Is it okay to feed my German Shepherd once a day in hot weather?

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!

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.

This is an unusual problem for a young large breed puppy like Kilo. Most puppies are always hungry so the fact that he won't eat concerns me a little. Thats good that there's not likely worms but protozoal and viral infections will also make puppies not eat. It appears that an intestinal blockage is less likely as those dogs are generally very lethargic and vomiting. As its always better to be safe than sorry, I would recommend to make an appointment and have him evaluated. Since he cannot talk, you don't know why he's suddenly changed his eating habits. Puppies generally eat 3-4x a day and as an adult, feed him twice daily. GSD are prone to bloat so feeding smaller more frequent meals are better. Best of luck with baby Kilo, he's a cutie!

Great question! If your GSD is less than six months old, she should be getting fed three times a day. Once in the morning, once at lunch, and once in the evening. I would feed her according to the package instructions, and divide the daily allotment into three equal servings. Once she is six months old, she can be fed twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening).

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As GSDs get older they don't require the same amount of calories as they did when they were a puppy. When this happens, they tend not to eat as often. This breed does not need to eat every meal or even everyday. They usually only eat more when they are working. So if you have a GSD that isn't working (police dog, herding, agility, etc) then he probably won't need to eat as often. Dogs can go long periods of time without eating a meal, unlike humans. As long as Arjun isn't vomiting, having diarrhea, lethargic, or losing weight, I wouldn't worry. Continue to offer his usual food and limit treats to once-twice daily (because they contain more fat than dog food). Kisses to Arjun!

I'm glad to hear that Molly is such a spunky older girl! Not to worry - feeding her once per day is perfectly reasonable. I generally recommend twice daily feedings for adult dogs simply because most dogs prefer eating more often, but it sounds as though Molly has made her preferences perfectly clear! Some dogs are just less food motivated than others. As long as she eats a good dinner, there's no cause for concern.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. Is she maintaining a healthy body weight? If so and if she is acting like herself, then I would not be concerned about her food habits. It may just be her preference to eat at night. If she is consuming enough calories, then I do not have a concern. However, if she is continually dropping weight and shows signs of illness such as vomiting or diarrhea, then she needs to be seen by her veterinarian. Some dogs that go close to 24 hours between meals will vomit due to a build up of stomach acid. In these patients I encourage the owners to feed them more frequently. If this is not occurring with her, then you do not need to worry. I hope this information helps!