Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Western Australia, Series 4
Volume 1
Number 2 February, 1960 Article 13
1-1-1960
How much food should I give my dog?
How much food should I give my dog?
F C. Wilkinson
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Wilkinson, F C. (1960) "How much food should I give my dog?," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 1: No. 2, Article 13.
Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol1/iss2/13
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More dogs die from over-feeding than from underfeeding says
F. C WILKINSON,
Veterinary Surgeon
How Much Food Should I
Give My Dog ?
T
HIS is a question which every veterinary surgeon h a s h e a r d hundreds of times, a n d one t h a t it is impossible to answer in general terms because dogs differ so much in their food requirements a n d because t h e n u t r i e n t values of various foodstuffs vary considerably.Naturally, the size and weight of t h e dog will be t h e best guide to t h e q u a n t i t y of food he requires. A dog which is merely a household pet does n o t need as m u c h food as a sheep-dog or cattle-dog which is working h a r d every day.
When kangaroos and rabbits were more plentiful t h a n they a r e today, they p r o - vided a substantial p a r t of t h e average farm dog's rations, a u g m e n t e d periodically with offal from sheep slaughtered for household use.
At the present time, however, m e a t for t h e dogs is in short supply on m a n y f a r m s and it is worth remembering t h a t m e a t need only comprise about o n e - q u a r t e r of the ration, t h e rest of t h e diet being m a d e u p of carbohydrate foods. Even t h e 25 per cent, of m e a t can be effectively replaced by meatmeal.
Among m a n y dog owners, certain m i s - conceptions exist concerning t h e value of n u t r i e n t s in foodstuffs o t h e r t h a n m e a t .
Dogs for instance, c o n t r a r y to popular belief, digest a n d absorb starches a n d sugars (carbohydrates) a s efficiently as we ourselves do. Carbohydrate diets supplemented with vitamins a n d minerals can be used successfully t o m a k e up 50 per cent, to 60 per cent, of t h e dog's t o t a l diet. F a t s also are readily digested a n d efficiently used by dogs, a n d lard a n d beef tallows can be used for up to 10 per
cent, of t h e ration. In actual fact t h e digestive system of t h e dog is very like t h a t of h u m a n s and it can eat and utilise similar foods. Thus a wide variety of foodstuffs can be fed to dogs.
A working dog of 30 lb weight should receive a total feed of 1 lb. of food each A USEFUL GUDDE FOR FEEDING DOGS
Breed Bcdy
fl eight Whole
Meat per Day
Dcg Biscuits (or Sub- stitutes) per Day
Total Food per Day
1.
2.
3 .
4.
5.
8.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Pekingese, Miniature Poms, etc
Pomeranians, Cairn Terriers, etc.
Pugs, Pomeranians.
Sealyharaa, Scotch Terriers, Fox Ter- riers, etc
Cocker Spaniels, Irish Terriers, Kelpies and Cattle Dogs, etc Kelpies, Cattle Dogs,
Spaniels, etc.
Bulldogs, Airedales, Field Spaniels, etc.
Dalmatians, Chows, Small Greyhounds, Collies, etc.
Irish Setters, Pointers, Retrievers, Grey- hounds, Alsatians and dogs of similar size
Large Alsatians, Blood- hounds and dcgs of similar size Great Danes and dogs
of similar size St. Bernards and dogs
of similar size
lb.
5-10 10-15
15-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60
60-75 75-100 100-150 150-200
oz.
2 - 4 4 - 6
6 - 8
8-10 10-12 lb.
J - 1
i-n
H-H
H-«
2 - 3 3
oz.
1-2 2 - 3
3-4
4 - 6 6 - 8 8-9
9-10
10-12 12-15
Ml
1J-2 oz.
3 - 6 6 - 9
9-12 12-16 lb.
1-1}
u-n
i ; - i *
H-2 2$-3 3 - 4 4 - 5
157
day given in a single feed at night. Of this amount, ideally about one half should be whole meat and half a cereal food such as pollard, porridge, breakfast food or dog biscuits. (Vegetables such as potatoes can be substituted for the cereal food). This amount of 1 lb. should be slightly reduced if the dog is to work the next day. A slightly heavier dog of 40 lb. weight should receive a total amount of 1 | lb. of food each day. If the dog does not receive any bones then about a teaspoonful of bone- meal should be added daily to the food.
When meat is not available, meatmeal can be substituted. Many working dogs
have a diet consisting entirely of pollard and meatmeal (J lb. pollard to I lb. meat- meal), on which they work and thrive.
Dogs should therefore be fed according to their body weight as in the accompany- ing table. They should receive some meat or meat product, some cereal type food and vegetables if they will eat them. Ideally the prepared food should be fed once a day and preferably at night time.
A final point should be noted—that is, overfeeding is a commoner complaint than underfeeding. Fat, lazy dogs are useless for work, have a shorter life span and commonly suffer from digestive upsets.
'Tmtej^r
aLucerne at 5p erance
•HHHffli ,'mmmm
An experimental paddock of lucerne at the Esperance Research Station. There has been a very successful establishment of about 2 5 0 acres of lucerne on fallowed land at the station. Owing to the long growing season, lucerne shows considerable promise in the south coastal areas.
158
WILCOX MOFFLIN
Seat Z?&&foc oatf d&tov A
BLOWFLY
PREVENTATIVE
ft*
keep my flock fly-free this season!
D.A.D., a combination of D D T and D I A Z I N O N , is the latest development f r o m W i l c o x M o f f l i n , and has achieved out- standing results in a series of exhaustive field trials D.A.D.
will k i l l all adult flies contacting the treated area. It
• » gives prolonged protection against fly strike when
• t .# used as a j e t t i n g or spray race fluid. D A D . is
* • ; . one of the most efficient dressinqs available.
BE PREPARED...
BEAT THE FLY / '"••••... BEFORE IT /
X STRIKES! f
WILCOX MOFFLIN
119 SOUTH TERRACE, FREMANTLE
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