My dog skips breakfast. Is feeding him once a day okay for his health?

Question

Hi, my dog who is turning 3 in 2 weeks has suddenly stopped eating his morning meal. He usually takes a few bites and then leaves the rest. We usually feed him twice a day about 1 cup each time. Should I stop the morning feedings and just feed him once a day? Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 11 months old | 50 lbs

Chad Brown, DVM · Accepted Answer

What a great question. It’s the age old debate about whether we should feed dogs once a day, twice a day, or three times a day. Honestly, it depends on the dog. if the dog is healthy and happy, and he is keeping his weight at a healthy amount that is not too heavy or too light, I see no reason with feeding him only once a day. One recommendation I would also add to you if you do intend to only feed him once is to keep his food elevated and use a special type of feeding bowl that forces him to eat slowly. There are certain bowls with prongs in them that force your pet to eat slowly. The reasoning is that large breed dogs like yours can sometimes have gastrointestinal problems like bloat, etc. if they inhale their food without chewing. Feeding only once a day can sometimes cause a dog to ravenously eat so you have to be careful. But again it depends on the dog and most that I have come into contact with that are only fed one meal a day still do fairly well. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope I have helped. Have a nice day.

My dog skips breakfast. Is feeding him once a day okay for his health?

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