Science Sunday

Dog Owners Suck at Measuring Kibble

,"That looks about right. Oh maybe a little bit more." This is how many owners feed their dogs. Add to that all the little unscheduled treats and found food throughout the day and its no wonder that we have an obesity epidemic among our pet dogs (not to mention in humans too).
But how much is too much? The right amount is as much an art as a science and is dependent on many other factors than just size.
The correct meal size depends on factors like:

• Type of food
• Number of meals
• Body weight
• Metabolic rate
• Amount of exercise

Although the first three are evident, metabolic rate, and amount of exercise are much harder to determine. The best method is to just watch your dog for signs of overweight. The website PetMD  outlines a simple observational test.

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In general, dogs who are at a healthy weight:

• Have an “hourglass” figure when you look down on them from above. The abdomen should be narrower than the chest and hips.
  
• Are “tucked up” when you look at them from the side. This means that their chest is closer to the ground than their belly when standing.
  
• Have ribs that are not readily visible but are easily felt with only light pressure.
  

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That all being said, we come back to the subject of this post, that people are really bad at measuring out kibble.  A recent study at the University of Guelph found that owners were often inaccurate, ranging from a 48 percent underestimation to a 152 percent overestimation, depending on the device they used and the amount they tried to portion out. The amounts measured were less accurate when measuring out small amounts from a larger measuring cup. This could have a devastating effect for smaller breeds where just a few kibbles could make up a large proportion of the overall portions. 
So try to ignore those big sad "I'm still hungry" eyes and use the proper measures when feeding. 

References:	University of Guelph. "Dog owners often inaccurately measure out kibble." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 October 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191007123243.htm>.
	Are You Feeding Your Dog the Right Amount? Jennifer Coates, DVM.  May 5 2020,  PetMD.com
	Fit or Fat: Your Pet's Body Condition Score (BCS), Jennifer Reed, Drake Center for Veterinary Care.