What is the recommended feeding time for your chow chow? How much should you feed your chow chow? Does chow chow need to be fed twice or thrice a day? What kind of food should you give to your chow chow?
How much should a Chow Chow eat?
Your chow chow’s eating schedule and calorie intake should be determined by height, weight, activity level, health condition, and so on. So, as a general rule of thumb, you should be giving 0.5 to 1 cup of dog food to your puppy chow chow and 2 to 3 cups of dog food to adult ones.
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Taking care of a chow chow is not that easy as this is a very different dog which is why you need to adapt to its food requirements differently.
Therefore, being knowledgeable about how much and the appropriate amount you need to feed your chow chow at different stages will help you to mold your decisions accordingly.
2 to 3 week old Chow Chow:
Chow chow dog is a very unique and different dog that needs a very different type of meal plan for its development.
When your chow chow is only two to three-week-old, it only needs its mother’s milk to enhance its health and promote growth.
In addition, these chow chow puppies will need to be fed every 6 to 8 hours so that they have enough energy and nutrients provided to them.
4 to 5 week old Chow Chow:
At four to five weeks old, your chow chow is still in its puppy stage and it needs to be fed 0.5 to 1 cup of food daily and the frequency of serving of food will be four times a day.
6 to 7 week old Chow Chow:
A 6 to 7-week-old chow chow should be fed with proper protein, fat, carbohydrate, probiotics, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and so on.
Therefore, you need to provide nutrient-filled food that contains all of the above-mentioned elements and you need to add an amount of 1 cup which should be spanned out into four meals.
8 to 9 week old Chow Chow:
You need to provide 1 to 1.5 cups of dog food to your 8 to 9-week-old chow chow and you need to make sure that this amount is filled with lower levels of protein and higher amount of calcium to assist in your chow chow’s bone growth, brain growth, muscle growth, and so on.
10 to 11 week old Chow Chow:
You can give your 10 to 11-week-old chow chow 1.5 cups of dog food to make it energized throughout the day.
In addition, the health condition, exercise intake, weight, and so on will also determine how much should your 10 to 11-week-old chow chow be eating.
3 month old Chow Chow:
A 3-month-old chow chow dog’s diet requirement is very unique and uncommon to other dogs. This is why you need to make sure that you prepare a balanced diet for your chow chow that doesn’t make it bloat or obese.
To surpass these types of problems, you need to make sure that your chow chow does not eat as much meat as other dogs rather the protein intake in its diet should only be somewhere between 25 to 35%.
Accordingly, to satiate your chow chow dog’s hunger and enhance its growth, a chow chow dog that is 3 months old should eat two to three cups of food per day.
4 month old Chow Chow:
4-month-old chow chow or chow chow in general needs a diet that is rich in calcium and has little portions of protein in it.
This is why you can add 22% of crude protein to your chow chow’s diet and you can provide an ample amount of calcium source to your chow chow by introducing salmon, sardines, trout, broccoli, beans, rice, spinach, cheese, yogurt, and so on.
In addition, you should also provide an amount of two or three cups of food to your 4-month-old chow chow which will be sufficient for it to not face any obesity-related issues.
5 month old Chow Chow:
A five-month-old chow chow although still in its puppyhood is nevertheless prone to many types of diseases such as obesity, bloating issues, and gastric dilation volvulus.
This is why you need to provide the recommended amount of dog food that shouldn’t be more than two cups a day and you need to span out these two cups of food throughout the day for your chow chow.
6 month old Chow Chow:
Chow chow dogs are genetically a bit different than other dogs and they have evolved themselves to eat dairy products, vegetables, peas, beans, and so on due to their different genetical markup.
Accordingly, they have an omnivorous type of nature and so you need to provide them with such types of food that have low meat content and a higher amount of protein content.
This is also because meat doesn’t really sit well with this type of dog. Accordingly, it is thus safe to provide your 6-month-old chow chow only two or three cups of mixed dog food.
7 month old Chow Chow:
You can provide food to your 7-month-old chow chow at least two to three times a day. Because this type of dog seems to have a very sensitive digestive system, you need to be very meticulous in portioning out its food.
Therefore, to make sure that your chow chow which is 7 month old get all the proper nutrients and minerals, you need to make sure to add 20% of protein, at least 5% of fat, and lastly, you also need to make sure to add a generous amount of carbohydrate.
8 month old Chow Chow:
An 8-month-old chow chow will definitely need two to three cups of food per day which should be spanned out to three meals per day.
