# Feeding your dog once a day



## pr3dat0r (Sep 2, 2011)

I feed my dog only once a day, is this bad? I feed her every day around 4-5 PM and sometimes I give her treats around midnight.

The reason why I do this is because she's very, very picky. Usually in the morning we eat things she doesn't (jam, toast, fried eggs, sandwiches) etc, so I wait until lunch because that's when my mother prepares food which includes meat. 

What about giving her kibble in the morning and then canned food in the evening? Would that be better? I'm so out of ideas, I really don't know what to feed my dog. She only eats chicken. 

I know she's not being fed properly and it's all my fault.


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## ladyshadowhollyjc (Oct 28, 2008)

I have no problem with dogs fed once a day. Our adult dogs eat once a day usually around 10pm. That's their routine and what they're used to. It works for us. 

It doesnt sound like the problem is how many times a day you feed your dog. 
Your dog is picky? Does that mean she won't eat all her food? Are you bribing her to eat with the chicken?


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

Is she only eating chicken or are you bribing her to eat by feeding chicken and something else also?


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## oldhounddog (May 31, 2010)

You did not say what kind of dog food you are feeding or how much. I have a dog that is not a morning eater , however he will eat at about 10 o'clock am. I would try to find quality dry kibble and offer a meal in morning and afternoon. I have never fed once a day bc I was always concerned about the potential for bloat , also a dog can have stomach upset going 24 hrs between meals.

Best , oldhound


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Same here, if she likes chicken, there are a few good kibbles that have chicken in them, Freshpet is one of them, or you could go raw if kibble isn't for you, www.dogfoodadvisor.com is a good site to do research, also www.dogfoodanalysis.com is another good site.

I feed mine at nite around 8:30-9:30pm (if they come in really hot after playing... I don't feed dogs when they are hot, I think there is mote harm in that then feeding once a day.). I dont see the prob with it, unless you have a puppy, or a sog/breed that is prone to bloat.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

As others have mentioned, the bigger the meal, the greater the risk for bloat. What breed is the dog we're talking about? And how fast does she eat? These are other risk factors.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 25, 2011)

Personally, all my dogs get fed once a day unless they are puppies. Then it's at least twice, if not more depending on their age. So far, I've had no problems with it. However, some of the other posters brought up some good points, such as bloat.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Does she really eat only chicken? Cooked or raw? Organs or just breast meat like humans prefer? With raw bones or without (never ever give cooked bones)? Just chicken isn't a balanced diet and she'll eventually end up with deficiencies if that's all she eats. I would recommend getting a high-quality kibble (meat as the first ingredient), and mix in the chicken really well so she'll eat it all. Or canned food if she'll eat it. . .at any rate, she needs a balanced diet. Or learn how to give her a balanced raw or homecooked diet (this requires a lot of research so you don't leave anything out).

Personally, I like to feed my dogs twice a day. I wouldn't like to eat only once a day. Sure, you can get all your daily calories in one sitting, and probably you'd do just fine, but, well, ugh. I would be hungry. I'm sure dogs are the same.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

I have fed adult dogs once a day forever..... Puppies.... twice a day.


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## TangentPlane (Jan 14, 2012)

The DNA of dogs are over 99% identical to wolves. Wolves eat at most once a day. The wolf fasts, sometimes for weeks at a time with no harm to its muscles, and occasionally will eat vegetation until it gets a kill. It then eats as much as it can, possibly over 20lbs of meat. Dogs are very similar and will thrive if fed once a day or even less frequently. The key is to feed the dogs raw food only - raw meat, raw eggs, and raw GREEN vegetables (no potatoes or carrots), and very rarely feed them berries. My dogs (german Shepard, black lab, golden retriever) stay outside all day, then around 4PM I run them, then I feed them about 3lbs of raw meat with some greens (peas, green beans...) about 10-20 minutes after the workout. This is identical to how wolves feed in the wild. The wolves almost always searches for prey near dusk, chases it down, then eats a massive post workout meal. My black lab is 11 years old, and honest to God, I had somebody guess that she was 4 years old the other day. The interesting things about this way of eating is that it is pretty much identical to how the human being is designed to eat. Humans have evolved in a very similar way to the k-9 (more reason for why the canine is mans best friend). Humans evolved to gather, hunt, toil, and play during the day while eating light foods like veggies and berries, then concluding the day in the evening with 1-2 large meals that have a large amount of fat and protein.


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## TangentPlane (Jan 14, 2012)

http://www.wolfsongalaska.org/wolves_what_food.htm


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## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

TangentPlane - did you know that there is something like a 2.5% difference in DNA that separates humans from mice? What do you have to say about that?

There is nothing wrong with feeding once a day but it does increase risks of bloat so make sure to watch out for that.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

PatchworkRobot said:


> There is nothing wrong with feeding once a day but it does increase risks of bloat so make sure to watch out for that.


No one knows the exact causes for bloat. Ultimately, you have to do what you feel is best. I feed Loki once a day. He's a Dane - absolutely 100% prone to bloat - but I don't for one second believe that him eating only once a day is somehow increasing his risks.


