Feeding by Life Stage
5 cards · about a minute
The puppy months
A puppy is building an entire skeleton out of what you hand over, which is why the meals are small, frequent and richer than anything they will eat again.
The adult years
An adult dog does best on the same amount at the same two times each day, steadiness matters more to digestion than any change of recipe.
Turning senior
Large dogs age into this around seven and small dogs around ten: as muscle and appetite slip, keep the protein up and let the calories come down.
Weigh, do not guess
The portions on a packet are written for an average dog who does not exist, so weigh your own dog every month and let the scale correct the label.
The rib test
Run your hands along the ribs: you should feel them easily under a thin layer, the way you feel the back of your own hand, not have to press to find them.