You need to understand that your chow chow does not have the typical feeding requirements and thus it will not thrive mainly on protein as this can have a very detrimental effect on its stomach.
This is why you can provide your 8-month-old chow chow with dietary fibers, grains, lean meats, and so on which will help to prevent bloating, gut-twisting, digestive issues, and so on.
9 month old Chow Chow:
An amount of 2 cups of dog food will be enough for a 9-month-old chow chow but you need to make sure that you add grains as the base ingredient and then you can add turkey, chicken, salmon, and so on.
Accordingly, this diet will help your 9-month-old chow chow to digest foods more efficiently without any bloating issues.
However, if your chow chow is a very active dog, then you can increase the amount to half a cup to go with your dog’s requirements or needs.
10 month old Chow Chow:
By providing a 10-month-old chow chow 2 cups of dog food be it raw food, dry kibble, commercial food, and home food, you can satiate your chow chow’s food requirement.
In addition, you need to make sure that there are enough fats in your dog’s diet which will help them to maintain shinier coats, ensure energy, and provide insulation.
Moreover, carbohydrates can also be a good source of energy for your 10-month-old chow chow and protein can also give your chow chow healthier skin and optimal health.
Chow Chow feeding chart:
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 week | 3-4 | Mother’s milk | 100-200 | Every 6 to 8 hours |
| 3 week | 3-5 | Mother’s milk | 150-200 | Every 6 to 8 hours |
| 4 week | 5-10 | Mother’s milk and 0.5/1 cup | 400 | 4 times |
| 5 week | 6-12 | Mother’s milk and 0.5/1 cup | 400 | 4 times |
| 6 week | 8-12 | 1 cup | 500 | 4 times |
| 7 week | 8-15 | 1 cup | 500-600 | 4 times |
| 8 week or 2 month | 10-20 | 1/1.5 cups | 500-600 | 3 times |
| 9 week | 12-20 | 1/1.5 cups | 550-700 | 3 times |
| 10 week | 12-20 | 1.5 cups | 550-700 | 2/3 times |
| 11 week | 15-20 | 1.5 cups | 700-800 | 2/3 times |
| 12 week or 3 month | 15-25 | 2/3 cups | 700-900 | 2/3 times |
| 4 month | 20-35 | 2/3 cups | 850-950 | 2/3 times |
| 5 month | 25-40 | 2/3 cups | 900-1000 | 2/3 times |
| 6 month | 30-45 | 2/3 cups | 950-1050 | 2/3 times |
| 7 month | 35-50 | 2/3 cups | 1100-1200 | 2/3 times |
| 8 month | 40-55 | 2/3 cups | 1100-1250 | 2/3 times |
| 9 month | 40-60 | 2 cups | 1100-1250 | 2/3 times |
| 10 month | 40-65 | 2 cups | 1100-1300 | 2/3 times |
Are you overfeeding your Chow Chow or not feeding enough?
It is really easy to overfeed your chow chow as even a little amount of carbohydrate can cause them to face obesity.
This is why it is important to schedule your chow chow’s food properly. Consequently, you also need to look for the signs of overfeeding in your chow chow.
When a chow chow is overfed, you will see that your chow chow is gaining weight, and along with it, other signs include lack of energy, painful bowel movement, lethargy, diabetes, flatulence, skin disorders, joint problems, and so on.
Underfeeding can also be an issue in your chow chow because your chow chow needs just the perfect amount of food to go through the day.
This is why you also need to look for the signs of underfeeding in your dog as well which will include loss of energy, hair loss, coat issues, weak immune system, and so on.
How frequently to feed your Chow Chow?
The frequency of feeding time for your chow chow will depend on your chow chow’s age, weight, height, activity level, health condition, climate condition, and so on.
Therefore, a chow chow that is in its infant stage may need to be fed every eight hours or so on average and an adult chow chow needs to be fed two to three times a day.
Recommended feeding time:
Chow chow’s recommended feeding time is different than other dogs and you need to work out what feeding time goes the best with your chow chow.
Nevertheless, as a general rule of thumb, you need to provide a baby chow chow (2 to 4 weeks old or more) meal four times a day with considerable intervals in between.
In the case of an adult chow chow, it should be fed once in the morning and again in the evening time for better health benefits.
Final Thoughts
Chow chow dogs will be benefited highly from a proper feeding schedule. Therefore, you need to only give 2 to 3 cups of food by extending into 2 to 3 meals for your adult chow chow and 0.5 to 1 cup of food into four meals for your puppy chow chow so that overheating or under-eating cannot happen.