Quick Links: Table of Contents
- West Highland White Terrier Food Calculator
- West Highland White Terrier Feeding Chart
- Best Food for West Highland White Terrier. West Highland White Terrier Feeding Guide
- How Much Food to Feed the West Highland White Terrier
- How Many Times to Feed the West Highland White Terrier a Day
- Conclusion
Introduction to Feeding the West Highland White Terrier
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 West Highland White Terrier will make your West Highland White Terrier overweight and obese. Obesity leads to worse health problems for your West Highland White Terrier.
Unfortunately, the West Highland White Terrier is a dog breed that can become overweight very easily.
Therefore, you need to pay careful attention to what you feed your West Highland White Terrier and how much food you feed your West Highland White Terrier.
Furthermore, when you overfeed your West Highland White Terrier, 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 West Highland White Terrier.
The average lifespan of the West Highland White Terrier is 13.0 years.
When you feed your West Highland White Terrier the right type of food and the right amount of food, your West Highland White Terrier will be of the right body weight and the right body condition (not overweight or underweight).
Similarly, underfeeding your West Highland White Terrier is as bad of a problem as overfeeding your West Highland White Terrier.
When you underfeed your West Highland White Terrier or feed your West Highland White Terrier an incomplete or unbalanced diet, you reduce your West Highland White Terrier`s quality of life.
The right amount of food that your West Highland White Terrier needs depends on six important factors.
You need to take all these factors into account when developing a meal plan for your West Highland White Terrier. These six factors are:- The life stage of your West Highland White Terrier (puppy, adult, or senior)
- The current weight of your West Highland White Terrier
- The body condition of your West Highland White Terrier (normal weight, overweight, underweight)
- How active your West Highland White Terrier is (inactive/obese prone, or active/athletic)
- If your West Highland White Terrier has been spayed/neutered
- The type of dog food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier
This article will provide you with a detailed guide on how to properly feed your West Highland White Terrier based on the above factors as recommended by veterinarians.
This article also includes the West Highland White Terrier food calculator that you can use to estimate how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier based on the six factors we have just mentioned.
Our West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier needs daily.
Importantly, since the nutrient requirements of the West Highland White Terrier puppy are different from the nutrient requirements of the adult West Highland White Terrier, this article contains recommendations on the best food to feed the West Highland White Terrier at different ages.
West Highland White Terrier Food Calculator
The West Highland White Terrier Food Calculator above lets you estimate how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
Similarly, to calculate how much water your West Highland White Terrier needs, check out our West Highland White Terrier water calculator
.Our dog water calculator lets you estimate how much water your West Highland White Terrier needs to drink in a day.
How to Use our West Highland White Terrier Food Calculator
To use the dog food calculator:✔ Select the name of the dog food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier from the list.
✔ If the name of the dog food that your feed your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier.
✔ Select your West Highland White Terrier`s age range, activity level, and neuter status.
✔ If your West Highland White Terrier is overweight or underweight, and you want your West Highland White Terrier to lose or gain weight, enter the ideal weight of your West Highland White Terrier for its current age in the `How much you wish your dog currently weighs` box. Leave this box blank if your West Highland White Terrier is of normal weight.
To know how much West Highland White Terriers typically weigh at different ages, check out our article and calculators on West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier Food Calculator Works
First, the calculator estimates what is known as the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) of your West Highland White Terrier.
The RER is the amount of energy that your West Highland White Terrier needs when it is `resting`, that is when doing nothing. The calculator uses the current weight of your West Highland White Terrier to calculate your West Highland White Terrier`s resting energy.
Next, the calculator scales up the resting energy by a factor that corresponds to your West Highland White Terrier`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 West Highland White Terrier needs to maintain its life when not resting.
Finally, the West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier needs.
Monitoring Your West Highland White Terrier`s Growth
The answer from the West Highland White Terrier food calculator is a starting point number on how much food you need to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
Start by feeding your West Highland White Terrier the amount of food recommended by the West Highland White Terrier food calculator every day.
While feeding your West Highland White Terrier this daily amount of food, weigh your West Highland White Terrier at least once a week to ensure that your West Highland White Terrier is not on its way to becoming overweight or underweight.
