Feeding your adult dog well
Feeding your adult dog well comes down to three habits: weigh his portion, never serve it by eye; adjust it to his body, not just to what is printed on the kibble bag; and count treats in his daily total so you can take them off the ration.
Where excess weight comes from
Your dog doesn't choose what goes in his bowl, he eats what you serve him. The leading cause of excess weight in dogs isn't a hidden illness: it's too much food given out of affection, plus treats nobody thinks to count. A landmark American study, published in 2002, followed 48 Labradors across their whole lives: those who stayed lean lived about two years longer than their littermates fed normally, and their arthritis (joint wear) set in later. Keeping your dog at his ideal weight isn't depriving him: it's giving him extra years in good shape.
How much to give him each day
There is no universal amount: it depends on the dog, and on how calorie-dense the kibble is, which can differ twofold from one brand to the next. The amount is measured in grams, not in numbers of kibble pieces: two brands at the same weight can hold a completely different number of pieces. The table on the bag (grams per day by the dog's weight) is a starting point, and often a little too generous.
Weigh him
Weigh your dog every two weeks at the same time of day: it's the weight curve, not your eye, that decides whether you need to adjust. Alongside that, a little further down, the three visual checks for reading his body between weigh-ins.
Start from the table, then correct it
The table often overestimates. A neutered dog burns fewer calories: if you keep giving him the same amount after the operation, he puts on weight.
Weigh what you serve, to the gram
His exact needs depend on his weight, his age, his activity, and on whether he is neutered or not. Start from the table on the bag, and weigh what you serve him, to the gram.
Judge by his body, not by the bag
It's his body, not the bag, that tells you whether you've got it right. Look him over every two weeks: a little further down you'll find the three checks for reading him properly, and adjust the amount if needed, over the following weeks.
Take treats off his meal
A treat isn't a free extra: it takes the place of part of the meal. Aim to stay under roughly 10% of what he eats in the day, the detail is just below.
Give him two meals a day rather than one, with the bowl on the floor. In large, deep-chested dogs, eating fast and a raised bowl are two known risk factors for gastric torsion (an American study established this in 2000). For most dogs, these two habits, several meals and a bowl on the floor, are enough to limit the risk.
Three checks for reading your dog's body
The scale alone isn't enough: a number tells you nothing if you don't also look at his body. Seeing him every day, your eye quietly adjusts without you noticing, and ends up finding normal what no longer is. Here is how vets judge it, in three simple checks you can repeat at home.
At his ideal weight
- You can feel his ribs easily, under a thin layer of fat, without having to press, rather like the back of your hand.
- Seen from above, his waist is clear: the body narrows just behind the ribs, like an hourglass.
- From the side, his belly tucks up towards the back.
Overweight
- You have to press hard to feel his ribs, or you can't feel them at all.
- Seen from above, the back is straight, barrel-shaped, with no waist showing.
- The belly hangs and doesn't tuck up towards the back: from the side, it keeps the same flat line from end to end. Talk to your vet about it, and cut his portion back gradually.
Too thin
- His ribs, his spine and his hips stand out, with no reserve of fat at all under the skin.
- His waist is very pronounced, almost hollow.
- If this thinness is recent or wasn't intended, see your vet before increasing his portion.
Treats: which ones, and how many
A treat stays an extra, not a meal: take it off his portion for the day. If you give them often, for training for instance, pick something light.
Best choices (low in calories)
In moderation
Never (toxic or dangerous)
Always give the food plain: no salt, no sugar, no sauce, no bones, no stones, no pips. Introduce one new food at a time, and watch him for 24 to 48 hours.
Helping your dog lose weight
Obesity isn't just a few extra kilos: it's a genuine disease, in which excess fat keeps producing low-grade inflammation throughout the body. The good news: because losing weight too fast is dangerous, as it burns off muscle before fat, the method that works is also the gentlest one. Aim for consistency, not speed.
Set the target with your vet
They weigh your dog, check his body by hand, and rule out a medical cause before setting the plan.
Weigh his portion and count the extras
The treats nobody counts are often what stalls the whole thing: take them off the meal, and choose light ones.
Move more, gradually
Build up the walks, more often and a little longer, rather than one big effort in one go. Swimming, where it's possible, spares the joints. If your dog has arthritis or a heart problem, it's your vet who sets the activity plan.
Weigh him every 2 to 4 weeks
Without weighing him regularly, there's no way to know whether it's working. Aim for a modest loss each week: safer and longer-lasting than rapid weight loss.
- Kealy et al. — Effects of diet restriction on lifespan (Purina Lifespan Study, Labradors) (2002)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — Global Nutrition Guidelines and Body Condition Score (1 to 9 scale)
- AAHA — Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines (2021)
- NRC — Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (maintenance energy requirement) (2006)
- Glickman et al. — Risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs (2000)
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How much kibble a day for a dog?
There is no universal number: it depends on his weight, his activity, whether he is neutered or not, and above all on the calories in his kibble, which can differ twofold from one brand to another. Start from the table on the bag (often a little generous), weigh what you serve, and adjust to his body: you should feel his ribs under a thin layer, and see his waist show.
How should you feed a dog?
Two meals a day, weighed rather than eyeballed, with clean water always available. Fruit, vegetables or leftovers are only extras, a small share of his day. The right reference isn't the bag, it's his body, watched over time.
How do you help a dog lose weight?
Gently, and with your vet, never by force: they set the ideal weight to aim for, you weigh his portion, you count treats and take them off, and you build up activity little by little. Weigh him every 2 to 4 weeks. Sudden weight loss is dangerous: aim for consistency, not speed.
How do I know if my dog is overweight?
Three simple checks: feel his ribs (you should feel them without pressing, under a thin layer), look at him from above (his waist should narrow, like an hourglass) and from the side (his belly should tuck up towards the back). If you have to press hard to feel the ribs, or if his back is straight like a barrel, he is overweight.
How many meals a day for an adult dog?
Two meals rather than one big one: the portion is smaller each time, and easier on the digestion. In large, deep-chested dogs, eating fast and a raised bowl are known risk factors for gastric torsion. For most dogs, the bowl goes on the floor.
My dog has put on weight since being neutered, is that inevitable?
No. Neutering lowers his needs by roughly 20 to 30%: if you keep giving him the same amount as before, he gains weight. All it takes is adjusting his portion from the operation onwards and keeping an eye on his body: anticipated, this weight gain is very easy to avoid.
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