How much should I feed my dog?

What are feeding guidelines?

Our feeding guidelines can either be found on the back of our packaging or if you click through a specific product on our website. They show how much your dog should be fed to meet their energy requirements.

The feeding guidelines, in the example below, are for adult dogs. More feeding guidelines can be found over here.

The meal looks very little

Edgard & Cooper food is quite energy-dense. If you were feeding less energy-dense food before, then it might seem like you are feeding too little. My advice would be to follow the feeding guidelines on the back of the pack. This guideline is specifically calculated for the energy density of that recipe. Another piece of advice is to Body Condition Score your dog. Wait, what? Body Condition Scoring is a great method to check if your dog is at its ideal weight or under-/overweight. I’ll give you more explanation below 👇

Why is your guide not per breed?

Good question! The feeding guidelines are based on the energy requirement of a dog and the energy density of a recipe. Taking both into account, they show how much a dog should eat of that recipe to meet their energy requirement.

A dog’s energy requirement is calculated using formulas that take the daily energy requirement in kcal and a dog’s weight in kg, and that will show your dog’s expected energy requirement in kcal per day. Edgard & Cooper feeding guidelines are based on the average energy expenditure. But we all know that not every dog is built the same or doesn’t have the same activity level. Take Huskies and Newfoundland dogs for example. They are known to have an energy requirement below the average.

It is therefore super important to always keep an eye on your dog’s weight. If they’re losing weight, they might have a higher energy requirement than the average dog and vice versa. If your dog is gaining weight, he might have a lower energy requirement than the average dog.

That is why Body Condition Scoring was invented. It allows you to check whether your dog is at its ideal weight.

How does Body Condition Scoring work?

I always tell dog owners they should “feed with their eyes and hands”. That is because what might be considered the ideal weight for their dog on paper might not be the case for their dog.

The Body Condition Score charts illustrate and describe what the ideal body weight of your dog should look and feel like. If your dog has the ideal body weight you should be able to feel the ribs with minimal fat cover. Your dog’s waist should be easily visible from above and you should be able to see the abdominal tuck. Anything other than a score of 4 or 5 isn’t ideal. This could be an indicator to adjust the quantity you’re feeding your dog.

Edgard & Cooper offers a healthy & delicious diet with all the nutrients your dog needs. Shop now