Like many dog breeds, the nutritional needs of a Rhodesian Ridgeback change as they grow. From puppyhood to adulthood and the dog’s senior years, you will need to change portion sizes and even the contents of the food you’re serving your Ridgeback.
In this Rhodesian Ridgeback feeding guide, we’ll let you know how much dog food to put in your Ridgeback’s food bowl, depending on what stage of life they’re at.
No matter what age your Rhodesian Ridgeback is, they need healthy amounts of protein and healthy fats for both growth and energy. Below is a general guide for their different life stages.
Until four weeks old, Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies need to live off the nutrients found in their mother’s milk. After that, you can start introducing them to puppy food. Try tempting your Ridgeback with small portions of 1/4 puppy kibble and 3/4 water.
You should increase this amount of puppy food as they grow, based on the portion chart provided by the kibble product. Generally, you should be feeding a Ridgeback about 20g of kibble for every 1kg that it weighs. This should be split up into 3-4 meals per day.
At around 12 months, you can stop feeding your Ridgeback puppy food and move them on to either grown-up kibble or a raw food diet. Adult Ridgebacks require around 3-4 1/2 cups of kibble per day. Alternatively, if you switch them to raw food, they will need around 640-780g of raw meaty bones, meat, and vegetables per day (never feed Ridgeback-cooked bones!).
Overall, Rhodesian Ridgeback adults need around 1,500 calories per day.
When your Rhodesian Ridgeback reaches 7 years old, they are classed as senior dogs, and you need to increase the amount of chondroitin and glucosamine in their diet. These ingredients will support your dog’s aging joints and can be found primarily in cartilage, as well as fish.
Portion sizes and calorie intake can remain the same as adult servings for senior Ridgebacks.
Throughout pregnancy, an adult dog’s daily food intake should be increased. You should consult your vet as soon as you become aware of your Ridgeback’s pregnancy, as they can provide you with an accurate feeding plan.
During puppyhood, it would be a good idea to experiment with protein-rich and raw food-based kibbles to see which food type your dog reacts best to.
You can give some treats to your Rhodesian Ridgeback daily as part of its positive reinforcement training.
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are not fussy eaters and aren’t inherently allergic to any foods in particular.
If you regularly switch kibble brands, your dog may take a little while to get used to the transition. Otherwise, Ridgebacks are not fussy eaters.
Based on their size, an adult Rhodesian Ridgeback requires between 3-4 litres of water per day.
You can raise your Rhodesian Ridgeback as a raw or kibble-fed dog – whichever you’d prefer to prepare and whichever your dog seems to prefer the taste of! Both diets should provide your pup with the necessary nutrients they need to grow and sustain a healthy lifestyle.
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