How to and when to feed a dog

Generally after a dog turns the age of nine months, he is ready to start eating one meal a day, or you can also divide it into two equal portions a day. Remember these dog nutrition facts:

• Young and small dogs have smaller stomachs and they eat less during meal times. In order to facilitate this for them, feed them two times a day to make the process a little less overwhelming.
• Little puppies must eat three or four meals a day, although this must be reduced once they get near the age of six months. Starting from six to nine months a dog can begin eating normal adult food.
• If your pooch were to become sick treat him like a smaller dog by feeding him three smaller portions of food a day. If the ill dog would refuse to eat solid foods, you could give him some meat broth served on a plate.
• If your female dog becomes impregnated be sure to talk to your veterinarian about your dog. Generally female dogs that are pregnant need to be fed about a fifty percent more than they were originally eating. This though, should get discussed with your veterinarian.
• Make sure that your dog's basic diet also includes proteins that are good for the growth and replacing of tissue.
• Make sure to feed your dog the right amount of fat, which are essential to having a shiny silky coat.
• When buying your dog food, make sure to observe the amount carbohydrates that are in the ingredients to be able to proportion your dog's weight. Observing this also helps the dog to have normal bowel movements.
• Older dogs generally need to be fed less. A good rule on this is to feed them several small amounts of food a day. When a dog reaches the age of twelve, food helps to revitalize the dog's body daily, which is essential.  
• Some dogs enjoy eating their meals served warm, however in general it's better to feed them at normal temperature.
• Never give your dog the leftovers or food that has gone off!
• Stick to feeding your dog food that is made for dogs. Don't give your dog any processed cat food as this contains a high amount of protein and it can be harmful to dogs.
• Never give your dog food that contains small or chipped bones. These are extremely dangerous because they can cause your dog to choke.
• After opening canned dog food make sure to not leave it in the can for more than fifteen minutes. It's best to just serve it to your dog right away. Never give your dog the leftovers from his canned food, always open a new can when feeding.
• If you notice that your dog is not interested in eating observe him closely, if he does not want to eat for a twenty four hour period, take him to your veterinarian.