There is no single «right» diet — there is a diet that suits your particular animal, your budget and your routine. This article explains the three main approaches, how to read a feed label, how to calculate portions, and which foods from your table can seriously harm a pet.
Three approaches to feeding
Dry food
Pros: balanced by formula, convenient to store and measure, no cooking. Cons: you depend on one manufacturer, the animal must always have water available, and cheap economy-class food contains a lot of cereal and little meat.
Wet food and canned food
Good for cats that drink little — moisture in the food helps the kidneys. Cons: expensive for large dogs, opens jars must be refrigerated and used within a day.
Home-cooked (natural) diet
Pros: you control every ingredient, fresh meat, familiar food. Cons: it takes effort to balance it properly — meat alone is not a diet; without cereals, vegetables, calcium and vitamin supplements the animal will eventually develop deficiencies. Cats especially need taurine, which is found almost only in meat by-products.
How to read a feed label
Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. What matters:
- Named meat first: chicken, lamb, salmon — not «poultry meal» and certainly not «cereals».
- Protein: for adult dogs at least 18–22% dry matter, for cats at least 30%.
- No flavour enhancers — dogs and cats get used to the taste of cheap food quickly, and switching later becomes a problem.
- Class is a marketing label more than a standard: «premium» and «super-premium» are not legally defined in every country. Read the composition, not the words on the front of the bag.
How much does a pet actually need
Quick estimate of the daily ration by body weight (for dry food, follow the package — it already accounts for calories):
| Weight | Daily amount (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Dog 5 kg | 80–120 g |
| Dog 15 kg | 200–280 g |
| Dog 30 kg | 350–450 g |
| Cat 4 kg | 50–70 g (dry) + wet food or 200–300 g wet |
These are averages for adult animals with normal activity. Sterilised and indoor pets need 10–20% less — obesity in cats and neutered dogs is the most common nutrition problem. The easiest way to check: run your hand along the ribs. You should feel them clearly but not see them from above; if the silhouette from above is a barrel instead of a tucked waist, reduce the portion.
Feeding schedule
- Puppies up to 4 months: 3–4 meals a day at the same times.
- Dogs from 6 months to adulthood: 2 meals — morning and evening; one meal a day is a risk of bloat in large breeds.
- Adult dogs: 2 meals a day, ideally 10–15 minutes after a walk, not before.
- Cats: 2–4 small portions; free-feeding dry food works only if the cat controls itself — otherwise weight grows every month.
- Senior animals (8+ years): 2 light meals, plus kidney-supporting food — get checked and switch on vet advice.
Always have clean water in an open bowl — cats often ignore closed bowls and drink too little, which leads to urinary problems.
Strictly forbidden from your table
- Chocolate, coffee, tea, energy drinks — theobromine and caffeine poison the heart and nervous system.
- Grapes and raisins — cause acute kidney failure even in small amounts.
- Onions, garlic, leeks — destroy red blood cells; damage accumulates.
- Xylitol (sugar-free gum, pastries) — a sharp drop in blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.
- Alcohol — even a spoonful is dangerous.
- Cooked bones — they splinter and pierce the intestines. Raw large bones are allowed only for healthy adult dogs and under supervision.
- Yeast dough, avocados, macadamia nuts, fatty fried food, smoked sausage.
- Cat liver in large quantities — hypervitaminosis A.
If your pet has eaten something from this list, do not wait for symptoms — call a vet and describe what and how much was eaten. Induced vomiting in the first hours saves lives; at home it is dangerous to improvise.
Changing food
Any switch is done over 7–10 days: 25% new food for the first two days, 50% for the next two, 75%, then fully new. Diarrhoea or refusal during the transition means you are moving too fast — step back to the previous stage for a few days. Premium and super-premium foods can be switched more often; economy-class food should not be switched abruptly.
Treats and training
Treats should be no more than 10% of the daily ration — take them out of the main meal rather than adding them on top. For training, small soft pieces work best: the dog should not spend time chewing while you are giving feedback. Slices of apple, carrot or a piece of boiled chicken are good options.
Signs the diet suits the animal
- stable weight and visible waist;
- coat is shiny, not falling out in clumps;
- stool is firm, regular;
- the animal is active and interested in food, but not obsessed with it;
- at annual check-ups, blood and urine within normal limits.
If several of these fail — discuss the diet with your vet before changing brands on your own.
Bottom line
Choose one quality food or commit to balanced home cooking, keep to a schedule, control portions and never give from the table “just this once”. Most nutrition problems in practice are not caused by the type of food but by inconsistency: different foods, treats from everyone, and portions “by eye”.