FAQ: Food for dogs

Most adult dogs are best fed twice a day. Dogs fed once a day get hungrier and are more prone to vomiting on an empty stomach, and large dogs are often advised to have the daily amount split into several meals.

It is safer to feed after the walk and let the dog rest quietly for a while after eating, especially large, deep-chested breeds. Vigorous exercise right after a meal is linked to a higher risk of gastric torsion.

Gastric dilatation and torsion is a life-threatening condition that is more common in large, deep-chested breeds. Splitting the daily amount into several meals, slow eating and rest after meals may lower the risk, and a swollen belly with unproductive retching needs urgent vet care.

A slow-feeder bowl with ridges or a puzzle-style bowl makes the dog eat more slowly and helps if it gulps its food in seconds or brings it back up afterwards. It also provides some mental stimulation.

You can use part of the daily dry food allowance as rewards during training or put it in puzzle toys. That way the dog gets no extra calories and the food becomes more valuable to it.

No: if the dog eats willingly, is a healthy weight, has a shiny coat and normal stools, there is no need to change. Review the diet when the life stage, activity level or health changes.

Dry food contains little moisture, so the dog drinks to make up the difference, which is normal. If thirst suddenly increases a lot for no clear reason, ask a vet, as it can be a sign of illness.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight before cooking, so the first ones make up the largest share. Check whether a specific meat source, such as chicken or lamb, appears at the top rather than just a generic name.

They are analytical constituents: the protein and fat content measured in a laboratory, as percentages. ‘Crude’ refers to the total amount, not to quality or digestibility.

Wet food contains a lot of water, so its percentages look low. You can compare on a dry-matter basis: divide the protein percentage by 100 minus the moisture percentage and multiply by 100.

Dry food for adult dogs usually contains about 18–30% protein, and more for puppies and active dogs. Quality and digestibility matter as well as the amount, and any restrictions, for example for kidney disease, are set by a vet.

Crude ash is the mineral content left after a sample is burned in a laboratory, not ash added to the food. Dry food usually contains about 5–10%.

Meat meal is dried and ground meat with most of the water removed, which makes it a concentrated protein source. It isn't a poor ingredient in itself; what matters is that the animal it comes from is named.

Fresh meat is weighed with its water, which evaporates during cooking, so its share of the finished dry food is much smaller than the stated percentage. Fresh meat at the top of the list doesn't necessarily mean most of the protein comes from meat.

They are parts of the carcass people don't usually eat, such as liver, hearts, kidneys or cartilage, and many of them are nutritious. It is better when the maker names the specific animal and parts rather than just a generic term.

Dry food needs antioxidants to stop the fats going rancid; they are either natural, such as tocopherols, or synthetic ones approved in the EU. Approved additives are used within set limits, and if you prefer to avoid them you can choose food with natural antioxidants.

Sugar and colourings are mostly added for looks or taste rather than for the dog's needs; the colour of its food doesn't matter to a dog. If you have a choice, pick food without added sugar or artificial colours.

The name indicates how much of the ingredient there is: ‘with chicken’ can mean only a small share, and ‘chicken flavour’ that chicken may be present only as a flavouring. You will find the real amount in the ingredients, where a percentage should be given.

Vegetables and fruit provide fibre and some useful compounds, but they aren't necessary if the food is complete. When they appear at the end of the ingredients list, it is often more about marketing than real benefit.

Fibre helps digestion, stool formation and the feeling of fullness, which is why weight-control foods contain more of it. Too much of it can increase the amount of stool.