If your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier`s weight. This tool will let you know if the feeding plan is making your West Highland White Terrier grow normally or abnormally.
You can also check your West Highland White Terrier body condition score to find out if it is overweight or underweight. Learn how to check your West Highland White Terrier body condition score here.
West Highland White Terrier Feeding Chart
Below is the typical feed chart for the West Highland White Terrier. This chart provides you a rough guide on how much dry dog food (kibble) to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
If you want a more accurate estimate of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier, use this West Highland White Terrier food calculator.
| Age | Typical Weight | How Much Food |
|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks | 7.7 lbs (3.5 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
| 15 weeks | 9.7 lbs (4.4 kg) | 1.6 cups per day |
| 18 weeks | 11.5 lbs (5.2 kg) | 1.2 cups per day |
| 20 weeks | 12.4 lbs (5.6 kg) | 1.3 cups per day |
| 5 months | 12.4 lbs (5.6 kg) | 1.3 cups per day |
| 6 months | 14.1 lbs (6.4 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
| 7 months | 15.3 lbs (6.9 kg) | 1.5 cups per day |
| 8 months | 16.2 lbs (7.3 kg) | 1.6 cups per day |
| 9 months | 16.8 lbs (7.6 kg) | 1.7 cups per day |
| 10 months | 17.3 lbs (7.8 kg) | 1.7 cups per day |
| 11 months | 17.5 lbs (8.0 kg) | 1.7 cups per day |
| 12 months | 17.7 lbs (8.0 kg) | 1.7 cups per day |
| 2 years | 17.8 lbs (8.1 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
| 3 years | 17.8 lbs (8.1 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
| 5 years | 17.8 lbs (8.1 kg) | 1.4 cups per day |
How to Measure the Right Amount of Dog Food for Your West Highland White Terrier
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 West Highland White Terrier. West Highland White Terrier Feeding Guide
The West Highland White Terrier has different nutrient needs at different life stages. Therefore, the dog food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier at different ages should be the type that is appropriate for its age.
For example, during its puppy stage, your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier should have already developed a good immune system. So, during the adult stage, you should feed your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier dog food that has been optimized for its age will ensure that your West Highland White Terrier grows well, lives well, and lives long.
Feeding Guide for the West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier puppy should be the type that will not make your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier puppy below.
These dog foods have all the right amount of nutrients that the West Highland White Terrier puppy needs to grow well during its puppy years.
Best Dry Food For West Highland White Terrier Puppy: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Puppy, Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe
Best Wet Food For West Highland White Terrier Puppy: Purina Pro Plan High Protein Wet Puppy Food
Feeding Guide for the Young Adult West Highland White Terrier: Ages 1 year to 6 years
The dog food that you feed a young adult West Highland White Terrier should have the nutrients that will make a dog live longer.
A good dog food for the young adult West Highland White Terrier should also have the nutrients that will minimize the chances of your West Highland White Terrier getting infected with common dog diseases.
Also, a good dry dog food for the young adult West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier
Best Dry Food For Young Adult West Highland White Terrier: 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 West Highland White Terrier: Hill`s Science Diet Wet Dog Food, Chicken & Barley
Feeding Guide for Mature Adult West Highland White Terriers: 6 years and older
You should feed the mature adult West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier below:
Best Dry Food For Mature Adult West Highland White Terrier: Hill`s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult 7+ for Senior Dogs, Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe
Best Wet Food For Mature Adult West Highland White Terrier: 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 West Highland White Terrier`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 West Highland White Terrier
No matter which commercial food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier, 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 West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed the West Highland White Terrier
How Much Food to Feed a 15-Week-Old West Highland White Terrier Puppy
You should feed your 15-week-old West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 15-week-old West Highland White Terrier puppy assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 15-week-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 9.7 lbs (4.4 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier, and other factors, use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator.
How Much Food to Feed a 16-Week-Old West Highland White Terrier Puppy
You should feed your 16-week-old West Highland White Terrier puppy 1.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
You may divide this food into two or three separate meals and give it to your West Highland White Terrier puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food should feed your 16-week-old West Highland White Terrier puppy assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 16-week-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 10.3 lbs (4.7 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier puppy based on its exact weight, the exact type of dog food that you feed your West Highland White Terrier, and other factors, use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator.
