How to measure your dog's food portions: The bowl creeps up one heaped scoop at a time.

The bowl creeps up one heaped scoop at a time. The treats creep right behind it. How to measure your dog's food portions so the creep stops: six steps, one tool (a kitchen scale is best), every treat counted in. Then the Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo Bowl, with maze ridges that slow down gulpers, makes the measured meal last.

Carrying extra? Check with your hands first

• You can't easily feel the ribs under a thin layer.
• No waist when you look down from above.
• The belly sags when you look from the side.

Any of these? Book a vet visit before you cut anything. Your vet confirms the weight, rules out a medical cause and sets the daily amount.

Weigh or level-measure every meal, and count treats in

1. Get the daily amount of food from your vet, and how many treats fit inside it. Write both down.
2. Pick one measuring method and stick with it: weigh the food in grams on a kitchen scale like the Etekcity 11 lb (see Etekcity at Amazon), or fill a level measuring cup and sweep the top flat. Everyone in the house uses the same tool.
3. Measure the full day's food into a container each morning and split it into meals from there. Treats come out of the same container.
4. Break treats into smaller pieces and count every one, including the ones family members give.
5. Pick training treats made for the job, like Fruitables Healthy Weight Pumpkin & Blueberry Dog Treats (see Fruitables at Amazon), and take them out of the day's food.
6. Weigh your dog weekly, on the same bathroom or vet scale at the same time of day, and write it down for your vet.

Your vet sets the amount and the target weight. These six steps make sure the bowl matches it.

What you need

Get the number from your vet

Ask for the daily amount of food and how many treats fit inside it. Write both down. Weight changes and a dog that's always begging are vet topics, not guesses.

Pick one measuring method and stick with it

• Scale: weigh the food in grams. It's the most exact. Set the bowl on, press tare, and pour. The Etekcity reads in 1 gram steps.
• Measuring cup: fill it level and sweep the top flat with a knife. No heaping.
• Use the same tool every time and everyone in the house uses it too.

Measure the day's food portions each morning

Measure the full day's food into your container and split it into meals from there. Whatever is left in the container is what's left to give. Treats come out of the same container, so a handful at the door means a smaller bowl at dinner.

Add a pumpkin topper (vet's OK first)

Want a bowl topper with a short ingredient list? With your vet's OK, Native Pet Organic Pumpkin is our pick: organic pumpkin, organic pumpkin seed and organic apple on the label. Sprinkle it on the measured food. The catch: the powder is messy, so add a splash of water and mix it over the bowl.

Treat smart

Weigh in weekly

Same scale, same time of day, and write it down. Share the log at your next vet visit. If the numbers don't move, recheck the measuring before you change anything else.

Hungry dog? Make the measured bowl last

• Split the day's food into 2 or 3 meals.
• Slow a gulper down with a puzzle feeder or a slow bowl.

• Ask your vet about plain green beans or carrots for bulk.
• Some begging is habit, not hunger. Answer it with a game instead of the treat bag.

Comparing bowls that slow the gulp? See our best slow feeder bowls.

Add the walks slowly

Scale stuck? Look for hidden calories

• Treats from other family members.
• Table scraps and dropped food.
• Another pet's bowl. Feed in separate rooms if you have to.

Measuring checks out and the number still won't move? Your vet sets the next step.

Mistakes that keep the bowl creeping

FAQ

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