Knowing how much to feed your Beagle is crucial for its overall health. After all, a Beagle’s diet will be the foundation of its growth, energy level, performance, and nutrition.
For first-time Beagle owners, it can be a daunting task to set and maintain their dog’s food intake. Deciding on the best dog food options is also challenging to do.
Luckily, this Beagle feeding guide will help you plan your dog’s meals to meet its nutritional needs. Moreover, you will learn how much food your Beagle needs as it grows and how frequently it should be fed per day.
Beagle Feeding Chart by Age: How Much to Feed Your Beagle?
How much food you feed your Beagle mainly depends on its age. A Beagle puppy should be given ⅔ to 1 ¾ cup of puppy food daily. On the other hand, an adult Beagle should be served ¾ to 2 ¾ cups of adult dog food, while a senior dog must be fed only ½ to 2 cups a day.
Aside from age, other factors such as size, weight, and energy level can affect your Beagle’s food intake.
There are two Beagle size variations: regular and pocket-sized. Regular Beagles are 13 to 15 inches tall and weigh around 25 to 35 pounds.
Meanwhile, pocket-sized Beagles stand no more than 13 inches tall and weigh between 22 and 30 pounds.
As expected, active adult Beagles require more food than less active ones. This means that if your Beagle gets less than an hour of exercise every day, you should lessen the amount of dog food you give per meal.
For a detailed overview of how much to feed a Beagle puppy, adult, and senior dog, refer to the feeding charts below.
Beagle Puppy Feeding Chart (2 to 12 months)
After relying on its mother’s milk, a Beagle puppy will undergo the weaning process. At four weeks old, solid food should be introduced to its diet.
By the time they reach six weeks old, Beagle puppies can transition to a solid food diet. During this time, they need to consume more calories than adult and senior dogs for healthy growth.
In general, you should feed your Beagle puppy with Beagle puppy food that contains 55 calories per pound of body weight.
As your Beagle continues growing, you will need to monitor its weight and gradually increase the amount of food and calories they intake.
The chart below shows a summary of the ideal daily dog food consumption of a regular-sized Beagle puppy:
As you can see, the quantity of puppy food increases as the Beagle pup reaches its adult age. Similarly, the amount of calories it needs per day surge gradually.
Beagle puppies are quite active and, thus, have huge appetites. However, they may show hesitation to eat when they are teething. This happens when they are around 2 to 6 months old.
Since the transition can be painful for some dogs, fur parents should closely observe their Beagle’s eating habits during this period.
Adult Beagle Feeding Chart (1 to 6 years)
Once your Beagle reaches one year old, it is considered an adult dog. This means that weight gain will begin to slow down.
As a result, owners should maintain their dog’s healthy weight by providing the right amount of adult food and calories per day. Unlike a puppy Beagle, an adult pup needs around 45 calories per pound of body weight.
The feeding chart below summarizes the daily dog food consumption of adult Beagles:
From the table, you can see that adult Beagles need more protein and less fat in their diet to prevent excessive weight gain.
As active dogs, eating protein-rich food can boost amino acid production, which helps in maintaining strong muscles.
Senior Beagle Feeding Chart (7 years and above)
By the time a Beagle reaches 7 years old and above, it is already a senior dog. As its metabolism slows down, you should put more effort into managing your dog’s weight.
This can be done by lowering your Beagle’s calorie intake and significantly reducing the amount of protein and fat it consumes. Generally, a senior Beagle should be given 42 calories per pound of body weight.
Refer to the table below for information on how much your senior Beagle should eat per day:
If you’re feeding commercial dog food to your Beagle, you can follow the recommended serving per meal.
However, before strictly following the values written on each table, you should also consider your Beagle’s size variation, gender, and specific nutritional needs.
As always, asking your veterinarian is still the best way to determine the exact amount of food for your Beagle.
Beagle Feeding Frequency: How Often Should You Feed Your Beagle?
After knowing how much food your Beagle needs per day, it’s essential to learn how often you should feed your dog.
Free feeding is suggested for Beagle puppies that are less than two months old. Those between two and five months old must be fed 4 to 5 times a day. Beagles that are 6 to 12 months old should be fed three times, while those that are already one year old and above must be fed only two meals a day.
Since Beagles have big appetites, considering their size, it’s very likely for them to gain excess weight if not fed on a proper schedule.
The table below summarizes the recommended feeding frequency for Beagles:
Beagles have slow digestive systems. It takes approximately three days for them to fully digest their food. That’s why if you don’t regulate the amount and frequency of feeding, they will most likely experience bloat.
