My 2-month pug puppy is always hungry. Free-feed or scheduled meals?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would continue to feed her the small breed puppy food at the recommended amount on the bag. Puppy food is calorie-dense, so as to meet the energy needs of high-energy puppies. You can try breaking the amount into smaller, more frequent meals (ie three or four times a day) so she feels like she is getting to eat more. I would not over-feed her for fear of early onset obesity, which can lead to significant health issues later in life. You can also supplement her diet with healthy treats during the day such as carrots or green beans. After she is spayed, her energy requirements will decrease and she will need to be fed less food so she doesn't become overweight. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gizmo. Pugs can have very big appetites making it difficult to assess feeding. I usually start by feeding slightly less than what is recommended on the bag of your particular food. These recommendations tend to be too high for most pets. Then I assess the dog. He should have a thin covering over his ribs. You should be able to easily feel the individual ribs. Then he needs to have a defined waist from both the top and side views. If he does not have these criteria then, you are likely overfeeding him. If he you can see his spine or hip bones, you may need to up the food a bit. I hope this information helps!

Ideally he would eat four times a day. At the least, he should be fed three times a day. It's best to feed a quality puppy food that is specifically formulated for puppies and it should be fed according to the manufacturers recommendations - they will have the daily recommended amount per body weight. Below is a link to an article that explains how to check for these type of foods. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ I hope that helps and all is well with Marcelino.

A 9 week old puppy should generally be fed 3 times a day to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Also, scarfing down food can put a large breed puppy at risk for ingestion of excess air and bloat which can be life threatening. I recommend adding a feeding, perhaps of the same amount as the other two and consulting with your vet re: body condition scoring. If your puppy currently has a low body condition score (google body conditon scoring dogs for a diagram), continue with the extra feeding until Luke is at an ideal body condition (noticeable waist but ribs/spine not prominent). If rapid eating persists, purchasing a puzzle feeder to slow down feedings (available on Amazon.com) is recommended. Good luck!

Congrats on your new dog, Paps is very handsome! He should be fed twice a day, and I would feed him according to the instructions on the food package. Divide the recommended daily allotment into two equal servings, and feed him morning and evening. Now if that's what you are doing and he seems very hungry, then divide the daily allotment into three portions and feed him morning, noon, and evening. Be sure to feed him a high quality dog food brand, as those will have the best ingredients to help keep him full and satisfied. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps, enjoy your handsome boy :-)

Try spacing out the food over three feeds a day. You can also try to add extra fiber to the food, such as bran, in order to bulk it up and make her stomach fuller. Make sure the food you are feeding (I am not familiar with it) is labeled as a complete puppy food for medium breeds. If not, I would change over to a food by a company that offers scientific formulas such as Iams. Hills, Purina ProPlan, etc. Make sure you transition slowly over about a week's time. Take Calli to your vet for a weigh-in and find out if she is a proper weight. Hunger is not necessarily correlated with not being fed enough. If she is the proper weight but keeps begging for food it is rather a behavioral thing.

I do not think he is over weight. I would recommend monitoring his food intake closely. He can be fed 2 times a day with very limited treats. Usually the problem is over feeding and decreased activity. If you feed an appropriate amount and keep up exercise Murffy will be in good health.