Managing your guide dog’s diet and weight
Whether you’re an experienced guide dog owner or waiting to be partnered with your first guide dog, it’s always important to learn about the best practices for managing your guide dog’s nutrition and weight.
On this page
What’s a healthy diet for a guide dog?
Every guide dog is different, and the right amount of food for one dog might be too much or too little for another. This can be down to several factors, such how much exercise they do or how often they work, or how much they enjoy playing at home.
When you’re partnered with your new guide dog, they’ll already be on a diet that’s right for them and their age. Usually, the food we recommend for your guide dog is from Royal Canin – they offer ‘complete’ diets which means their food includes all the nutrients your dog needs.
Regular feeding and food rewards
Your dog should be eating throughout the day, but how often and how much will depend on their age and their breed.
Advice for everyday feeding
Our experts will advise you on how much to feed your guide dog. You should weigh out your dog’s food allowance for the day and divide this into their meals, leaving some aside to be used as food rewards. For example, if they have two meals a day, you could divide their daily food allowance into three – leaving one portion for positive reinforcement or training rewards. This way, you’ll know that you’re not overfeeding or underfeeding them.
We recommend our guide dog owners use a set of talking scales to help weigh out your dog’s daily food allowance. The scales will announce the weight on them and the unit of measurement.
Why is a healthy diet important for guide dogs?
Feeding your dog a balanced diet that’s full of the right nutrition is your responsibility as a guide dog owner. Maintaining a healthy weight is vital for your dog’s welfare, as being overweight or underweight can lead to a variety of health issues.
How to check that your dog is a healthy weight
Generally speaking, if your dog is healthy, you should be able to feel their ribs with a small amount of pressure and their waist should go slightly in after their ribs. Additionally, their tummy should tuck up between their back legs – this is referred to as an abdominal tuck.
What’s body condition scoring?
Body condition scoring (BCS) is a method used to assess your dog’s health – it’s a useful indicator of whether your dog’s nutritional balance is correct. Your dog will have a body condition score between one and nine. One means your dog is emaciated and nine means your dog is very obese.
To help you determine your dog’s BCS, your Dog Welfare Specialist, or your vet, will use an infographic with indicators for each of the nine scores. The chart will refer to visual cues, such as your dog’s profile and how they look from above, along with tactile cues like how prominent their ribs and hip bones are, to give them a score. Additionally, you should weigh your dog regularly and keep track of their weight. Most pet stores and vets have digital scales that you can use.
There are separate BCS systems for puppies under 10 months old and dogs over 10 months old. This is because puppies naturally carry a bit more fat, so the score indicators change as they get older. For dogs older than 10 months, we aim for a BCS of five. If your guide dog scores six or above, please speak to your Dog Welfare Specialist to discuss how to improve your dog’s BCS. You should assess your guide dog’s BCS once a month.
Weight management for older dogs
An older guide dog will have different dietary needs compared to a younger guide dog. As your dog ages, they’ll become less active which can lead to unhealthy weight gain if you don’t carefully manage their diet. In your dog’s senior years, you might have to change their food routine by reducing their daily food allowance and by spreading it over several smaller meals. This should only be done following guidance from your Dog Welfare Specialist.
Which foods are toxic to dogs?
The following foods should never be eaten by dogs. If your guide dog does ingest any of these foods, please seek veterinary help immediately:
- Chocolate
- Raisins and other dried fruits
- Onion
- Macadamia nuts
- Xylitol (often found in peanut butter).
Please note this list is not exhaustive, and every dog is different. For example, your dog may be intolerant to a food that hasn’t been mentioned here.