Treats can also be given to your Beagle in between meals. However, they should only be given as rewards during training.
You may also want to invest in pet insurance to avoid expensive medical bills during emergencies related to digestive issues.
Optimal Feeding Times for Beagles
Another important aspect when it comes to feeding your Beagle is feeding times. Having regular feeding hours for your Beagle will help instill discipline in your dog.
For Beagle puppies that are 2 to 5 months old, there should be a five-hour interval between meals. On the other hand, growing puppies between 6 and 12 months old should be fed once in the morning, noon, and evening. Meanwhile, adults and seniors can be fed either once or twice a day.
The table below shows the optimal feeding times for Beagles:
Adhering to a fixed feeding schedule will help control your Beagle’s food portions throughout the day. This routine will ensure that your pup will not crave more than what is served each meal.
In addition to food, you should also prepare a fresh bowl of water for your Beagle. A young Beagle puppy should be served half a cup of water every two hours.
Older puppies, on the other hand, should be given a cup of water for every pound of their body weight every day.
Watch this comprehensive video for more tips on how much, how often, and when your Beagle should eat:
Complete Beagle Feeding Guide (Puppies to adult beagles) | What To Feed | How Much to Feed<a href="https://youtu.be/liBjsLfrbPE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.bubblypet.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FliBjsLfrbPE%2F0.jpg" alt="Complete Beagle Feeding Guide (Puppies to adult beagles) | What To Feed | How Much to Feed" width="1280" height="700" /><br />Watch this video on YouTube</a>
Best Dog Foods for Beagles
As a fur parent, you should also know the best dog foods to feed a Beagle. Giving your pup nutrient-rich food will ensure you are raising a healthy dog.
During weaning, you can feed a Beagle puppy with a canine milk replacer until it can eat solid dog food.
As your dog grows into an adult, you should choose a nutritional diet consisting of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
To help you out, here’s a list of the best dog food options that offer a balanced diet for your Beagle:
Dry Food: Dry food or kibble is the most common and easily accessible food option for your dog. You can opt for a commercial puppy food that contains protein sources and essential fatty acids. This manufactured food can also be mixed with fish oil and vitamin and mineral canine supplements for a nutrition boost.
Wet Food: Wet food can be eaten as a standalone meal or mixed with kibble to add variety to your pup’s food. You can also alternate dry food and wet food for your Beagle’s diet. However, keep in mind that wet food can be more expensive and also has a shorter shelf life.
Raw Food or BARF Diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) is also an alternative food choice for Beagles. This raw food diet consisting of uncooked bones, meat, vegetables, and fruits is rich in protein and healthy fat. This will help Beagles have a leaner, more muscular build.
Homemade Food: If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can make home-cooked food for your Beagle. These meals should be prepared with natural ingredients to create the perfect balance of protein, healthy fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. You can either serve your Beagle a chicken meal or a beef meal with sweet potatoes.
From puppyhood to adulthood, you should ensure that your Beagle eats high-quality food. As mentioned previously, a Beagle puppy has a different nutritional requirement from an adult or senior dog.
As your dog ages, you need to adjust your Beagle’s diet accordingly. This means you should be mindful of the ingredients and nutritional value of the food you give or prepare for your dog.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Beagle
Knowing what your Beagle eats at all times is important. Some food ingredients, especially those in human food, can cause food allergies or an upset stomach for your dog.
So before you give your dog a bite of your favorite food or snack, you should ask yourself, “Can my Beagle puppy eat this?”.
To help you out, this section will serve as a guide on what you should avoid feeding your Beagle.
Refer to the list below for some of the foods you should not give your Beagle puppy, as well as adult and senior Beagles:
Chocolate: Chocolates contain a toxic substance called theobromine which causes vomiting, increased heart rate, and seizures. In some cases, it can even lead to the death of your Beagle. Dark chocolate has more concentration of theobromine and should be avoided at all costs.
Onions, Garlic, Leeks, and Chives: Regardless if they are cooked, boiled, or raw, these plants and vegetables can cause red blood cell damage. It can take days for the symptoms of poisoning from these foods to take effect, so it’s best to take your dog to the vet. You should be mindful of this, especially when you give your Beagle homemade food.
Candies and Other Sweets: Candies and other products with artificial sweeteners contain xylitol, another toxic substance for Beagles. Even when consumed in small amounts, this can cause hypoglycemia, liver failure, and death in dogs. Gum, mint, toothpaste, mouthwash, and even peanut butter contain xylitol.
Avocado: While fruits can be beneficial for your dog’s health, avocados should not be given to Beagles. Avocados contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea. However, you can still serve small quantities of the avocado’s flesh since persin is mostly only found in the avocado’s skin and pit.
