How Much Should You Feed a Beagle? Feeding Chart & Health Tips

Beagles are among the most popular dogs in North America. They currently rank eighth out of 201 recognized purebred dogs in the United States. Although they are small, typically growing to about 13 inches tall, they are relatively robust, weighing 20–30 pounds when they reach adulthood.

One of the most important factors when caring for your pup properly is to feed them high-quality food in the right amounts. Beagles eat more when they are puppies and less as adults, typically eating 1–1 ½ cups of food daily, or 8–14 ounces.

Below are the significant factors in feeding your Beagle, from the amount to the kind of food.

Feeding Chart

Important Note: Please note that while these tables list the average nutritional requirement of most dog breeds, Beagles do have a somewhat higher-than-average caloric requirement. Therefore, we would recommend consulting your veterinarian to ensure that your puppy’s meal plan doesn’t compromise their nutritional welfare.

Click here to download printable feeding chart

You can also complement this guide by using our dog food calculator here:

The exact amount of calories an individual animal needs to maintain a healthy weight is variable and influenced by many factors including genetics, age, breed, and activity level. This tool is meant to be used only as a guideline for healthy individuals and does not substitute veterinary advice 

What to Feed My Beagle Puppy

Click here to download printable feeding chart

There are multiple options for what you can feed your Beagle puppy. It depends on the age of your puppy and what they were eating before they arrived. If you adopt a puppy from a breeder, they will typically begin to re-home them at 8 weeks or 2 months old.

When you first adopt an 8-week-old puppy, you need to check to see which brand of food they were eating in their old home. You’ll need to keep your pup on that food for a while.

Then, you can slowly transition your puppy to a new food with each meal, adding a little more of the new and a little less of the old.  Doing so helps them avoid getting indigestion or disagreeing entirely with the new food.

Feed your Beagle a diet that is formulated specifically for puppies. While you can feed dogs a home-cooked diet, it is best to provide your Beagle puppy commercial food for puppies until they are about 1 year old.

Avoiding Underfeeding & Overfeeding

Beagles are dogs that seem to have a voracious appetite. They will keep eating until they can’t move anymore if given the opportunity. That doesn’t mean you should keep feeding them that way. Instead, watch the weight of your Beagle puppy carefully as they grow to ensure that they are in a healthy zone for their age. You can often find weight charts to match their age with the weight they should be.

Another method that you can use is to look down at them from above to determine if they’re overweight. You can tell that they are at a healthy weight if you cannot see their ribs, but you can feel them without a large layer of fat in between.

You can also measure them if you look at them from the side and see that their waistline is right behind their ribs, i.e., their thinnest section. The area around their ribs is the most indicative because they typically put on extra weight there.

When to Switch From Puppy to Adult Food

You should begin switching your puppy to adult food around the 10-month mark. However, it’s best to speak to your veterinarian to confirm that your dog is ready for adult formulas. Their eating and weight gain should start to slow down because they are moving toward adulthood. Watch out for the number of treats that you give them.

Why Won’t My Beagle Puppy Eat?

Beagles have huge appetites and love to eat, so if they show hesitation when eating or stop eating, that is a sign of concern. The only time that they might show hesitation is when they are teething, which happens off and on from about 2 months to 6 months old.

One of the reasons your Beagle might not be eating is that you have just brought them into your home. That transition can be difficult for some dogs, and they need a little time to adjust. If this hesitancy lasts longer than a few days, talk to the breeder about their behavior. If it is abnormal, you may need to see a vet.

Your puppy could suffer from emotional turmoil if they choose not to eat. If it extends for longer than a week, check with your vet..

How Much to Feed an Adult Beagle

An adult Beagle should typically eat 1 cup of food each day. They should eat less food than they did when they were a puppy. At that age, they could be eating up to 2 cups of puppy food.

If they are especially active, they might need a bit more to maintain a healthy weight and muscle maintenance. Theoretically, you shouldn’t need to feed your active pup more; try giving them a higher-quality formula for active dogs with higher protein levels.

Beagle Feeding Guide for Seniors

A Beagle is considered a senior from the time they are 9 years old and older. As they slow down, their metabolisms do too, so their diet needs to accommodate this. Otherwise, they will quickly gain weight faster than they would have when they were younger.

You should split their meals into two, just as you did when they became adults. Reduce the food amount slightly so they are eating about 42 calories per pound of body weight. It is also best to transition to dog food meant for senior dogs. These formulas often cut down on the amount of fat and filler food because they will start to struggle to metabolize this.

• Related Read: Best Dog Foods for Seniors

Why Is My Beagle Always Hungry?

The Beagle is known for their incredibly large appetite. They are medium-sized eating machines and do not regulate themselves well. The most significant factor in their seemingly bottomless stomach is their slow digestive system. It takes humans about 20 minutes before we start to digest our meals and begin to feel full. It takes Beagles up to 3 days. They will be convinced that they aren’t full for days.

However, they will always seem to want to eat more. Whether this is the case with your Beagle puppy, adult, or senior, you shouldn’t allow their appetite to dictate how much you feed them. Instead, watch their weight carefully and use the observation techniques above to determine if they are being under or overfed.

What Foods Are Bad for Beagles?

Beagles shouldn’t eat food with many fillers or extra ingredients. Although they don’t frequently struggle with food allergies as a breed, they struggle with their weight. They shouldn’t eat too many fillers, or they gain weight, even if you are feeding them an appropriate amount of food.

Beagles are not picky eaters, so if one of these foods is placed on a reachable surface or lands on the floor, they will snap them up. Some human foods are toxic to dogs, so make sure to monitor their intake carefully and take them to the vet if they start showing signs of distress.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for most of a Beagle’s life, they should eat about 1 cup of food each day, split into two meals. As puppies, they can eat up to 2 cups because they need plenty of nutrition to grow. They should transition from puppy food to adult food from about 10 months old to 1 year old. A senior dog needs to transition once again to accommodate a slower metabolism.

Only free-feed your Beagle if they are less than 2 months old and the breeder recommends it. Watch their weight, and they will appreciate it over the long run.

Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock