My dog eats less than recommended on food bag. Should I worry?

Suggested serving sizes are recommendations for the "average" dog and vary greatly depending on the ingredients and nutritional value of the food. If your dog keeps a consistant good weight, is healthy and has a shiny hair coat, then you are doing everything right. When in doubt take him to your vet for a weigh in and Body Condition Scoring. Usually this is a free service offered by your veterinarian,

The feeding recommendations are averages for all dogs. They can vary widely based on metabolism and energy level. Based on the picture you posted of Oliver, his weight looks perfect. If you are feeding him 1 cup twice daily, but his weight stays at 16-17 pounds and your vet says he is a good weight, then I wouldn't change anything. But I find that most dogs need less than the recommendation on the bag as they get older and their metabolism and activity decreases, so be sure to monitor his weight carefully. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would not be concerned about this change from wet to dry food as long as she is eating and is not too thin. You will need to refer to the bag of dog food you are feeding to see how much you should be feeding her. Every food has a different amount of calories per cup of food so it is very hard to make a blanket statement that a dog 10# should be eating X amount of food. It depends on the food. So check the bag and feed her according to their recommendations for her weight.

Remember that all dogs are individuals just like humans. Some dogs have a fast metabolisms and others have slow metabolisms. If Chloe is maintaining her weight then that is the appropriate amount of food to feed her. The only other conditions that will cause pets to gain weight easily is endocrine diseases such as Cushing’s disease or hypothyroidism. You may consider having her tested for those diseases since they will slow down her metabolism and caused her to gain weight easily. Otherwise you should continue to feed her the same amount of dog food. If Chloe is acting like she is starving or always hungry, you may try switching her to a lower calorie food so that she can eat a greater amount. If her lifestyle does change and she becomes more active, she will likely need to increase the amount of food. I hope this helps.

Small red dogs can safely be fed once or twice a day based on your schedule or how well they eat. A base starting point for feeding is about 1 cup of food for 20 pounds. This can be varied based on health status and activity level. For him being older I would try twice a day at 1/2 cup each. If he loses weight you know to increase some and vice vera. There is no way to know if his weight is appropriate without feeling him belly and back as the hair hides a lot. Your vet can examine him and tell you for sure and calculate exact calories needed

You can keep him on his regular diet, just feed less of it and increase his activity. The general guideline is 1 cup of dry food per 30lbs of body weight. You can divide it into 2 or 3 meals. Limit treats and do not offer any table food. If he continues to gain, consider an exam with your veterinarian. Blood work may diagnose endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism which can cause weight gain.

This is completely normal. A lot of dogs like to pick their food up and put it on the floor then eat it. This is okay if this is how she wants to eat it. I think she is eating plenty. My rule of thumb is 1 cup per 20 pounds and you adjust depending on how skinny or fat they are. If she is at a healthy weight meaning she has a waist and you can’t easily see her ribs then I would just let her continue to eat 1 cup. As she gets larger she will probably increase the amount she eats on her own. I hope this helps!