I once asked my vet, “Can labs be fed once a day?” Since I have two by Labradors, I often forget to feed them twice a day.
Not at all, she told me. Anything less than two meals a day is not good for an adult dog, this is according to veterinarians.
She went further to say that puppies should be fed no less than three times a day. As we progress, I will teach you the things you should do to help your dog get the energy and nutrients it requires.
What You Can Do to Help
I have said it before that you should not feed your dog once a day. You should feed your dog at least two times every day, for it to be in good health.
Now, we have to look at the role you need to play for your dog to achieve a good state of health. If your dog is eating once a day, read these;
Take them to the veterinarian
You have to take the dog to a veterinarian before any other thing. The veterinarian will check to find out if the dog has any health problems because of the food it eats.
He will also investigate to find out if the dog has any yet-to-be-identified sickness that is responsible for its loss of appetite.
You then have to change or improve the food you feed the dog, for it to come back to health. Your veterinarian will direct you on the foods you will be giving the dog.
Change their food
If you can change the entire food you have been feeding the dog with. Foods that are rich in protein and low in carbohydrates are the recommended diet for dogs.
Feed your dog with freshly cooked food, rich in high-quality animal protein and vegetables. Better still, you can go for high-quality wet foods for dogs.
Ensure that the food you choose to feed your dog is rich in nutrients that will give it the energy and every other thing it requires for a happy and healthy life. You have to see to it that your dog enjoys eating its food.
Add another meal
You can introduce another meal for your dog in a bid to change its eating timetable. If you discover that your dog has lost appetite, take it to work, when you come back, give it a quality meal. Taking a walk will improve its appetite.
Try feeding your dog immediately after you are done eating with your family. The delicious aroma of the food in the air will get into its stomach to provoke its appetite.
Feeding a puppy
I recommend that you feed your puppies 3 to 4 times a day. Do not keep food that your dog can feed from at will.
This is called “free feeding”. Free feeding can cause dog obesity or eating disorder. Dogs are routine animals, so it will do you so much good to teach your dog to live by routines from its puppy age, so as to get used to it.
On the other hand, the household the dog is living with has a lot of roles to play in its upbringing. The nutritional needs of a dog are dependent on its lifestyle and breed.
I wish to recommend that on your next visit to your veterinarian, find out from him the diet and nutritional needs of your puppy. For more on this topic, read our article “How much puppies should eat”.
Do you know that between 10 and 15 minutes after meal puppies will naturally want to relieve themselves?
You should have this at the back of your mind when you are drawing up your dog’s eating timetable, putting into consideration that you will be taking it to its potty area or outdoor to relive itself.
The dog will learn to associate its feeding with the place and in no distant time, it will be potty trained.
Feeding an adult dog
Veterinarians recommend that adult dogs should be fed no less than two times a day. However, many families feed their dogs three times a day.
This practice can be likened to the three meal times of us humans; breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The most important thing is for you to ensure that the food you feed your dog is of high quality, and rich in the right quantity of calories it requires for maintaining a healthy weight.
Finally, I advise pet owners to feed their dogs healthier and well. You must never starve your dog for no good reason.
The good reasons must come from your vet. I have seen dogs develop bilious vomiting because their owners refused to feed them well.
The situation is a vomiting syndrome caused by gastric retention. However, you can treat it with small, frequent meals. With antacid, you can control such a situation.
You have to talk to your vet before you embark on any type of treatment for your dog if it develops bilious vomiting.
FAQs
Can Labradors eat once a day?
It is not advisable for you to feed your dog once a day. Veterinarians may recommend that you divide the food you want to feed the dog within a day into two parts and feed her two times.
Is it cruel to feed a dog once a day?
There is nothing wrong with feeding a healthy adult dog once a day sometimes but, ensure the quantity and quality of that meal are big and good.
In addition, it is very important to find out any problem that may be associated with once a day feeding schedule for your dog at the early stage, because once-a-day feeding is not good for every dog.
Can labs be fed once a day?
I have seen many veterinarians who recommended twice-a-day feeding for adult dogs. However, many people still feed their dogs once a day.
Do not forget that dogs that are fed once a day will always get hungry and sometimes develop bilious vomiting, which is vomiting caused by an empty stomach.