When it comes to feeding a dog, the options are just as varied: Kibble or raw, with grain or without, meals in a crate or loose in the kitchen, free feed, or meals served only at a certain time?
We usually keep a busy life which makes a fixed meal schedule difficult to maintain, thus some dog owners think that it is better to free-feed their dogs, so they can eat whenever they feel hungry.
Free feeding is the practice of making food available to your dog at all times. Some people who free feed offer the dog’s full daily ration at the start of the day, while others make sure the bowl is never empty, adding more food whenever it starts to look low.
Of course, free-feeding can be convenient, however, it has many disadvantages. When you take the responsibility of sharing your life with a dog, this means that you should be doing what’s best for your dog, even if it’s not always the most convenient option. Most vets recommend scheduled meals over free feed when it comes to dogs and here is why:
1- Scheduled meals help to maintain regular bowel movements :
When a dog is fed on a reasonably consistent schedule, it’s easy to determine its bathroom needs and develop a routine that is easy to follow. But what is even better than a set routine, is to feed your dog in a “window of time.” This helps prevent stressing an anxious dog when things do not go as planned and it can’t be fed at the exact time he’s used to.
2- Scheduled meals enable you to monitor your dog’s appetite:
Lack of appetite is often the first sign that a dog is not feeling well. If your dog has a habit of grazing throughout the day, it’s harder to know if it hasn’t eaten yet. In contrast, if your dog has been conditioned to eat within a certain time frame, and readily eats when its meal is presented, you’ll have a reliable sign that he’s not feeling well if he suddenly refuses to eat. At that point, you will know to be on the lookout for other signs of illness and can decide if a visit to the vet is warranted. Plus, if you do end up visiting the vet, you’ll be able to accurately report how long your dog has been off its food.
3- Scheduled meals allow to observe of the meal- manners for multi-dog households:
In homes with multiple dogs, free-feeding can make it nearly impossible to monitor each individual dog’s daily intake. It can also create situations where more assertive dogs are allowed to intimidate more timid dogs into surrendering their shares.
4- Scheduled meals are more hygienic:
Food left in bowls all day is an open invitation for ants and other insects.