There are certain guidelines that you should follow when determining the right amount of food to feed your dog, although as a pet owner you probably have your own views on the matter. The amount of food that your dog receives regularly depends on such factors as his size, his age and overall health.

Unless you own a puppy that has become separated from his mother before reaching the age of two months, a puppy younger than that should ideally be fed by their mother. A good rule of thumb for a puppy younger than eight weeks is to feed him about five percent of his body weight each day, if you have to feed him yourself. However, you should also keep in mind that the dog’s size affects the amount you should feed him, so this should be used as a guide only.

You should never overfeed a puppy or a grown dog, despite the fact that it’s normal for a dog to have a slight rounded belly. Giving your dog too much food or feeding him too often can lead to various health issues, such as issues affecting the digestive system, or potentially dangerous obesity. A much safer approach is simply to feed him the appropriate amounts of food at mealtimes.

Stomach aches, diarrhea and even moodiness can result from overfeeding your dog, as a dog’s digestive system can’t handle too much food without having some sort of adverse reaction. Of course, it is all too easy for a dog’s owner to become upset and worried over their dog’s health or appearance, and overfeeding a dog affects the owner almost as much as it does the dog. Dogs are very similar to humans in that they can eventually have all sorts of health issues if they eat too much on a regular basis, including diabetes and various heart related issues.

Smaller amounts of food throughout the day are recommended for your dog, as he gets older, and this allows your pet to safely play as well as remain as healthy and as happy as possible. Dogs also need less food as they age, as their level of activity decreases, just like ours does as we get older. Two or three larger servings of food each day are typically ideal for most grown dogs, rather than multiple feedings throughout the course of a day. Again, there are several factors which should determine how much food you give an older dog, and how often you feed him, such as your dog’s breed and how healthy he is. You should make a point of discussing your dog’s diet with your vet, and getting answers to the important questions of how often and how much you should be feeding him.

See Raw ground beef for dogs and cats.

Creating a homemade dog diet is the perfect way to keep your pet healthy and happy. Many commercial dog foods are filled with artificial flavors and coloring agents that can have a very negative impact on your pet’s well-being. By making your own dog food you can have a clear understanding of all that’s in it and can make fare for your pet that’s far healthier than the options currently commercially available.

Commercial dog foods contain preservatives that aren’t the best thing for your dog’s health. Despite the renal diseases found in dogs their homemade diets include ground beef, sliced bread, boiled eggs, and calcium carbonate among many other things.

These ingredients are added in an effort to keep the level of protein high. This remains the case with homemade dog food (for dogs who suffer from renal disease). As such adding an appropriate amount of water to the food can actually assist with the digestive process.

You may have a dog that is constantly itchy or exhibiting other allergic symptoms. There are many times when medications are not capable of alleviating these symptoms but opting to change your pet’s diet could be an effective way to make allergies abate. If homemade dog food is properly put together according to the pet’s allergy, you can help your dog avoid all of the related discomfort. It’s additionally possible to alter the store-bought foods you invest in to ensure that your animal is not being exposed to the ingredients that are responsible for allergic reactions.

In most cases, the ingredients in homemade dog food are frozen first so that all of the germs are eliminated. Grape seed extract can be added as well to for added antioxidants in your pet’s homemade dog diet. Food-grade vinegar can be used on the included meat along with fish oil, vitamin supplements and other additions to enrich these meals.

To give your dog a boost of energy consider adding in fish, meat, bananas and cranberry juice when making your homemade dog food. This will increase your dog’s activity levels so that he or she can get the exercise needed for maintaining optimal health.

Everything You Need to Know Before Adopting a Dog.