Is feeding my 5-6 month old corgi puppies only once a day sufficient?

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!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would recommend not switching to once daily feedings until George and Louise are at least 1 year old. Smaller breed dogs are at a higher risk of hypoglycemia, as are puppies. Also, smaller breed dogs tend to get 'bilious vomiting', meaning that they are more likely to vomit when their stomach has been empty for a while. The diet you are feeding is good, so no supplements are required, but I would recommend doing 2x feedings until 1 year old, and then every few months transfer 10% of the evening feed to the morning, and always give a small snack before bedtime to try to prevent bilious vomiting. Best of luck with George and Louise!

While young small breed dogs can develop toy breed hypoglycemia, it would be rare for an adult dog to have this problem and require frequent meals. I think twice a day is probably just fine for both dogs as long as they don’t have any other medical problems.

Many vets recommend to feed puppies more frequently to avoid issues with low blood sugar. Some puppies are not able to regulate their blood sugar very well until they are four months old. After four months old almost all dogs can regulate their blood sugar and so feeding twice a day is fine. Many dogs eat twice a day even as puppies and do fine. It’s all individual. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

This will depend on his activity level, weight and BCS (body condition score). He can likely eat anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup daily, divided into several meals. Since dogs thrive on routine, feed him at the same time(s) every day. Prepare his food and leave it down for 20 minutes before picking it up whether he has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Adjust the amount of food, up or down, based on his appetite and BCS. Your veterinarian can show you how to assess Leonard's body condition score. You can use the amount of food recommended on the bag as a starting point. If he is active or losing weight, increase the amount of food offered. Likewise, decrease it if he is leaving it or gaining too much weight.

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 and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I love the name Tigre. It really boils down to owner's preference and convenience like you state but I always like twice daily feedings. It gives you an opportunity to quickly assess their appetite and any changes that may occur with it which could indicate something is wrong. Smaller meals divided into 2 feedings are more easily digestible rather than one large meal, in my opinion. Free feeding can lead to obesity problems so strict attention must be made as to the amount that the pet has access to each day. Obesity is a very common problem in pets just as in people. I hope this helps and you are able to make an informed decision regarding Tigre.