How and when to feed your Dog?

It's important to feed your puppy or adult dog the right amount of food at proper intervals. Your dog will need the right amount of nutrients in order to grow and become a healthy adult. It's critical to your dog's health that his physical condition is monitored regularly and that the feeding amount is adjusted as your dog grows.

To help keep your dog healthy, Hill's recommends following the simple steps in this cycle:

• Weigh your dog.
• Feed him based on feeding guide and veterinary recommendations.*
• Evaluate your dog's physical condition using our on line growth tracker chart. Simply enter the date, your pet's weight, and using the slider you can set your dog's condition score.
• Adjust the amount you feed accordingly as your dog grows.

Switching food:

If switching your dog to Hill's Science Plan, gradually introduce it over a 7-day period. Do this by mixing your dog's former food with increasing proportions of the new food, until only Science Plan is being fed. He will then be able to fully enjoy the taste and benefits of the superior nutrition provided by Science Plan Canine Healthy Development.

You and your vet:

Your vet is the best source of information about the health and wellbeing of your dog. Ask your vet to advise regularly on your dog's weight because achieving and maintaining a pet's ideal weight not only reduces certain health risks, but can lead to your dog having a more energetic, longer and healthier life.

 

Ask your veterinarian which of these three feeding methods is best for your dog:

Free Choice: Food is available to your dog at all times.

Time-Limited Feeding: Food is available to your dog for a limited time.

Meal Feeding: A measured amount of food is available to your dog at specific meal times each day.

Water: Your dog must have an adequate supply of fresh water at all times. Not having water to drink for a sustained length of time will harm your dog's health.

Treats & tidbits Although it's tempting to give them table scraps, they do not provide your dog with the correct balance of nutrients. Try to be sparing with treats, as giving too many can lead to weight gain or nutritional imbalance.

The next step: When your dog reaches maturity, his nutritional needs will be different. He'll need to move on to an adult food that will provide him with specific nutrients, vitamins and minerals in a balance that's correct for his age and breed size. Hill's Science Plan can provide exactly that. The life stage range is tailored to keep your dog in the best of health throughout his whole life, whatever his breed or lifestyle.