How Much Food to Feed a 9-Month-Old West Highland White Terrier Puppy
You should feed your 9-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy 1.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 9-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 9-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 16.8 lbs (7.6 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed a 11-Month-Old West Highland White Terrier Puppy
You should feed your 11-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy 1.7 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier puppy over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you should feed your 11-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 11-month-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 17.5 lbs (8.0 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier dog food that has an average calorie density (389 kcal per cup).
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator to calculate a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed a 5-Year-Old West Highland White Terrier
You should feed your 5-year-old West Highland White Terrier 1.4 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 5-year-old West Highland White Terrier assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 5-year-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 17.8 lbs (8.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed a 7-Year-Old West Highland White Terrier
You should feed your 7-year-old West Highland White Terrier 1.4 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate portions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food you need to feed your 7-year-old West Highland White Terrier assumes that the weight of your West Highland White Terrier is typical for its age.
The typical weight for a 7-year-old West Highland White Terrier puppy is 17.8 lbs (8.1 kg).
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier dog food of that contains 389 kilocalories of energy per cup.
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed a 9-Pound West Highland White Terrier
You should feed your 9-Pound West Highland White Terrier 0.9 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your West Highland White Terrier is reproductively intact.
Also, we assume that your West Highland White Terrier is not overweight or underweight.
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Much Food to Feed a 11-Pound West Highland White Terrier
You should feed your 11-Pound West Highland White Terrier 1.1 cups of dry dog food (kibble) every day.
Ration this food into two or three separate potions and give it to your West Highland White Terrier over the day.
Our recommendation on how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier also assumes that you feed your West Highland White Terrier a dog food that has an energy content of 389 kilocalories per cup, and that your West Highland White Terrier is reproductively intact.
Also, we assume that your West Highland White Terrier is not overweight or underweight.
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator for a more accurate estimation of how much food to feed your West Highland White Terrier.
How Many Times to Feed the West Highland White Terrier a Day
When it comes to how many times to feed a dog, there are three different ways to feed the West Highland White Terrier
One way is to make food available to the West Highland White Terrier at all times (free-choice feeding).
Another way is to feed the West Highland White Terrier two or three times a day (food-restricted feeding). This is the feeding method that works the best for most West Highland White Terriers.
The third way is to make food available to your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier all the time.
Food-Restricted Meal Feeding
Food-limited feeding requires feeding a measured amount of food based on the West Highland White Terrier’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 West Highland White Terrier eats
Neutered/spayed dogs tend to get fat twice as easily as intact dogs.
Studies have shown that neutering/spaying may increase your West Highland White Terrier`s appetite for more food. Also, your West Highland White Terrier`s physical activity decreases after neutering/spaying. These factors lead to weight gain.
Neutering may lead to more weight gain in male West Highland White Terriers because neutered dogs roam less (which means less exercise).
Therefore, the amount of food that you give to a neutered West Highland White Terrier should be reduced after you neuter your West Highland White Terrier to prevent weight gain.
Use our West Highland White Terrier food calculator to calculate how much food to feed a neutered/spayed West Highland White Terrier.
Effect of Weather on How Much Food Your West Highland White Terrier Needs
West Highland White Terriers that live in cold environments need more food (especially, food high in fat) than West Highland White Terriers that live in hot environments.
Hot weather, on the other hand, does not increase the amount of food your West Highland White Terrier needs. Hot weather only makes your West Highland White Terrier need more water.
Since most West Highland White Terriers 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 West Highland White Terriers 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 West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier.
Moreover, know that when you feed your West Highland White Terrier table food, you fill your West Highland White Terrier`s stomach with dog `junk food`. This will suppress your West Highland White Terrier`s appetite and thereby make your West Highland White Terrier unable to eat its normal dog food that contains the essential nutrients for your West Highland White Terrier`s growth.
We do not recommend giving your West Highland White Terrier 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 West Highland White Terrier.