On the back of every bag of dog food theres a chart that provides recommendations on how much food your dog will need to eat. Once you find the category corresponding with your dogs weight and age, youll find a range, such as 1 to 3 cups of food per dog per day. Every dog is an individual and will require differing amounts of food to maintain his weight. The more physical activity your dog participates in or the higher metabolism your dog has, the more food your pup will need.
Since 2001, Kea Grace has published in “Dog Fancy,” “Clean Run,” “Front and Finish” and an international Czechoslovakian agility enthusiast magazine. Grace is the head trainer for Gimme Grace Dog Training and holds her CPDT-KA and CTDI certifications. She is a member of the APDT and is a recognized CLASS instructor. Shes seeking German certification from the Goethe Institut.
According to the Dog Food Project, most brands of kibble contain 4 to 5 cups of food per pound. If you have a 65-pound dog with an average level of activity and metabolism, your dog may eat 4.5 cups of a generic brand and 2.5 cups of a high-quality brand a day. If feeding a generic brand, youll go through roughly a pound of food a day, thereby needing a 30- to 40-pound bag of food a month. If feeding a high-quality brand, youll go through roughly half a pound of food a day, thereby needing a 15-pound bag for a month. To do the math for yourself, simply multiply the weight of the bag times 4 cups, to be conservative, and then divide the total by the feeding recommendation on the back of the bag for your dogs weight.
The more nutritional punch a kibble packs, the less youll need to feed to ensure proper growth, health and weight maintenance. For example, if youre feeding a kibble full of fillers and meat byproducts, you may need to feed your 50-pound dog 4 cups a day. If feeding a kibble with meat as the first three ingredients, followed by eggs, then by single-source grain, you may only need to feed the same dog 2 cups of food a day. The fewer cups a day you need to feed your dog, the longer a bag of food will last.
While this may seem obvious, the bags size definitely matters when it comes to how long the dog food will last for your dog. However, bigger isnt always better. The longer it takes your dog to go through the bag of food, the more likely it is that the food will go bad before your pup is able to enjoy it. Dog food is purchased by weight, and common weights of bags range from 5 to 30 or 40 pounds. You should choose the size of bag that your dog can eat in a month.
How Can You Tell If Dog Food Has Gone Bad?
There are a couple of telltale signs that your dog’s dinner is past its prime. Here are some things to look out for while inspecting your mutt’s meals:
1. Something smells suspicious. Bad odors are a key sign that your dog’s food isn’t as fresh as it could be. Of course, you’ll still want to use common sense. Fish-focused foods are bound to smell, well, fishy, and the same goes for other doggie delights. However, if you notice a sharp, rancid odor, or a huge difference in smell from previous food batches, it could be a sign that the food has gone bad.
2. You find mold. Any signs of mold or moisture (in the case of dry food) mean that it’s time to toss out your dog’s food. Unfortunately, our furry friends can develop food poisoning from even a small amount of moldy food.
3. There are bugs in your dog’s food. First of all, ew! If you see any bugs in your dog’s food, it’s time to toss it. While the bugs themselves won’t necessarily harm your hound, it’s a sign that the food was not stored properly on it’s way to your pup’s plate, so it’s best to stay on the safe side and get rid of the contaminated food entirely. Plus, bugs may crawl through bacteria or other potentially dangerous substances, which they can then spread to your dog’s food.
4. The food is past the bag’s expiration date. While expired food may not necessarily have gone bad, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Your dog isn’t interested in the food. Don’t misunderstand: Dogs may turn their noses up at a new or unfamiliar food without it indicating anything about the food’s safety or quality — picky eater dogs may just not like the new offering. However, if your furry friend usually wolfs down his food and doesn’t seem interested in a particular batch, it might be a sign that the food isn’t fresh or safe to eat anymore. Take your pooch’s preferences seriously and just order a new bag of food.
If your dog’s food exhibits any of the above signs, the food isn’t fit for Fido. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you’re evaluating your dog’s food appropriately.
Don’t forget to apply the same scrutiny to your dog’s treats that you do his food — treats can and do go bad over time.
However, it’s harder to make generalizations about the length of time different treats will last, as they come in so many different forms. For example, dried treats (such as bully sticks or jerky) will tend to last longer than the fresher, high-value treats you use for training.
How Much Should Your Dog Eat Per Day?
The amount a dog should eat depends on two primary factors; their age along with their breed (and subsequent size).
The following are general recommendations for adults of the different breed size classifications:
For puppies, a simple rule is to feed them 20g per 2 lbs of their body weight per day. So, if you have a puppy weighing 10 lbs, they will need ~100g (0.2 lbs) per day. This equates to around 2 cups per day.
Regardless of your dog’s age, it is essential to check in with your
Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily total calorie intake.
Using these numbers, you can therefore begin to work out how long your bag should last in the calculator above or reference table below.