Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Pug Food Calculator
- Pug Feeding Chart
- Best Food for Pug. Pug Feeding Guide
- How Much Food to Feed the Pug
- How Many Times to Feed the Pug a Day
- Conclusion
Introduction to Feeding the Pug
Most dog owners do not know how to properly feed their dogs.
Also, most dog owners overfeed their dogs.
That explains why 59 percent of dogs and cats are overweight, according to research.
Overfeeding your Pug will make your Pug overweight and obese. Obesity leads to worse health problems for your Pug.
Unfortunately, the Pug is a dog breed that can become overweight very easily.
Therefore, you need to pay careful attention to what you feed your Pug and how much food you feed your Pug.
Furthermore, when you overfeed your Pug, you waste dog food. Wasting dog food is the same as wasting money. Dog food is a recurring expenditure that adds up to a lot of money over the lifespan of your Pug.
The average lifespan of the Pug is 11.0 years.
When you feed your Pug the right type of food and the right amount of food, your Pug will be of the right body weight and the right body condition (not overweight or underweight).
Similarly, underfeeding your Pug is as bad of a problem as overfeeding your Pug.
When you underfeed your Pug or feed your Pug an incomplete or unbalanced diet, you reduce your Pug`s quality of life.
The right amount of food that your Pug needs depends on six important factors.
You need to take all these factors into account when developing a meal plan for your Pug. These six factors are:- The life stage of your Pug (puppy, adult, or senior)
- The current weight of your Pug
- The body condition of your Pug (normal weight, overweight, underweight)
- How active your Pug is (inactive/obese prone, or active/athletic)
- If your Pug has been spayed/neutered
- The type of dog food that you feed your Pug
This article will provide you with a detailed guide on how to properly feed your Pug based on the above factors as recommended by veterinarians.
This article also includes the Pug food calculator that you can use to estimate how much food to feed your Pug based on the six factors we have just mentioned.
Our Pug food calculator uses the dog food formula and feeding guidelines developed by the veterinarians from The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center and by veterinarians from the Mark Morris Institute.
Moreover, our calculator knows the calorie content per cup in over 800 popular dog foods (data from the Frankin Animal Clinic). Thus, the calculator can automatically calculate the right amount of each popular dog food that your Pug needs daily.
Importantly, since the nutrient requirements of the Pug puppy are different from the nutrient requirements of the adult Pug, this article contains recommendations on the best food to feed the Pug at different ages.
Pug Food Calculator
The Pug Food Calculator above lets you estimate how much food to feed your Pug.
Similarly, to calculate how much water your Pug needs, check out our Pug water calculator
.Our dog water calculator lets you estimate how much water your Pug needs to drink in a day.
How to Use our Pug Food Calculator
To use the dog food calculator:✔ Select the name of the dog food that you feed your Pug from the list.
✔ If the name of the dog food that your feed your Pug is not on the list, then find the bag or can of your dog food, the bag should have written on it how many kcals per cup is in the dog food. Enter this value in the calculator in the place of the dog food name.
✔ Enter the current weight of your Pug.
✔ Select your Pug`s age range, activity level, and neuter status.
✔ If your Pug is overweight or underweight, and you want your Pug to lose or gain weight, enter the ideal weight of your Pug for its current age in the `How much you wish your dog currently weighs` box. Leave this box blank if your Pug is of normal weight.
To know how much Pugs typically weigh at different ages, check out our article and calculators on Pug weight and growth.
CONSULT A LICENSED VETERINARIAN FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR DOG ON A WEIGHT LOSS OR WEIGHT GAIN DIET.
How the Pug Food Calculator Works
First, the calculator estimates what is known as the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) of your Pug.
The RER is the amount of energy that your Pug needs when it is `resting`, that is when doing nothing. The calculator uses the current weight of your Pug to calculate your Pug`s resting energy.
Next, the calculator scales up the resting energy by a factor that corresponds to your Pug`s life stage (puppy or adult) and lifestyle (activity level, spayed/neutered, etc). This scaled up energy value (called the maintenance energy) is the energy that your Pug needs to maintain its life when not resting.
