Updated: 21/08/2024
Your dog will need a balanced diet containing essential nutrients, so select a complete diet that will meet their needs.
Factors like age, breed, activity levels, weight and current health will affect your dog’s dietary needs.
Sudden dietary changes can cause stomach upsets, so make dietary changes gradually, and make sure your dog has access to water.
Choose food that is manufactured by a registered member of UK Pet Food, formerly PFMA, who make sure treats and chews are age and breed appropriate. You should also avoid offering human foods and milk.
Please reach out to your local practice for further advice
Why is a balanced diet so important?
Your dog needs a balanced diet to support all their nutritional needs and keep them healthy throughout their life.
Select a complete diet that will meet your dog’s nutritional needs. There are so many different diets available that this can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming!
Factors which may affect your dog’s diet
Although feeding a good quality, complete diet is key, nutrition doesn’t follow a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Several factors will affect your dog’s individual dietary needs, including their age, breed, activity levels, weight and current health.
Age
Complete diets are available to suit a range of ages including puppies, juniors, adults and senior dogs.
Breed
Certain breeds, such as Great Danes, will require complete diets specially formulated for giant breed dogs to ensure their nutritional needs are fully met.
Similarly, some tiny toy breeds will require a complete diet where the kibble size is extra small and easier for them to eat.
Activity levels
Most complete diets will offer feeding guidelines based on your dog’s activity levels.
Very active or working dogs will require more daily calories to maintain a healthy weight than dogs who only do one walk per day.
Weight
Complete weight management diets exist for dogs who are overweight and need to follow a weight reduction programme.
Health status
A range of health specific diets, for example those for joint, kidney, skin and digestive problems, exist but should be used under the guidance of your vet.
Always speak to your vet if you are not sure what diet would be most appropriate for your dog.
How much should I feed my dog each day?
Firstly, this depends on the age of your dog.
As a general guide, puppies will need four meals per day until they are four months old, reducing to three meals daily until they are six months old and then, once over six months old, two meals daily into adulthood.
The amount of food to feed your dog will vary based on the type and brand of food you are feeding and how active your dog is.
Feeding guidelines should be clearly displayed on the packet for you to follow as a guide.
Weighing out your dog’s daily ration is the most accurate way to ensure you are consistently feeding the correct amount.
This also allows you to accurately increase or decrease your dog’s daily food intake should their activity levels or weight fluctuate.
Wet versus dry food
The main thing when choosing food for your dog is ensuring that it is a complete diet.
Also check the manufacturer of the food is a registered member of UK Pet Food, so that the nutritional content is assured.
Ultimately, you can decide whether you would like to feed your dog dry, wet or a combination of both dry and wet foods, although your vet can also advise you on this.
Dry diets tend to store better, don’t spoil as quickly when left in the bowl and allow easier measuring, and some may help to prevent tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth.
Wet foods contain a higher water content, which can help to boost your dog’s water intake if needed.
Wet foods also tend to be smellier and as smell is a big driver of appetite, this can make it more appealing to picky dogs!
If you decide to feed your dog a mix of dry and wet food, it is important to make sure overall they are being fed the correct amount.
It can be helpful to feed the same brand of both dry and wet food, as the feeding guidelines will often indicate the amount of each to feed in combination.
Can I change my dog’s food and how do I do this without upsetting their tummy?
Sudden changes in feeding may result in vomiting and diarrhoea. To avoid this, it is always better to introduce a new brand of food gradually.
If your dog has any existing health issues or you suspect they may have a health problem, it is always worth seeking advice from a vet before making significant changes to their diet.
Generally, it is best to introduce a new food gradually over a period of seven to 10 days, slowly increasing the ratio of new to original food offered until the transition is complete.
Watch for any signs of tummy upset and contact your vet for advice if your dog is sick or has diarrhoea as they move on to eating their new food.
It’s helpful to know that if you are transitioning your dog from a wet to a dry diet, you may notice a coinciding increase in the amount of water they drink each day.
Wet food contains a much higher water content than dry food, and so dogs on dry diets tend to drink a little more, those on wet diets a little less.
If you are ever concerned about your dog’s thirst or it seems excessive, always speak to your vet for further advice, as this can also indicate underlying health problems.
When should puppies be transferred on to an adult food?
This will vary depending on the breed of your puppy and the diet you are feeding them.
Many complete puppy foods will state they are suitable for dogs up to six to 12 months old (at which point you would transition them on to a junior or adult diet based on the feeding guidelines on the bag).
Giant breed puppies, for example Great Danes, will grow more slowly and therefore remain on early-stage foods for longer, for example, puppy food until eight months old, then junior food from 18 to 24 months old (they would then need to transition on to an adult food designed for giant breed dogs).
Guidelines can vary between brands of food, so always read the label carefully and if you have any questions about your dog’s diet reach out to your local vet for further advice.
What about sharing my dinner?
Get into good habits from the start and avoid giving your dog human food or treats from the table if possible.
This can fill them up without giving them the right balance of nutrients and can cause behavioural problems and issues with begging in future.
Are treats okay?
If your dog is fed a complete diet, they do not need additional treats to meet their nutritional needs, however these can be very helpful for assisting with training!
If you would like to offer treats, it is best to ensure they are dog safe and labelled as age appropriate.
You should also follow the recommended portion sizes detailed on the packet. If you want to offer a small amount of chicken as a treat, ensure it is cooked (for example, boiled) and that all bones have been removed.
If you decide to offer chews, always check the packet to ensure they are age and breed appropriate.
It’s sensible to supervise your dog with chews and remove any loose or small parts that could pose a choking hazard or cause a blockage if swallowed whole.
Treat foods should be given in moderation and the majority of your dog’s daily intake should come from their complete dog food.
Can I give my dog cow’s milk?
It’s best to avoid offering cow’s milk as, although many dogs can cope with small quantities of milk, some dogs struggle to process lactose and can get a tummy upset from dairy products.
Can I make my dog’s food myself?
It is very hard to make a complete diet for your dog at home.
Over time deficiencies in certain nutrients can have serious consequences on your dog’s health.
It is safer and more reliable to buy a complete diet for your dog.
What about vegetarian, vegan or insect diets for dogs?
It is understandable that some vegetarian or vegan owners may struggle with feeding their dog a meat or animal-based diet.
However, our dogs’ dietary needs are very different from our own and our duty as owners, and as vets, is to protect our dogs’ welfare and keep them healthy and well, by providing a diet that fully meets their nutritional needs.
If you are considering changing your dog on to an alternative diet, it is important to thoroughly research this and discuss with your vet whether this can be done safely, and in a way which supports your dog’s health.
What about offering water?
Dogs should always have access to clean fresh water. The water bowl should be located away from the food bowl so that it doesn’t get contaminated.
How do I choose the best food and water bowls for my dog?
Any bowls will need to be the correct size and type for your dog, for example, dogs with flat faces will struggle with very deep bowls whilst spaniels may benefit from high sided, narrower bowls to stop their ears getting wet!
Bowls should be easy to clean and heavy enough that they are difficult to knock over.
Food and water bowls should also be washed regularly to prevent germs from building up.
If you need any help or advice regarding feeding your dog, please reach out to your local veterinary practice for further support.
Other useful information:
- UK Pet Food
- Blue Cross – What should I feed my Puppy?
- PDSA – Your dog’s diet