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## TangentPlane (Jan 14, 2012)

PatchworkRobot said:


> TangentPlane - did you know that there is something like a 2.5% difference in DNA that separates humans from mice? What do you have to say about that?
> 
> There is nothing wrong with feeding once a day but it does increase risks of bloat so make sure to watch out for that.


That is precisely why mice are used in scientific studies to determine cause/effects for humans. Scientists use mice in studies every day to observe effects that they presume will be very similar to what would happen to a human. The truth is it works very well. Humans and mice react almost identically to every stimuli imaginable - food, sleep, chemicals, drugs, etc...

Bloating usually happens to canines for the same reason it happens to humans which is from eating carbohydrate foods like starches, grains, or sugars. Does your dog get bloated from eating raw meat??


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

TangentPlane said:


> Bloating usually happens to canines for the same reason it happens to humans which is from eating carbohydrate foods like starches, grains, or sugars. Does your dog get bloated from eating raw meat??


Um, "bloating" is an uncomfortable feeling from overeating. "Bloat," in dogs, is a deadly condition that occurs when the stomach becomes distended and/or twisted due to gas accumulation. Not the same thing at all. You're not really helping your case for credibility here.


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## TangentPlane (Jan 14, 2012)

Gas in humans and dogs is created by the bacteria living in our intestines after eating certain foods - mainly carbohydrate foods especially the previously mentioned grains, starches, and sugar, but also fibrous foods like fruits, veggies and legumes. This is why people who are lactose intolerant become extremely gassy. The sugar, lactose, does not get absorbed into the bloodstream, therefore it travels through the intestines, getting consumed by the bacteria which resides there, which then causes the bacteria to release gas. Also, a bloated feeling or distended stomach can occur from the mentioned foods - starches, grains, and sugars - because these foods will not pass through the intestines and colon cleanly, leaving mass throughout. Thousands of human cadavers have been studied and the described phenomena is so common that there are terms for it, one being "resistant starch", basically referring to the starches resistance to being absorbed and assimilated.


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

TangentPlane said:


> Bloating usually happens to canines for the same reason it happens to humans which is from eating carbohydrate foods like starches, grains, or sugars. Does your dog get bloated from eating raw meat??


I know of dogs that are raw fed and have bloated..


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## Expert2012 (Jan 15, 2012)

I feed my dog once a day tool. In the working days, we are at work. Only my dog is at home. He is lonely... One meal each day.



pr3dat0r said:


> I feed my dog only once a day, is this bad? I feed her every day around 4-5 PM and sometimes I give her treats around midnight.
> 
> The reason why I do this is because she's very, very picky. Usually in the morning we eat things she doesn't (jam, toast, fried eggs, sandwiches) etc, so I wait until lunch because that's when my mother prepares food which includes meat.
> 
> ...


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

pr3dat0r said:


> I feed my dog only once a day, is this bad? I feed her every day around 4-5 PM and sometimes I give her treats around midnight.
> 
> The reason why I do this is because she's very, very picky. Usually in the morning we eat things she doesn't (jam, toast, fried eggs, sandwiches) etc, so I wait until lunch because that's when my mother prepares food which includes meat.
> 
> ...


First off, QUIT FEEDING YOUR DOG TABLE SCRAPS.

Secondly, if she only eats chicken, have you considered switching her to raw? its not that hard to do at all.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Table scraps can be terrific or a disaster. What exactly does your dog get into her tummy on a weekly basis?


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I stopped feeding my dog once a day when he was about 8 yo senior.... Otherwise, once a day is typical for adults.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I free feed my dogs but they still just eat once a day, they do not pick at it all day. They usually eat in the evening, go out for their last pee and sleep all night. I never have dogs that guard their food, if one is eating, the others just wait their turn. I have two males and two females in my house and you never hear a growl out of any of them over food.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Both of mine eat only once a day in the evening around 8:30-9pm, each 2 cups a day of high quality, grain free food. They get a biscuit in the morning (to prevent any bile upchuck). My schedule is pretty hectic in the morning & I don't want to have to rush my dog eating bc I have to be at work at 5am (I get up at 4, but after I: fix my bed head, make coffee for me & fiancée, get dressed, get fisncee's clothes ready, make the bed & eat breakfast myself it's already 4:30) then I have to take the dogs to the bathroom which takes about til 5 am .... Good thing I live where I work or Id be screwed lol.


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## oldhounddog (May 31, 2010)

I would try to find something in the way of quality food/snack that your dog likes and give a light meal in the morning if possible to keep dog from having stomach upset from too many hours without food. 

Best , oldhounddog


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I give my three at least part of their daily intake in the morning and the rest at night. One dog is prone to bloat because of the breed mix and the two little ones will vomit on a totally empty stomach. I guess it just depends on your own preference and the dog itself? My childhood dog a small Terrier mix ate once a day for 17 years and survived.


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## jaylivg1 (Dec 5, 2011)

With my previous dog i let her eat whenever she wanted to . She occasionally snacking on it ( ate it very little during the day ) , but during night time , she ate the most of it . So i guess u can say she ate once a day . 