Finally, the Pug food calculator divides the maintenance energy by the amount of energy in one cup of dog food to calculate how many cups of dog food your Pug needs.
Monitoring Your Pug`s Growth
The answer from the Pug food calculator is a starting point number on how much food you need to feed your Pug.
Start by feeding your Pug the amount of food recommended by the Pug food calculator every day.
While feeding your Pug this daily amount of food, weigh your Pug at least once a week to ensure that your Pug is not on its way to becoming overweight or underweight.
If your Pug is becoming overweight, reduce the amount of food your feed it by 10 to 15 percent, if underweight increase its food by 10 to 15 percent.
You can use our dog weight tracking tool to keep records of your Pug`s weight. This tool will let you know if the feeding plan is making your Pug grow normally or abnormally.
You can also check your Pug body condition score to find out if it is overweight or underweight. Learn how to check your Pug body condition score here.
Pug Feeding Chart
Below is the typical feed chart for the Pug. This chart provides you a rough guide on how much dry dog food (kibble) to feed your Pug.
If you want a more accurate estimate of how much food to feed your Pug, use this Pug food calculator.
| Age | Typical Weight | How Much Food |
|---|---|---|
| 13 weeks | 7.4 lbs (3.3 kg) | 1.3 cups per day |
| 17 weeks | 9.6 lbs (4.3 kg) | 1.1 cups per day |
| 18 weeks | 10.1 lbs (4.6 kg) | 1.1 cups per day |
| 19 weeks | 10.5 lbs (4.8 kg) | 1.2 cups per day |
| 5 months | 10.9 lbs (5.0 kg) | 1.2 cups per day |
| 6 months | 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg) | 1.3 cups per day |
| 7 months | 13.4 lbs (6.1 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
| 8 months | 14.2 lbs (6.4 kg) | 1.5 cups per day |
| 9 months | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) | 1.5 cups per day |
| 10 months | 15.1 lbs (6.9 kg) | 1.5 cups per day |
| 11 months | 15.4 lbs (7.0 kg) | 1.5 cups per day |
| 12 months | 15.5 lbs (7.0 kg) | 1.6 cups per day |
| 1 years | 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg) | 1.6 cups per day |
| 2 years | 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg) | 1.2 cups per day |
| 5 years | 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg) | 1.2 cups per day |
How to Measure the Right Amount of Dog Food for Your Pug
Research has shown that most owners over-measure a cup of dog food. As a result, most dogs owners overfeed their dogs. This is because dog owners do not level off the cup when measuring out the food they give to their dogs.
See how and how not to measure ONE cup of dry dog food in the picture below:
Note that one cup of dog food equals 8 oz of dog food or ~237 milliliters of dog food.
You can buy standard dog food measuring cups here on Amazon.
Best Food for Pug. Pug Feeding Guide
The Pug has different nutrient needs at different life stages. Therefore, the dog food that you feed your Pug at different ages should be the type that is appropriate for its age.
For example, during its puppy stage, your Pug needs the type of dog food that has been designed to help boost a puppy`s weak immune system.
On the other hand, the adult Pug should have already developed a good immune system. So, during the adult stage, you should feed your Pug the type of dog food that has been designed to prolong the life of a dog.
Nevertheless, some dogs still do well eating the same food at every stage of their lives.
However, feeding your Pug dog food that has been optimized for its age will ensure that your Pug grows well, lives well, and lives long.
Feeding Guide for the Pug Puppy: 12 weeks to one year
The dog food that you feed your puppy should have the nutrients that will boost a puppy`s immune system since puppies easily get infected with the disease at this age.
Also, a good puppy food should have the nutrients that support brain development and good vision.
Finally, a good dog food for the Pug puppy should be the type that will not make your Pug fat. The puppy food should also help increase the health of your puppy`s bones.
See our list of the best dry dog food and the best wet dog food for the Pug puppy below.
These dog foods have all the right amount of nutrients that the Pug puppy needs to grow well during its puppy years.
