Feeding Chart For Dogs: A Complete Guide

Feeding Chart For Dogs: A Complete Guide

Among the million and one questions new dog owners ask themselves, there’s one that stands out—how much should my dog eat? And this is for a good reason, as the quantity of food you put in their bowl is one of the main factors in their health and well-being. Whether you’re feeding your pooches raw dog food, or another high-quality option, essential factors like quantity, dog feeding schedule, and type of dog food matter.

But knowing how much food to scoop out for your pup can sometimes be confusing. Even with dog food companies including feeding recommendations on their packaging, you’ll want to tweak quantity to the needs and lifestyle of your unique canine.

We’ve laid out a comprehensive guide on feeding dogs with you and your pup in mind. Keep reading for information about the importance of portion size, different types of dog food, and related tips for keeping your furry friend healthy and well-fed. 

The Importance of Serving Size

No matter the quality of your dog food, if your dog continuously eats too much or too little of it, they’re put at risk of certain health complications.

Consequences of Overfeeding Your Dog

PetMD warns that if you're overfeeding your dog, they may eventually experience specific health issues like the following: 

• Difficulty breathing 
• Life span shortened 
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Certain cancers 
• Skin disorders 
• Cushing’s disease
• Musculoskeletal issues such as cruciate ligament ruptures, intervertebral disk disease, and osteoarthritis

Consequences of Underfeeding

If you’re feeding your dog too little food, or food that’s lacking in nutrients, they’re put at risk of the following health complications: 

• Serious weight loss 
• Skin issues 
• Hair or fur thinning and loss 
• Gastrointestinal complications 
• Weakened immune system 
• Lethargy 

Aside from overall health, nutritional deficiencies can have a huge effect on the skin and coat of your dog. This can occur if your dog is consuming nutrient-poor, commercial dog food or even food with an excess of nutrients. As such, it’s recommended that pet owners feed their dogs complex, human-quality ingredients to meet their nutritional needs.

Factors That Affect What Type of Food to Feed Your Dog

As suggested above, not all dog foods are created equal. Before you consider the amount of food you’re scooping out for every meal, make sure you’ve selected a quality dog food brand that uses natural ingredients.  

After finding the best brand, you can determine the best type of food to feed your dog by considering the following factors: 

• Age – The age of your dog influences its nutritional needs. Whereas a puppy will need puppy food to support its development, senior dogs may benefit from a senior formula that can help keep their minds sharp.
• Weight – If you suspect that your dog is overweight or underweight, one of the first things to do is consult your veterinarian to make an informed decision about their diet. The vet will help you determine what type of food and how much to feed your dog for healthy weight loss and weight gain to get them back to an ideal body condition, avoiding health complications later in life. 
• Activity Level – If your dog goes on daily hikes with you or spends all day running around in the yard, it may require more calorie-heavy food. Conversely, dogs that don’t expel as much energy throughout the day may require less than the recommended daily caloric intake. 

If you have any doubts about finding food that meets your dog’s needs, consult your veterinarian to determine a type of food that matches your dog’s age, weight, and activity level. 

Factors That Determine the Amount of Food to Feed Your Dog

If you’re wondering, “How much food to feed my dog” there’s no one-size-fits-all amount. To determine exactly how much your dog should be eating per meal and per day, you can start by considering several factors: 

• Amount of exercise 
• Weight 
• Metabolic rate 
• Number of meals per day 
• Type of food 

Once you’ve considered all of these factors and have a quality bag of dog food on hand, it’s time to tackle the dog feeding chart.

Dog Food Feeding Chart

All dog foods will provide a unique feeding chart on their packaging. Make sure to read the chart carefully, especially when switching to a new brand of dog food, as recommendations may differ. 

Although each chart is unique, here is a sample feeding chart for dogs to give you an idea of general guidelines:

• For an adult dog between 3 to 6 lbs. – ⅓ to ½ cup of food per serving 
• For an adult dog between 10 to 20 lbs. – ¾ to 1 ⅓ cups of food per serving
• For an adult dog between 30 to 50 lbs. – 1 ¾ to 2 ⅔ cups of food per serving 
• For an adult dog between 60 to 100 lbs. – 3 to 4 ½ cups of food per serving 
• For an adult dog over 100 lbs. – 4 ½ cups plus ¼ cup for every additional 10 lbs. 

Feeding Tip: The recommended feeding amount is typically meant for a single day. If you feed your dog once in the morning and once at night, each meal will be half of the recommended size on the chart. For a puppy feeding guide, visit our How Much to Feed a Puppy chart blog for more information.

Frequency of Feeding

Veterinarians recommend adult dogs eat two meals a day—one in the morning and one at night—whereas puppies can require three feedings or more. 

To understand how much to serve per meal, you can divide the serving size listed in the dog feeding chart by the number of meals your pup needs in a 24-hour period. This may cause an individual serving to be bigger or smaller.

Feed Your Dog a Natural Diet with Darwin’s

No matter how much or how often you need to feed your dog, choosing a natural dog food that supports their specific needs and provides them with essential nutrients is so important to their overall health and well-being. 

At Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, we make it easy to serve healthy and delicious meals by providing you with affordable, high-quality raw pet food. Inspired by nature and informed by science, we’ve formulated all of our products with your pet in mind. 

Make the switch to holistic, natural, and hormone-free raw dog food by shopping at Darwin’s today.

For cat feeding and schedule, visit our How Much To Feed A Cat Chart and Feeding Schedule For Cats blogs for more information.

Sources: 

PetMD. Are You Feeding Your Dog the Right Amount? https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/dr-coates/2015/july/are-you-feeding-your-dog-right-amount-32905 

VCA Animal Hospitals. Nutrition, Skin, and Dogs. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-skin-and-dogs 

AAFCO. AAFCO Methods For Substantiating Nutritional Adequacy Of Dog And Cat Foods. https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Regulatory/Committees/Pet-Food/Reports/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Midyear-Proposed_Revisions_to_AAFCO_Nutrient_Profiles.pdf