With my dog right now , i feed him 2 times a day , morning and evening . The funny thing with my dog right now , i have to grab the food and spread it on the floor for him to eat , or else he wouldn't dare to get near to the bowl .. yes very strange ... or maybe just spoiled ? LOL


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

TangentPlane said:


> The DNA of dogs are over 99% identical to wolves. Wolves eat at most once a day. The wolf fasts, sometimes for weeks at a time with no harm to its muscles, and occasionally will eat vegetation until it gets a kill. It then eats as much as it can, possibly over 20lbs of meat. Dogs are very similar and will thrive if fed once a day or even less frequently. The key is to feed the dogs raw food only - raw meat, raw eggs, and raw GREEN vegetables (no potatoes or carrots), and very rarely feed them berries. My dogs (german Shepard, black lab, golden retriever) stay outside all day, then around 4PM I run them, then I feed them about 3lbs of raw meat with some greens (peas, green beans...) about 10-20 minutes after the workout. This is identical to how wolves feed in the wild. The wolves almost always searches for prey near dusk, chases it down, then eats a massive post workout meal. My black lab is 11 years old, and honest to God, I had somebody guess that she was 4 years old the other day. The interesting things about this way of eating is that it is pretty much identical to how the human being is designed to eat. Humans have evolved in a very similar way to the k-9 (more reason for why the canine is mans best friend). Humans evolved to gather, hunt, toil, and play during the day while eating light foods like veggies and berries, then concluding the day in the evening with 1-2 large meals that have a large amount of fat and protein.


Hope fasts for days sometimes when I go down to my acreage with her. She'll have free food available but just won't touch it for a few days until she gets hungry enough. I find it strange because she's in no way overweight, and spends those 2-3 days doing a lot of long strenuous running. At home I feed her once a day in the evening, if I feed her in the morning it'll usually just sit till evening anyway and that's the schedule. She eats and about 30 minutes later it's time to go lay a pile.. Like clockwork. Most times she doesn't eat it at once, but goes back 2-3 times before the bowl is empty.

I'm about the same when I think about it, a little oatmeal in the morning, light snack for lunch, and good meal in the evening.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

jaylivg1 said:


> With my previous dog i let her eat whenever she wanted to . She occasionally snacking on it ( ate it very little during the day ) , but during night time , she ate the most of it . So i guess u can say she ate once a day .
> 
> With my dog right now , i feed him 2 times a day , morning and evening . The funny thing with my dog right now , i have to grab the food and spread it on the floor for him to eat , or else he wouldn't dare to get near to the bowl .. yes very strange ... or maybe just spoiled ? LOL


Is he a rescue? I had to teach Kabota how to eat from a bowl. He'd never done it before and it freaked him out at first.

As to bloat, the other name for that is "stomach torsion" and it is deadly and quick. Large breeds are more prone to it. Small breeds can have trouble with hypoglycemia, so overall the recommendation is to feed 2x per day. If your dog is doing fine on 1 feeding a day, well, bloat and hypoglycemia are risks, not guarantees. You have to judge your risk tolerance and make a decision from there.

As to a dog only eating chicken, hello calcium deficiency to say the least. Get that dog on a food like Wellness, Wellness Core, TOTW, etc., or raw feed him (which is way more than just chicken breasts) before he develops a serious medical problem from vitamin deficiencies.


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## Shiyanne1988 (Mar 5, 2011)

I feed 2x a day. I have a german shepherd, a belgian malinois, and a lab/chow-chow. I feed Summit 3 meat dog food and horizon puppy food. Only the malinois gets the puppy food though as she's just over a year and is still growing and gets skinny if I don't give her a little extra protein. I give my dogs an egg or 2 a week with their kibble. They get leftover meat, rice, and veggies. My mom works in a butcher shop and brings them lots of bones. I used to feed pedigree and I have really noticed a change in my dogs since I switched to a better dog food. I feed 2x a day because it does help eliminate bloat and then they're not staring me down when I try to eat. lol


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## Julia Goetzinger (Jan 30, 2012)

We only feed once a day. We fee Canine Caviar it's a holistic pet food. It's grain free & alkaline based. Human food is a no no in our house. Although my husband has a problem remembering this  Check out their website www.caninecaviar.com for a BOGO free coupon so you can try it.


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## SassyCat (Aug 29, 2011)

Few months ago I've heard on animal planet that wild dogs eat at least twice a day which makes them most successful hunters in Africa. Just throwing it out there, I found it interesting because most wolves can't afford this pattern. Wild dogs also live longer than wolves.


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## Vicky88 (Jan 29, 2012)

I feed Holly twice a day, once in the morning at about 9:30, then again at tea time about 6:30, she has a treat at lunch time too, but she will get fed once a day if i know she is going to have a lazy day, like if i am ill, or going out somewhere.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

I feed twice a day with an hour of near zero activity on each side of the meal. Im willing to feed 3 times a day but the beast has other ideas and is only willing to eat twice a day.


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