeds," he continued.
"In the interests of safety, and ensuring your dog isn't extremely hungry at times and extremely full or bloated at others, I'm a fan of feeding twice-daily - morning and evening.
"That way, they also get the enjoyment of mealtimes twice a day. Even better, if you can scatter feed or make them work for their meals with puzzle feeders so they get some mental stimulation twice daily as well.
"It's vital to know your dog's daily calorie allowance and split that over the two meals, taking treats into account throughout the day too."
Can I feed my dog a purely kibble diet?
There is some uncertainty when it comes to feeding dogs dry food or we food.
However, the expert believes you can d either or both.
"Good quality kibble diets, backed by science and nutritional research, provide a complete and balanced diet giving your dog everything they need to stay happy and healthy," he said.
"It's absolutely fine to give a small amount of fresh food or treats alongside, but not so much as this may lead to imbalances over time.
"It also needs to be taken into account in terms of calories, and if you are feeding your dog a significant amount of other foods on a certain day, it's vital to reduce the amount of their kibble portion that day so you are not overfeeding your dog."
Why is it important not to overfeed your dog?
Obesity can impact a dog's overall health much like humans. But how much food is too much?
"It can lead to a multitude of problems for them including joint disease, mobility issues, spinal problems, breathing and heart issues, heat intolerance, anaesthetic risk if they need an operation, the list goes on," Dr McCormack explained.
"It significantly reduces their quality of life, but potentially even quantity of life.
"It's not nice to think about our dog's end of life, but I've had to make many difficult recommendations as a vet that would have been a lot easier and happier had a pet not been overweight or obese.
"The single biggest thing you can do to help your dog live a long, happy and healthy life is to maintain them at an ideal weight."
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