Raisins and Grapes: Both raisins and grapes are highly toxic for Beagles. Ingesting one grape can cause kidney failure in your dog. It may also experience vomiting, lethargy, dehydration, and loss of appetite.
Certain nuts, seeds, cheese, milk, and other fruits can be fatal for your pet Beagle. If you’re a first-time owner, do your own research or consult your vet to avoid medical emergencies caused by food poisoning.
You can also reach out to the Beagle breeder or rescue you purchased or adopted your Beagle from. The owners can give you tips on what other food you shouldn’t feed a Beagle puppy.
How to Transition Your Beagle to a New Food
As your Beagle ages, you will need to transition your pup to new food. In other cases, you may be required by your vet to completely change your Beagle’s diet due to medical reasons.
Before you begin to feed your Beagle puppy new food, you should know how to properly incorporate it into your dog’s old diet. Fortunately, AKC has a recommended transition process for pet owners.
To properly transition your Beagle to a new food, follow the food portioning listed below:
From the table, you can see that the full transition should happen within 5 to 7 days. After this, you can ensure that your Beagle will be fully accustomed to its new diet.
The same brand or the current dog food your Beagle eats should be mixed with the new diet gradually to avoid adverse allergic reactions or gastrointestinal problems.
If your dog refuses to eat or has persistent stomach upset, you should pause the transition and seek a veterinarian for pet medical advice.
Feeding an Overweight Beagle
As medium-sized breeds with large appetites, Beagles can easily gain weight which can lead to being overweight, or worse, to obesity.
Weight-related issues can also result in high blood pressure, heart problems, and diabetes.
Beagles are considered a relatively robust breed and may not get sick often. However, if not fed with the correct food portions, your dog’s health can be severely affected.
If you find that your Beagle puppy’s weight is far from the normal range, you should take immediate action for your dog to lose some pounds. The same goes if you have an overweight adult or senior Beagle.
The first step is to cut down your Beagle’s calorie intake. Ideally, your pup’s diet should have 10% fewer calories. Alternatively, you can switch to low-calorie dog food.
Adding more vegetables and fruits to your Beagle’s diet can also help it lose weight. Instead of giving commercial dog treats, you can prepare homemade treats made from healthier ingredients.
After that, you should engage your Beagle in physical activities that can help burn its excess calories. A strict exercise regimen for your dog is effective in dealing with obesity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is My Beagle Not Eating?
When your Beagle is not eating, it’s usually a cause for concern. This could indicate that your dog is experiencing stress from its environment. This may happen when you just brought your Beagle puppy home.
If your Beagle puppy shows hesitation to eat, it may also be a sign that it is undergoing teething. However, if your dog goes for a week without eating, you should take it to the vet to evaluate the root cause.
Do Beagles Eat a Lot?
Beagles love to eat and are not picky with food. They usually eat whatever is served to them. This means that it is the owner’s responsibility to regulate their food intake.
Using slow feeder bowls can help limit your dog’s food consumption by providing obstacles for your Beagle when eating.
Can Beagles Eat Bones?
Cooked bones should never be given to Beagles, including those from chickens and turkeys. These bones can cause choking or injuries in the stomach lining.
Raw bones, on the other hand, can be given to your Beagle. However, they should be taken away after 10 to 15 minutes and disposed of after 3 to 4 days.
Can Beagles Be Vegetarians?
Although Beagles love meat, they can be vegetarians. However, you should make sure to carefully construct your dog’s vegetarian meal plan.
This means ensuring that their meals contain all the nutrients they need to be healthy.
Here is a video explaining how Beagles can be put on a vegetarian diet:
Can Beagles be Vegetarian?<a href="https://youtu.be/nifgYzuTxmQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.bubblypet.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FnifgYzuTxmQ%2F0.jpg" alt="Can Beagles be Vegetarian?" width="1280" height="700" /><br />Watch this video on YouTube</a>
Final Thoughts
Keeping your Beagle in tip-top shape entails ensuring that it gets optimal nutrition from the food it consumes. However, feeding this breed also requires knowledge of other aspects.
You should be able to answer, “How much should my Beagle eat?”, “How often should I feed my dog?” and “What should I feed my Beagle?”.
Hopefully, this article has served its purpose and equipped you with the correct information.
As soon as you take your Beagle home, you should adhere to a strict Beagle puppy feeding diet and schedule. This will ensure that your dog will live a long and healthy life with you and your family.
Are you excited to follow this guide for your pet? Share your thoughts about this feeding guide for Beagles in the comments below!
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