I will always yield to the veterinarian of choice, but pet parents often ask me questions about feeding their puppy. Breeders may tell pet parents that it’s best to free-feed, meaning leave the puppy food available to the puppy all day. If a puppy grazes, he might lose interest in eating or overeat at one time. Also, if you don’t know when it’s going in, meaning the food, you won’t know when it needs to come out! It’s not a good idea if you are housetraining.
On the other hand, pet parents may prefer to have meal times for their puppies just as other family members do. So, that seems to beg the question, “How many times a day should I feed my puppy?”
Here is a list of observations I have noted and why I am convinced that feeding puppies twice daily is not the way to go. Of course, that decision is yours alone.
- Tiny breed puppies must eat. They are prone to juvenile hypoglycemia, which is a sudden drop in blood sugar. Lethargy, shaking, fainting, and confusion are only some symptoms. However, it is serious and should be addressed immediately.
- Large breed pups grow more quickly than small breeds or have “growth spurts” and need the nutrition of three meals.
- Hungry pups will drink more to satisfy their hunger. This, in turn, will, of course, lead to more urination. Thinking that fewer meals help to housetrain just went out the window!
- Hungry puppies are cranky and unfocused.
- All puppies sleep better when they are not hungry.
- Puppies tend to eat things on the ground, but a hungry puppy will seek out anything they can swallow.
- Puppies that eat three times a day instead of two are more content with chew toys and alone time.
- Pet parents who feed their puppy twice a day follow a schedule between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. and between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., leaving a gap of almost 12 hours. How is it possible for a puppy to not be hungry?
- Twice-a-day feeding may be recommended by a breeder or seller, which leads me to believe that twice-a-day feeding is easier for the breeder or seller and not better for the puppy.
- Puppies offered food twice daily will devour the evening meal too quickly, causing health and behavioral issues.
- I’ve never heard a sensible, logical, or medically sound explanation for feeding a puppy only twice daily.
Additionally, in reference to adult dogs. Feeding any dog of any age once (1) a day is most likely only beneficial to the person having to feed the dog. A hungry dog is not healthy, happy, well-adjusted, content, or well-behaved. Hunger can lead to health issues caused by behaviors such as eating grass, rocks, mulch, etc., drinking excessively to satisfy hunger, aggressive behavior, and unpredictable behaviors like guarding resources.
