Your vet should set the amount and type of food, based on your pet’s species, age, size and activity level. Fresh water must always be available, the daily ration is best split into several meals, and bones and table scraps should never be given. Excess weight is not cosmetic: it leads to obesity, diabetes and arthritis, and it shortens life.
Key facts:
- Your vet decides the type and quantity of food — not the bag, and not the dog.
- Water: clean and freely available at all times.
- Split the ration into several meals a day rather than one large one.
- Never give bones or table scraps.
- Cats naturally eat little and often — 10 to 16 small meals a day.
- Excess weight leads to obesity, diabetes and arthritis.
Feeding is where owners do the most damage with the best intentions. The treats, the leftovers, the extra scoop “because he’s hungry” — they add up, and they cost years of life.
How much should I feed my pet?
Ask your vet, and then measure it. The right quantity depends on species, age, breed, size, activity level and whether the animal is neutered — which is why the guideline on the packet is a starting point, not an answer. Weigh or measure the ration rather than eyeballing it, and count the treats as part of the daily total, because they are food too.
How many meals a day?
It is better to split the daily ration into several meals than to give one large one — it is gentler on the digestion and, in large deep-chested dogs, it reduces the risk of gastric torsion. Cats are different: left to themselves they eat little and often, in the region of 10 to 16 small meals across the day and night, which is why free access to a measured daily portion often suits them better than two big servings.
Why should I never give bones or scraps?
Bones splinter. A shard can lodge in the mouth, perforate the gut or cause an obstruction that ends in emergency surgery. Table scraps are a separate problem: they unbalance a carefully formulated diet, they pile on calories, and many everyday human foods — chocolate, onion, grapes, avocado — are actively toxic to pets. Feeding from the table also teaches begging, which is nobody’s idea of a good time.
How do I know if my pet is overweight?
Run your hands along the ribs: you should be able to feel them easily under a thin layer of fat, without pressing hard. Seen from above, there should be a visible waist. If the ribs are hard to find and the outline is straight or bulging, your pet is carrying too much. Excess weight is a genuine medical problem: it drives diabetes, arthritis, heart and respiratory disease, it makes anaesthesia riskier, and it shortens life expectancy.
How do I help my pet lose weight?
Not by simply giving less of the same food — that risks nutritional deficiencies. The right approach is a vet-prescribed weight-loss diet combined with a gradual increase in exercise, and honesty about the treats. Weight comes off slowly and it needs the whole household to agree, because one person’s secret snacks undo everyone else’s discipline.
Frequently asked questions
How much food does my dog need?
It depends on age, size, breed, activity and neutering status. Your vet should set the quantity and the type.
Can I give my dog bones?
No. They splinter and can perforate the gut or cause an obstruction requiring emergency surgery.
How many times a day should I feed my cat?
Cats naturally eat little and often — 10 to 16 small meals a day. A measured daily portion available across the day suits most cats.
How do I know if my pet is overweight?
You should be able to feel the ribs easily and see a waist from above. If you can’t, it is carrying too much.
Obesity brings diabetes, arthritis and heart disease — all of them long, costly conditions. Petplan España (Petplan Ibérica, S.L.) reimburses 100% of the vet bill up to €3,100 a year, with a €45 excess, at any vet you choose. See the policy terms.
