When it comes to feeding your dog or cat, guidelines are meant to used as just that. Guidelines. They are not written in stone and they can be changed when needed. There are several important factors in deciding how much your pet should eat. It should not be based solely on the weight of the animal. Let's take a look:

Age. How old is your pet? A growing dog or cat will sometimes eat twice or three times as much as an adult of their weight. A senior may eat substantially less than a young adult. The metabolic rate and needs of your pet will change over the course of their lifetime. You must observe and adapt to these changes. Young animals' bodies are busy building bone and other important tissues as well as running the every day systems. Cells are producing rapidly and the amount of food they will need to fuel healthy growth will vary. Senior dogs often slow in their metabolism and may need less food than they once did in their younger bodies. Middle-aged dogs will need a maintenance diet that will reflect their health status and lifestyle.