Can I give Petgood to my neutered dog?

A question we sometimes get is whether neutered dogs, both male and female, can eat our feed. The short answer is yes, but here we go through what might be good to think about regarding feeding of a neutered dog.

• How do the dog's nutritional needs change after castration?

• Adapt the feed after castration of the dog

• Assess the neutered dog's body condition

How does the dog's nutritional needs change after castration?

After a castration, regardless of whether it is a male or a female dog, the metabolism and thus the energy consumption of the dog decreases. How much the energy requirement is reduced is individual, but in most dogs you can count on a reduction of between 10-30%. Despite this, the dog's appetite may be the same.

What you therefore need to think about is reducing the dog's daily calorie intake and keeping a close eye on the dog's body condition. Keeping your dog at an ideal weight is one of the most important things you can do to keep the dog healthy and prevent disease.

Adapt the feed after castration of the dog

Our feed chart is adapted based on whether the dog's activity level is low, medium or high, and it is therefore good to go down to one of the lower categories for a neutered dog. In order for the dog to maintain its ideal weight, it is good to review the amount of treats, food scraps or other “extras” that your dog gets - it is better to reduce these "empty calories" than to reduce the food amount, which is the dog's main source of useful nutrients. Everything extra the dog gets in addition to its feed is often a big culprit in the drama as they are more energy dense than dog owners think, and can provide a lot of calories even though it is "just a small piece of cheese".

If the dog's appetite has increased, you can activate the feeding by, for example, hiding the food in various toys, serving in "labyrinths" or so-called slow-feeders, or spreading the food over the lawn so that the dog can search for the food. Also try to increase the dog's exercise - and do more fun and pulse-raising activities with your dog! In addition to higher energy consumption, it also provides mental and physical stimulation, and strengthens the relationship between you and your dog.

Assess the neutered dog's body condition

Remember to always keep track of the dog's size, body shape and weight after castration, in order to be able to adjust and adapt the feed given to your dog's unique needs. In this article, we guide you on how to assess your dog's body condition using the tool Body Condition Score.

In summary, our adult food also works for neutered male or female dogs. Adjusting the calorie intake, monitoring the dog's weight and adjusting the amount of feed is essential to maintain the ideal weight and promote the dog's health. Careful monitoring of the dog's body condition according to the Body Condition Score and adjustment accordingly is essential to ensure a healthy lifestyle for the dog.