Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by jhonny
Free feeding means providing an unlimited supply of food to your four paws and allowing it to graze on the food at its pace.
However, there are many pet products that permit you to control the food portion. This way, only a limited amount of food is released into your dog’s bowl, and your pet can eat leisurely. While this might seem a reasonable feeding solution, it may not always work with all dogs.
Some dogs are voracious eaters, and they can eat the food in their bowls in one quick gulp. Others might be comfortable with this type of feeding because they can rest assured that there is always a meal supply. It can be a convenient feeding method in households with only one fur child but can get more complicated in multi-pet environments.
There are only a few ways to know which pet has been well-fed and which hasn’t been. As a result, puppies that haven’t been eating well or didn’t have the opportunity to get their mouths on the food can fall sick often.
Consider being prepared with pet health insurance so that summoning medical help is not as financially stressful as without it. Cheap dog insurance covers a little pupper’s health care during accidents, particular illnesses, and emergencies, which is why you must contemplate purchasing a policy. Meanwhile, read this article to learn the pros and cons of free feeding.
Pros
This type of feeding can be adopted by puppy owners with a dynamic schedule. If your calendar of events varies from day to day or if you have a demanding work schedule, then you can ensure your poochie doesn’t starve during the day by keeping its bowl full at any given moment using an automatic pet feeder.
A puppy with good eating practices will eat only as much as it wants, even if it has access to a mountain of food. In such a case, the puppy will eat until it feels full and returns to the bowl only at the next feeding time. Note this may not work with indulgent puppies.
Easy access to food at all times lowers food aggression in furry babies in a multi-dog household. Plus, the puppies may not get stressed about the food getting exhausted and can return to their bowls anytime.
Cons
This method can hamper the potty training progress in young puppies. Since there is no scheduled eating time, there can be no planned potty time either. For consistent potty training, it is essential to teach your pup to eat at regular times and then take a post-meal potty break.
Constant eating can trigger gastrointestinal issues like bloating, vomiting, diarrhea and gas and lead to obesity. The extra kgs can cause lethargy and many more health issues, further deteriorating its quality of life and lifespan.
It can be challenging to train free-fed dogs because they have an infinite supply of food, and food can no longer be an effective trigger for learning new things and instilling discipline.
These are some reasons why you must learn the correct method of feeding your pet. Also, consider being equipped with pet health insurance because health issues are often unpredictable, and it helps to be financially prepared.
Contemplate purchasing cheap dog insurance at least, so your four-legged friend has a medical backup to lean on during distressing health situations.
