Why It’s Cruel to Feed Your Dog Once a Day

Are you thinking about feeding your dog only once per day? Well, stop those thoughts right there. We know these thoughts aren’t always coming from cruel intentions. For example, it might be because you will be out for most of the day and there won’t be someone to refill your dog’s food bowl. No matter what your reason may be, you should not be feeding your dog only once a day.

Irregular Mealtimes can Cause Problems

First off, it’s important to understand that a dog’s stomach will usually empty in about four to six hours (source). The duration will differ slightly by a dog’s size and breed but the important takeaway here is that it’s very likely that your dog will be hungry later in the day. Just like when we get “hangry”, dogs can also get irritated and aggressive if their stomach is empty for too long.

It may Cause Health Problems

Your dog might suffer from nutritional deficiencies if you only provide him one meal a day. This can eventually lead to further health complications so it’s vital that your dog gets at least two meals a day that covers all the nutrition required for a healthy dog.

It may Lead to Poor Eating Habits

Imagine you were fed one meal throughout the whole day. Now, think about how you will behave if your next meal came the following day. You will most likely be starving and quickly devouring your next meal. Your dog is likely to react the same way and this is never a good thing as the fast-eating habit may lead to health problems like bloating.

Get a Timed Food Dispenser

If you personally are only able to prepare your dog’s meal once a day then we strongly recommend getting an automatic food dispenser. You can time the dispenser so that your dog’s next meal is released at an appropriate time. Don’t try to give your dog one huge meal. Dogs are pretty greedy and they will try to gulp down all of the food that’s in front of them (even though it’s supposed to cover two meals). This can lead to longer-term health issues like obesity.