Dogs that eat too much have a stomach that feels relatively hard to the touch

Due to inherited biological traits, dogs always eat very quickly, so inexperienced owners often think the dog is very hungry. But this is not the case. If owners feed the dog a large amount because of this, it can easily cause the dog to overeat and result in intestinal discomfort. Therefore, the amount of feeding must be well controlled. Feeding too little is certainly unfavorable, but feeding too much is also not good for the dog's health.

There are several ways to judge if a dog has overeaten. Generally, we can roughly judge by feeling the dog's stomach. If the dog's stomach is still relatively soft and slightly distended, then it is normal. If the dog's stomach is swollen and quite hard, then it means the dog has eaten too much. So owners should observe the dog’s condition after each feeding to adjust the feeding amount to avoid overeating.

In addition, whether the dog is overfed can also be found by observing the dog's stool. Normally, the dog's stool is slightly soft but formed, and not sticky. If the dog’s stool is very soft, unformed, and contains undigested food, then you need to reduce the feeding amount accordingly.

Feed reasonably in daily life

So how can you control the feeding amount well? For puppies, we usually follow the principle of feeding less but more often, so each feeding portion doesn’t need to be too much, generally enough to keep the dog about 80% full. Check if there are corresponding recommendations on the dog food packaging, and follow those for feeding. For adult dogs, we generally feed twice a day, also ensuring the dog is about 80% full. Because many owners feed treats in addition to dog food, if the dog food amount is too large, then adding treats will definitely burden the dog’s stomach and intestines.

For the dog’s health, exercise with the dog is also necessary; otherwise, just eating without energy consumption will lead to obesity. Obese dogs face many inconveniences and are prone to illness, so it is important to ensure a healthy diet.