Best Dry Food For Pug Puppy: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Puppy, Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe
Best Wet Food For Pug Puppy: Purina Pro Plan High Protein Wet Puppy Food
Feeding Guide for the Young Adult Pug: Ages 1 year to 6 years
The dog food that you feed a young adult Pug should have the nutrients that will make a dog live longer.
A good dog food for the young adult Pug should also have the nutrients that will minimize the chances of your Pug getting infected with common dog diseases.
Also, a good dry dog food for the young adult Pug should help clean your dog`s teeth as your dog chews on the food.
Below is our best dog food recommendations for the young adult Pug
Best Dry Food For Young Adult Pug: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult Oral Care for Dental Health Dog Food, Chicken Rice & Barley Recipe
Best Wet Food For Young Adult Pug: Hill`s Science Diet Wet Dog Food, Chicken & Barley
Feeding Guide for Mature Adult Pugs: 6 years and older
You should feed the mature adult Pug food that has been formulated to improve their quality of life, increase their life expectancy, and increase their overall health.
Older dogs are prone to age-related health problems. A good diet is essential to minimize the possibility of becoming frail with age.
See our recommendation on the best food for the mature adult Pug below:
Best Dry Food For Mature Adult Pug: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult 7+ for Senior Dogs, Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe
Best Wet Food For Mature Adult Pug: Hill`s Science Diet Wet Dog Food, Adult 7+ for Senior Dogs, Beef & Barley Recipe
Feeding Guide for Senior Dogs
One way to slow down the effects of aging in dogs is to reduce the amount of food you feed old dogs by 20 to 30% of normal while meeting essential nutrient needs.
Reducing a senior Pug`s food slows the aging process and reduces the risk for cancer, kidney diseases, arthritis, and immune-related diseases.
AAFCO-Certified Dog Food for the Pug
No matter which commercial food that you feed your Pug, make sure that the food is approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
AAFCO is an expert body that rigorously tests dog food to make sure that the dog food is safe.
Also, AAFCO ensures that a dog food has all the nutrients (not just calories) that a dog needs to grow well before AAFCO approves the dog food.
Unlike homemade dog food, most commercial dog foods are AAFCO-approved. Double-check the label of your dog food to make sure it has been certified by AAFCO before feeding it to your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed the Pug
How Much Food to Feed a 16-Week-Old Pug Puppy
You should feed your 16-week-old Pug puppy 1.6 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
You may divide this food into two or three separate meals and give it to your Pug puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 16-week-old Pug puppy assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 16-week-old Pug puppy is 9.1 lbs (4.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug a dog food with a calorie content of 389 kcal per cup.
If you want a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your Pug, and other factors, use our Pug food calculator.
How Much Food to Feed a 18-Week-Old Pug Puppy
You should feed your 18-week-old Pug puppy 1.1 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
You may divide this food into two or three separate meals and give it to your Pug puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 18-week-old Pug puppy assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 18-week-old Pug puppy is 10.1 lbs (4.6 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug a dog food with a calorie content of 389 kcal per cup.
If you want a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your Pug, and other factors, use our Pug food calculator.
How Much Food to Feed a 6-Month-Old Pug Puppy
You should feed your 6-month-old Pug puppy 1.3 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Pug puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 6-month-old Pug puppy assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 6-month-old Pug puppy is 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).
Use our Pug food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed a 7-Month-Old Pug Puppy
You should feed your 7-month-old Pug puppy 1.4 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Pug puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 7-month-old Pug puppy assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 7-month-old Pug puppy is 13.4 lbs (6.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).
Use our Pug food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed a 9-Year-Old Pug
You should feed your 9-year-old Pug 1.2 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Pug over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 9-year-old Pug assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 9-year-old Pug puppy is 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.
Use our Pug food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed a 12-Year-Old Pug
You should feed your 12-year-old Pug 1.2 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your Pug over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 12-year-old Pug assumes that the weight of your Pug is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 12-year-old Pug puppy is 15.6 lbs (7.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.
