How often should I feed my Beagles who are active outdoors all day?

Ideally he should be fed three times daily up to six months with a good quality commercial diet, which provides a nutritionally balanced diet. Royal Canin and Hills both provide good quality food. After six months feed can be decreased to 2 times daily.

Hi there! As long as you are feeding the appropriate amount of calories then 2 or 3 feedings doesn't really make that much of a difference. Most people feed twice a day for convenience reasons. If it is easy for you to feed three times a day then I think that is fine.

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.

The timing just depends on your schedule. I recommend feeding twice a day, but some people with healthy dogs only feed 1 time a day - for that I recommend in the morning. About 30 minutes after eating, Black should go outside to potty, so don't feed him right before heading out the door for work. No need for a specific time!

I recommend a gradual transition over the course of a week or so from your current dog food to Royal Canin Adult Beagle food which can usually be found in PetCo’s and is also available online. I would also look up ‘body condition scoring chart for dogs’ and determine whether Belle is at a normal/lean body condition or if she is a bit overweight or thin. If she is a bit overweight (does not have a noticeable waist from the top view or side view), 2 cups per day would probably be appropriate (2 3/4 cups is recommended on the bag for a 30 lb beagle with a normal activity level). It is best to gradually adjust the food ration based on body condition scoring over the course of several weeks. Different diets have different caloric densities so it is generally best to gauge the appropriate amount to feed based on body condition scoring . Good luck!

Growing puppies need a lot of calories, and I do recommend feeding at least three times a day at this age. It is normal for them to poop 3 or even 4 or 5 times a day! As long as the stool is solid and well formed, this is perfectly normal. Every dog has a slightly different metabolism. If you are feeding the recommended amount on the bag, that is a good place to start. Over the next month you will want to watch his weight. If he seems to be developing fat rolls over this neck and shoulders, you might want to cut back a little. If he is becoming thin and you can see his ribs or hips, then increase the amount. You may have to increase or decrease his food over time as he continues to grow.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Chuey. He should be fed three times a day, once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening. When he is six months of age, you can feed him twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. He should be fed a puppy food until he is one year of age. The bag of food will tell you how much to feed him daily. I hope this helps!