How Should You Feed Your Pet?
Boxer Puppy
Pet owners have one big question in mind. What is the proper way to feed their pets? Do they have to do it once a day? Or is it better twice a day? Is it possible to feed pets just when they feel like it? Indeed, this must be the most asked question by pet owners. And very funny enough, everybody seems to have different opinions about this matter.
Well, that's because one can't really give one straight answer to all pet owners. Pets are different from one another. So there's really no fast, hard, and correct answer here. You have to truly know your pet and its needs so you can decide accurately on how often you should feed it. But whichever answer turns out good for you, it should never be the free feeding type of meals. Feeding your pet only when you feel like it is the cruelest thing you can do to it.
Free feeding also corresponds to serving your pet big amounts of food and allowing it to eat how much it likes, when it likes. Pets eating with this meal setup usually end up obese, sluggish, passionless, and lethargic – not to mention the host of health problems they are likely to develop. Giving your pet too much food throughout the day makes your pet unexcited about food. And that would leave you with nothing to motivate your pet with in the long run. For cats and dogs, food is their number one motivation.
You can give your cat or dog a walk or a social encounter with other animals of its breed as motivation if and when food doesn't work. But even those don’t beat a good healthy diet filled with natural pet food. If your pet loses its passion for food, it loses passion for everything else. Don't take that passion away from them. Part of their healthy lifestyle is to be in full anticipation of their next meal.
Your pet's eagerness for meals is essential in keeping them happy and well tempered. Another disadvantage of the 24-hour access to food is the harm it may bring to the cat or dog's digestive system. Animals require longer period of time to process the food they eat. It is important to give your pets time to clear their stomach of their meal.
If they eat too much food too soon, they would suffer from abdominal cramps and pains for sure. Don't follow people suggesting free feeding as the best way to go for your dogs. More often than not, they just wanted to sell you more products and gain more money, without giving a thought of what that would do to your pet.
Even if free feeding is established as a poor choice, the question still remains: should you feed once or twice in a day?
Three meals a day isn't an option as well, following the reasons of free feeding. Feeding your dog three times a day would make it choosy and prone to digestive problems. To choose between once a day and twice a day feeding habits, it is important to consider your own convenience and preference.
Feeding your pet once a day has a lot of advantages. First and foremost, it would allow your dog to fully digest its food and enjoy its nutrients. But generally speaking, once a day speaking is not that advisable. Most pet owners complain of their pets getting crazy begging for food every now and then if they are fed only once in day. While you can train your pet to eliminate that behavior, it could take you weeks of hard work and lots of patience.
So for most people, the twice a day meal is more preferable. Not only did they have to go through the ordeal of dealing with their pet every time it gets hungry. The nutrients of food are better utilized throughout the day as well.
But the trick isn't how often you feed your dog. It is in your consistency in feeding them. Feed your pet on the same time of the day and in the same amount as always. Serve their food on the same bowl and on the same spot every time. Give them only 10 minutes to finish their food. Pick their bowls after right after, regardless if they have finished everything or not.
If you do this, your pet will be more accustomed to their feeding schedule. As much as possible, don't give in to their demands for food if it isn't time for that yet. Don't give your dog snacks. If you really have to, give it to them as a form of a reward for their good deeds and proper behavior. It is important that you give them healthy foods and treats.
For people preferring the twice a day eating habit for their pet, make sure they space out the meals accordingly. Give food to your dog once in the morning and then the other at night. Kittens and puppies have to be feed in small quantities two to three times in a day. Don't subject them to once a day feeding because they are not up to that yet.
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Boxer Puppy