Feeding an adult dog

This stage of feeding is called maintenance as there is no significant energy demands regarding growth of bones and joints etc. The energy requirements needed are those for everyday living and repair and replacement. The diet required still needs to be of high quality, complete and nutritionally balanced, providing the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients required to maintain healthy bones, joints, skin and coat.

The content of a maintenance diet will contain lower amounts of protein and reduced ratio of calcium to phosphorous than that of puppy food, as the needs will be different for the adult dog.

The amount of food to be fed will differ for each breed and size of dog, also each brand of food will be slightly different, so always refer to the feeding guidelines on the food bag for the weight of your dog. Ideally an adult dog should be fed its daily allowance split into two meals; feeding two meals instead of one large one will help maintain a healthy metabolism and will allow for optimal nutritional absorption. Aim to feed the second meal in the late afternoon or approximately 5pm to allow digestion before bedtime and to allow gastro-transit to occur so the animal may defecate before bedtime.