# One meal a day?



## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

So I am finding Joey pretty much likes to eat only one meal a day most days. He will pick a bit during the day sometimes and of course is always up for a treat but he seems to only eat a full meal at night, maybe a small meal late afternoon. Anyone else feed mostly once a day? I would much rather feed twice but he just leaves it, even if I leave it out all day when I’m at work. I can’t totally free feed with Bobby and our cat so we have to do scheduled meals most days. Is this ok? I’ve always done fed dogs 2 meals. He looks great and is not underweight. Thanks!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

The only issue I’ve had with this is bilious vomiting. One large meal can also cause bloating, diarrhea, and other GI woes. If that’s not an issue for Bobby, I’d just let him do his thing. In human terms it’s called “OMAD” (one meal a day) and can be great for energy levels, as long as you’re still able to meet your nutritional needs.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Oh, it’s definitely an issue for Bobby.😉 Bobby eats 3 meals a day. 

Joey seems to have a pretty happy gut. I would rather feed Joey more often but he seems quite content to eat later in the day. No problems so far.
Are minis prone to bloat?


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oops! I see your name and just automatically think “Bobby.”  I don’t believe they’re prone to torsion, but uncomfortable bloating can occur in any dog, just like in humans.

If Joey is thriving on this routine, I would probably still offer a small breakfast, just in case he grows out of his current preference. But that’s it. I wouldn’t offer any midday or late night meals. Unless free-feeding is an option for you (and it sounds like it’s not), I think that structure is important to encourage regular eating. That’s just based on my own experience with light eaters.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Normie ignored his breakfast until we stopped offering it. Now he waits for it.


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## beowoof (Dec 6, 2021)

Kirby tends to be hit or miss with eating breakfast and will eat dinner fairly consistently. sometimes i find doing a few tricks or training for 3-5 minutes with a small handful of kibble gets his appetite going and makes him more interested in eating. i find with weather changes, hormones, the planetary alignment or whatever is ruling his tummy system - for the most part we've avoided hunger pukes because he gets a frozen stuffed kong in his crate when i'm working so i know he's not completely empty when it's dinner time.


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## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

They are all so different. We had a regular member here who fed her dog one meal a day and it worked for her. Mine need 3 small meals/day.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Thanks everyone! Joey is healthy with no gut issues or bile barfing. While his main meal is mid evening because Bobby eats his last meal then, Joey’s tummy isn’t completely empty as he does get healthy treats and some days he does eat small amounts during the day. I will just follow his preference and offer a meal earlier as well but not worry about it if he doesn’t eat it, which is typically the case. 😊


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Merlin is the same. He will eat one kibble for breakfast, one small little treat for lunch and then his « big » dinner. He could eat more, there is always food available in Beckie’s bowl.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Winnie only has one meal a day in the evening. She just doesn't want breakfast or lunch. She would often eat grass in the morning though and would bring up a bit of bile. Now I mix 2 teaspoons of baby rice powder with a little bit of puppy milk and give it to her in the morning. It seems to line her tummy and she has stopped eating the grass and bringing up bile.


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## EJStevenP (Oct 27, 2021)

I free feed. Thomas (toy poodle) actually eats maybe twice a day. Ethel eats mid morning and in the late afternoon. Jeffrey eats a solid three meals a day. On his daycare days his schedule is messed up and he will eat two bowls of food when he gets home over a hour long period.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Asta is not a big eater. He has one normal size meal at dinnertime. To make things easier for me and my difficulties getting in and out of the kitchen in my wheelchair, have set up an automatic feeder. I don't know how Asta will take to it. He sure took to the automatic water. So I guess you could say that I am switching him to free feed.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

terihaa112 said:


> The “One Meal a Day” diet, or OMAD diet, *claims to help you lose weight by forcing your body to burn fat*. It's a type of intermittent fasting, which alternates between periods throughout the day in which you can eat anything and periods in which you don't eat at all


That is for people, right?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Johanna said:


> That is for people, right?


I am treating that post as spam.


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## Dante’s mom (5 mo ago)

Spottytoes said:


> So I am finding Joey pretty much likes to eat only one meal a day most days. He will pick a bit during the day sometimes and of course is always up for a treat but he seems to only eat a full meal at night, maybe a small meal late afternoon. Anyone else feed mostly once a day? I would much rather feed twice but he just leaves it, even if I leave it out all day when I’m at work. I can’t totally free feed with Bobby and our cat so we have to do scheduled meals most days. Is this ok? I’ve always done fed dogs 2 meals. He looks great and is not underweight. Thanks!


My Dante is 11 an month old sooo. He started refusing breakfast a couple of months ago. No interest AT ALL most of the time. He eats a pretty good dinner at night. But I worry about the one meal a day because he’s still so young and growing and I worry about bloat although he is not active in the evening after his meal. His vet does not seem worried about it but he’s pretty thin… Any thoughts on this are appreciated.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I normally feed twice a day, but frequently both my st poodles may skip a meal or just eat some of it. I don't worry about bloat or vomiting as if they do not eat a meal I do not double up on the next, they just lost out on one meal.


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## Wooster Tim (Nov 11, 2021)

I think it may depend on what your feeding, kibble, processed wet food vs raw protein diet.

My experience is limited, we let our dogs graze kibble. A couple of dogs we have watched and one we took in were fed on a schedule, one was canned food and kibble, the other was kibble only. Both dogs fed on scheduled feeding times suffered from issues of overeating, aggressive territorial feeding behavior and gastro issues.

Again, that has been our only experience with two dogs firsthand, so not very scientific.


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## Tulsi (Jun 8, 2021)

My poodle lives with a labrador which seems to encourage him to eat with enthusiasm.

They are fed twice a day with a bedtime snack around 9.00pm.


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## Dante’s mom (5 mo ago)

Tulsi said:


> My poodle lives with a labrador which seems to encourage him to eat with enthusiasm.
> 
> They are fed twice a day with a bedtime snack around 9.00pm.


A friend of mine has a dog that wasn’t very interested in food but when the lab came to live with them that solved it! All my friends with labs, and I have several, don’t know what it’s like to have a picky eater in the house.


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## Dante’s mom (5 mo ago)

Mufar42 said:


> I normally feed twice a day, but frequently both my st poodles may skip a meal or just eat some of it. I don't worry about bloat or vomiting as if they do not eat a meal I do not double up on the next, they just lost out on one meal.


Thank you for your reply. I’ve heard from other standard poodle owners that they are typically not that food motivated. I don’t overfeed Dante at night and I’m still trying to get him to eat a little breakfast. He seems prefer to eat later than earlier so I’m trying that. If he wasn’t so young and growing I don’t think I would care that he only eats once a day but he’s on the thin side and active.


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## Dante’s mom (5 mo ago)

Wooster Tim said:


> I think it may depend on what your feeding, kibble, processed wet food vs raw protein diet.
> 
> My experience is limited, we let our dogs graze kibble. A couple of dogs we have watched and one we took in were fed on a schedule, one was canned food and kibble, the other was kibble only. Both dogs fed on scheduled feeding times suffered from issues of overeating, aggressive territorial feeding behavior and gastro issues.
> 
> Again, that has been our only experience with two dogs firsthand, so not very scientific.


I’ve tried everything! He currently gets a combination of almost everything you’ve named. kibble, wet, raw dehydrated. He eats it at night so I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t like it but he can be fickle and weird about food. I mostly would just like to see him eat 2 meals while he’s growing through the next year until he’s two and fills out. I’m experimenting with feeding him at different times of the morning now, late morning or lunchtime he seems to have a little more interest. Thank you for your reply.


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