Free Feeding
Free feeding means leaving a bowl of food out for your pet so they can eat as much as they want, whenever they want. This method works best for dry food, as it doesn’t spoil as quickly as fresh food. Wet dog food. One obvious benefit of ad libitum feeding is that you don’t have to worry about having to get home in time for a meal, which can be difficult for people with very busy schedules or stuck in traffic on their way to work. And when you give your pet a choice, they’ll obviously choose to be fed whenever they want. You can also meet the needs of multiple pets by feeding from the same bowl all day.
Of course, there are downsides: In households with multiple pets, one pet may monopolize the bowl, denying the others a turn. There’s also the risk of overeating and making the animal obese, especially with some cat and dog breeds that are known to eat beyond their satiety threshold.
Scheduled and portion-controlled feeding
If you have a clear enough schedule that you can be home at mealtimes, scheduled feeding can be an effective and healthier method as it limits the amount of food your dog consumes at each meal. There are many variations on this method: put food in a bowl, clear the bowl after a suitable amount of time, and let your dog eat until he is full; 10 to 20 minutes is usually enough. Alternatively, you can measure out food at each meal and allow your dog to eat at his own pace.
Dogs on prescription or weight-control diets will naturally need to have their food portions adjusted. This method also works for dogs who need to mix medications into their food. For other considerations, such as situations where mealtimes can be difficult, weight loss needs to be reversed, or illness, measured and scheduled mealtimes give you the opportunity to monitor whether your dog is eating all of his food. Scheduling mealtimes allows you to use the time to bond with your pet.
The big disadvantage of regular feeding is that you have to feed your pet several times throughout the day, which is especially difficult when caring for a puppy, who, even under normal circumstances, needs to eat smaller meals more frequently than an adult dog.
Consider your options
If you can’t decide which method is best for you and your pet, consult your vet for advice. You may need to take age and breed into consideration, and you might want to consider having someone come to your home to help feed your dog regularly. There are also mechanical food bowls that can be set to give your dog small amounts at certain times of the day.
Finally, remember not to make a decision based solely on convenience, but on your dog’s long-term health.
Image credit: Yaroslavl /Via Flickr
