Menu

Download our Petland App today for information on your local Petland's Available Pets and Pet Supplies. All at the tips of your fingers!

Petland Logo
Login/Register

Please create a free account below, or login by clicking here.

How To Encourage Healthy Feeding Habits in Your Pup

October 7, 2021

Feeding your pet with a healthy diet has many benefits in the short run as well as the distant future. A great diet keeps your pet in top shape and protects them from a range of chronic ailments. 

Your pet’s diet extends beyond what you give them at mealtimes. It is a sum total of all the treats, table scraps, random food tosses, and of course, the main meals too. 

Proper feeding is essential to ensuring that your pet lives a long, healthy life. This is why encouraging healthy feeding habits is essential. And here are 4 tips to do just this: 

  1. Establish a Routine

Pups love routine, it gives them something to look forward to. Creating a routine for their meals especially gives them the pleasure of anticipating something that they love. It also helps you accurately anticipate bowel movements. 

On average, dogs do best with two meals daily: one in the morning and the other in the evening. Maintaining a routine could also help you detect if your pet falls ill, such as when they skip a meal. 

Similarly, snacks in between meals aren’t the best idea, this might encourage obesity. 

  1. Measure Out Food  

Since you see your pet every single day, it’s easy to not observe that they are gaining excess weight. Typically, your pup’s feed would come with recommendations from the maker. 

Since you’re feeding twice a day, divide up the daily recommended amount into two and use a measuring cup to confirm accuracy. Ideally, you should be feeding your pooch roughly the same amount of food both times during the day. 

Measuring out food helps control the calories that they consume as well. If your pup is very active, you can increase calorie intake based on your vet’s guidance, same goes for if you have a laid-back pup. 

  1. Avoid Table Feeding 

Sometimes it is hard to resist those big brown eyes looking up at you while you eat. You might be tempted to give them a piece of your food or feed your pup scraps from the table. However, this doesn’t do your pup any good. 

Rather, it encourages overeating, and shortly after, your pup might begin to add weight excessively. If you absolutely cannot fight the temptation to feed table scraps, ensure that you’re feeding them healthy foods. Rice cakes or raw carrots are ideal. 

Another practical tip is to feed your pup before eating your food so that he is content and less tempted to beg. 

  1. Slow Down Eating by Making Mealtimes Interactive 

Some pups practically wolf down their meals. This act in itself might not seem all that much of a terrible act, but it might negatively impact your pup’s health in the long run. Fast eating implies less chewing and swallowing lots of air. 

This would lead to a regularly bloated belly and over time, the stomach walls would start to thin out and could even tear. 

Some mechanisms that may help reduce speed rating include: 

Encouraging healthy eating habits should begin as early as possible. 

Related Articles

View All Articles

  • How To Treat a Dog’s Bleeding Nail Bed

    How To Treat a Dog’s Bleeding Nail Bed

    Dogs are known for their playful and active nature, which often leads to accidents and injuries. One common injury that dog owners may encounter is a bleeding nail bed. A bleedi...

    Read This Blog

  • The Longest Living Breeds of Dog and Ways to Ensure a Longer Life

    The Longest Living Breeds of Dog and Ways to Ensure a Longer Life

    The average life expectancy of a dog varies based on several things. Keeping a proper diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and routine veterinarian wellness checks are all very i...

    Read This Blog

  • Top Halloween Costumes for Dogs

    Top Halloween Costumes for Dogs

    Halloween is a time of year when people get to dress up in creative and fun costumes, but it’s not just humans who can get in on the fun. Dogs can also join in the Hallowe...

    Read This Blog

  • The BIGGEST Dogs

    The BIGGEST Dogs

    Despite their intimidating appearance, larger dog breeds are generally well-tempered, caring, and friendly animals! Throughout history, many of these dogs have been relied on fo...

    Read This Blog

  • Top Dog Breeds for Older Individuals

    Top Dog Breeds for Older Individuals

    Dogs make great companions and quickly become a part of our family. They offer us years of joy and happiness and provide us with a lot of good. Each breed of dog varies and has ...

    Read This Blog

  • Two of America’s Favorites | The French Bull Dog and The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

    Two of America’s Favorites | The French Bull Dog and The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

    Americans really love their dogs, and two of the most popular breeds of dogs in the United States are the French Bulldog and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Both of these pup...

    Read This Blog

  • What To Do If Your Pup Is Packing on The Pounds

    What To Do If Your Pup Is Packing on The Pounds

    Just like people, pups can experience weight issues which can result in health issues. Although each dog’s weight will increase or decrease over time, every breed has an a...

    Read This Blog

  • Meet The Two Of The Newest Dog Breed Recognized By The American Kennel Club (AKC)

    Meet The Two Of The Newest Dog Breed Recognized By The American Kennel Club (AKC)

    Big news in the dog world! The American Kennel Club announced that they are recognizing two new breeds of dogs. The Mudi and the Russian Toy. This was first announced a few mont...

    Read This Blog

  • Melanoma in Dogs

    Melanoma in Dogs

    Many of the cancers that affect humans can also affect their dogs. Our pups can develop tumors internally or can develop them on their skin and in their mouths. One such cancer,...

    Read This Blog

  • Easiest Puppy Breeds to Train

    Easiest Puppy Breeds to Train

    Are you looking for a puppy? Trying to decide which is the right breed for you can be challenging. There are several things to consider before making a final selection. How big ...

    Read This Blog

  • Our Dogs Like to Sleep!

    Our Dogs Like to Sleep!

    As we age, we often find that we sleep less deeply at night which results waking up in the morning not feeling well rested. This causes many of us to try and sneak a nap in some...

    Read This Blog

  • Constipation in Dogs — What to Do

    Constipation in Dogs — What to Do

    Constipation occurs in dogs when they are unable to produce normal stool during their daily routine. Your dog will not be able to defecate or greatly strain while trying to do s...

    Read This Blog

Help Need Help?