Use our Pug food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed a 7-Pound Pug
You should feed your 7-Pound Pug 0.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your Pug over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your Pug is reproductively intact.
Also, we assume that your Pug is not overweight or underweight.
Use our Pug food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Much Food to Feed a 9-Pound Pug
You should feed your 9-Pound Pug 0.9 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your Pug over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your Pug also assumes that you feed your Pug a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your Pug is reproductively intact.
Also, we assume that your Pug is not overweight or underweight.
Use our Pug food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your Pug.
How Many Times to Feed the Pug a Day
When it comes to how many times to feed a dog, there are three different ways to feed the Pug
One way is to make food available to the Pug at all times (free-choice feeding).
Another way is to feed the Pug two or three times a day (food-restricted feeding). This is the feeding method that works the best for most Pugs.
The third way is to make food available to your Pug for a short time (about 10 minutes) once or twice a day (time-restricted feeding).
Each of these feeding methods has its advantages and disadvantages, which will be discussed next.
Free-Choice Feeding
This is a feeding method when you make food available to your Pug all the time.
Food-Restricted Meal Feeding
Food-limited feeding requires feeding a measured amount of food based on the Pug’s daily energy requirements divided into two or three meals per day.
This is the method of choice for feeding puppies that are at risk of developing bone diseases due to rapid growth. Restricting the food of a rapidly growing dog will ensure that the dog grows normally.
Time-Limited Feeding
This is a dog feeding method in which dogs are allowed access to food for a short period, usually 10 to 15 minutes, once or twice daily (three times per day for the first month after weaning, then twice per day).
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Free-choice feeding |
|
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| Food-restricted feeding |
|
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| Time-restricted feeding |
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Effect of Neutering/Spaying on How Much Food your Pug eats
Neutered/spayed dogs tend to get fat twice as easily as intact dogs.
Studies have shown that neutering/spaying may increase your Pug`s appetite for more food. Also, your Pug`s physical activity decreases after neutering/spaying. These factors lead to weight gain.
Neutering may lead to more weight gain in male Pugs because neutered dogs roam less (which means less exercise).
Therefore, the amount of food that you give to a neutered Pug should be reduced after you neuter your Pug to prevent weight gain.
Use our Pug food calculator to calculate how much food to feed a neutered/spayed Pug.
Effect of Weather on How Much Food Your Pug Needs
Pugs that live in cold environments need more food (especially, food high in fat) than Pugs that live in hot environments.
Hot weather, on the other hand, does not increase the amount of food your Pug needs. Hot weather only makes your Pug need more water.
Since most Pugs live in a temperature-controlled environment as their owners. Therefore, owners do not need to increase or decrease the amount of food they give to their Pugs based on the outside weather.
Important Note on Treats and Table Food
Because meeting a dog`s nutrient requirements is not the primary goal of dog treats, most commercial dog treats do not contain the essential nutrients that your Pug needs.
However, a few treats are complete and balanced and are approved by AAFCO, or some other credible dog food regulatory agency. Check the label on your dog treat to know if the dog treat has a complete and balanced nutrient profile.
Nevertheless, dog treats, either balanced or unbalanced in nutrients, are valid sources of calories for your dog. Therefore, if you give your dog lots of treats, you should reduce the amount of the regular dog food that you give your dog accordingly to account for the treats. That way, you will not overfeed your dog.
Also, human table foods do not contain the important nutrients that your Pug needs for healthy growth.
Also, human table foods may contain very high levels of fat or sodium and other minerals that are harmful to your Pug.
Moreover, know that when you feed your Pug table food, you fill your Pug`s stomach with dog `junk food`. This will suppress your Pug`s appetite and thereby make your Pug unable to eat its normal dog food that contains the essential nutrients for your Pug`s growth.
We do not recommend giving your Pug table food.
Conclusion
Most commercial dog food labels contain recommendations on how much of the food to feed a dog. However, their recommendations are very general.
Therefore, in this article, we have provided your specific advice on how to properly feed your Pug.