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Should I feed my dog dinner right before bed or earlier for digestion?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | White Swiss Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 8 months and 21 days old | 71 lbs

Do dogs digestive systems slow down when asleep at night like humans do? Is it better not to feed dinner so close to nighttime sleep?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 6th, 2019

Hi there! Yes, dogs, like humans, are mammals, so they do have that whole "rest and digest" phase when they're relaxed and sleeping. Feeding a night time meal a few hours before bed time is always best. This is also helpful because they will be less likely to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. However, some dogs will benefit from a snack before bed time, as they do get an acid stomach if they go too long without eating. It all depends. I usually tell owners to feed their dogs their total daily calories, split into 2 servings or meals as close to 12 hours apart as they can. In addition, I recommend trying to make that last meal a few hours before bedtime as I mentioned above. If your dog has trouble with an acid stomach, you may want to add a snack, or give 1/3 of the evening meal before bed. You may notice some vomiting in the morning on an empty stomach if this occurs. I think it varies with all dogs, but the above is what I recommend. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck to you and Wolfgang!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 22nd, 2018

    Hi there and thank you for using pet coach! I typically recommend feeding at least 3 hours prior to bedtime to allow digestion of the food. 2 hours is ok but 3 is best in my opinion. It won't hurt to feed less than 3 hours but for proper digestion 3 hours will be a good amount of time to feed before bedtime.

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