Feeding your dog does not have to be mysterious.
The most common recommendation is to feed your dog at least two meals per day and there are a few reasons for this.
Dogs have a simple stomach anatomy, just like humans, once their stomach is filled with food, it will empty within a few hours as food moves into the small intestine.
After 8 to 10 hours, an empty stomach begins to send signals to the brain that stimulate a hunger response.
For this reason, at least two meals per day are best for your dog.
It really depends on the individual dog as well as the family schedule.
In an ideal world, at least two meals per day is best, based on the reasons described above.
Some dogs are less food motivated and do fine with one meal per day.
Others may need more frequent meals, such as dogs that only eat small volumes of food at a time or dogs with medical conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), who are prone to reflux if their stomach is empty for too long.
A third meal can be added as a “lunch” or a bedtime snack, depending on the needs of the individual.
Your veterinarian remains the best source of nutritional guidance for your dog.
They can answer important questions such as the type of food to feed, how much to feed, and how frequently to feed.