Is feeding an adult dog once daily or free feeding recommended?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend meal feeding as this prevents obesity which is a huge health problem in cats. I would feed him twice daily. If he finds this terrible then split his total volume in to 3 meals. Good luck!

What a great question. It’s the age old debate about whether we should feed dogs once a day, twice a day, or three times a day. Honestly, it depends on the dog. if the dog is healthy and happy, and he is keeping his weight at a healthy amount that is not too heavy or too light, I see no reason with feeding him only once a day. One recommendation I would also add to you if you do intend to only feed him once is to keep his food elevated and use a special type of feeding bowl that forces him to eat slowly. There are certain bowls with prongs in them that force your pet to eat slowly. The reasoning is that large breed dogs like yours can sometimes have gastrointestinal problems like bloat, etc. if they inhale their food without chewing. Feeding only once a day can sometimes cause a dog to ravenously eat so you have to be careful. But again it depends on the dog and most that I have come into contact with that are only fed one meal a day still do fairly well. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope I have helped. Have a nice day.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend feeding twice daily for the rest of their lives. Soska is a German Shepherd and they are at risk for bloat (gastric-dilitation-volvulous). So feeding her once daily may be a bit more risky for her. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats are unique and don't always follow the rules. You can meal feed cats and you can set the time for the morning and evening meals. My cat used to have food out all the time until I had to change his food to canned for a medical condition. Now he is fed in the morning and at night. He eats most of it but comes back to some of it later. So cats are not exactly like dogs. I have clients who feed their cats twice a day and they eat it all right away. You will just have to see what Tiger does. With cats you can't force anything! I hope this helps and good luck!

Hello. If Emma seems to do well with a once-daily feeding, then this may be all that she needs. Not all dogs eat twice a day, so as long as she does not seem to be losing weight, once a day is fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Just for convenience, most folks just leave a bowl of food out for cats to graze on throughout the day. But if Maximus is overweight, or trending toward being overweight, you will need to control the amount of food he consumes in a day or place him on a metabolic weight control diet. As I see it, cats seem to get hungry, 10 minutes after I turn off the light for bed, so having some available will help me sleep all night. If Maximus is more considerate, & you do not mind feeding when he asks for food, you can certainly do this. Ideally, I would calculate the proper amount he needs daily based on what your bag of food recommends & divide this into 3 feedings, morning, noon or early evening, & the remaining amount for snacking overnight. Remember, if you are feeding for an ideal weight, or for Maximus to lose a little weight you will feed for that weight. In other words, follow the food amount recommendations for a 10 or 12-pound cat if he needs to lose a couple of pounds. Just divide the total daily amount into 3 separate meals. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend to feed all dogs twice a day. It helps to keep the metabolism running and can decrease risk for stomach torsion and bloat. Adult dogs can be fed once a day but most prefer two smaller feedings. Puppies should eat twice a day because they are still developing and have faster metabolism than adults. Here is a helpful link about feeding dogs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-and-when-you-should-feed-your-dog/ Please feel free to post any additional questions.