Confused about the best way of feeding your Frenchie energy needs?
Put your mind to rest; you’ve come to the right place.
We understand your desire to give your beloved Frenchie the very best nutrition that will cater to its energy needs.
Frenchies have a huge love for food which makes them prone to obesity.
It’s thus important to feed them appropriately without putting them at the risk of unhealthy weight gain.
This article gives you the nutritional needs of Frenchies, plus tips for feeding them.
Are you ready to learn?
Well, let’s dive right in.
What are the nutritional needs of a Frenchie?
Like other dogs, Frenchies require a completely balanced, easily digestible food containing lean animal proteins, a healthy balance of fats, and a variety of wholesome fruits and vegetables.
An adult Frenchie dog requires a minimum of 18% proteins and 5% fats in their food. However, this requirement is slightly higher for puppies, with a minimum of 22% and 8% for proteins and fats, respectively.
Proteins contain amino acids that are vital for the development of healthy tissues and muscles in Frenchies. Animal-based proteins such as poultry, meat, fish, and eggs are considered the best as they contain all of the ten essential amino acids that dogs require.
Fats form a concentrated source of energy for dogs. This is particularly beneficial for Frenchies as they have high-energy needs. Small breed dogs have fast metabolisms and thus burn more calories per pound of weight than large dogs.
Feeding Your Frenchie Energy Needs 10 Helpful Tips
Frenchies are prone to obesity due to their natural love for food and low activity levels. It is thus important to ensure that you feed them in the right way to minimize this risk. The following tips are helpful while feeding your dog’s energy needs:
Identify and understand your Frenchie’s specific needs.
Before feeding your dog, it’s crucial to identify its specific nutritional needs depending on its age, weight, activity level, and health conditions. The amount of food to feed your dog is based on these factors.
Generally, your dog’s energy needs are determined by its size, weight, activity level, age, and health condition, and this will guide the amount of food you should feed it to meet this need. A vet will be able to advise you on the best way to cater to your dog’s needs.
An underweight Frenchie will need to consume more food than an overweight one. A physically active dog will also need a higher quantity of food than an inactive one.
Feeding the wrong amount of food to dogs, Frenchies included, is detrimental to their health. While too little may lead to malnutrition, excessive amounts will lead to an unhealthy weight gain. It’s thus important to identify your dog’s needs and feed them right.
Avoid Feeding your dog on table scraps
Feeding your Frenchie on human food is not advisable as this may cause them to gain excessive weight. Table scraps may also contain ingredients that can be harmful to your dog. An overweight Frenchie is an unhealthy pet.
Feeding your Frenchie on food scraps in addition to kibble is likely to cause calories to pile up, leading to obesity or being overweight. Excessive weight gain is harmful to dogs, leading to other health problems such as diabetes, pancreatitis, heart diseases, and joint problems.
Therefore, you should ensure that you only give your dog certified foods per AAFCO guidelines and in the amounts recommended on the packaging.
Stick to defined feeding times.
It’s important to train your dog to eat at feeding times only. This can be done in the morning and evening for adult Frenchies or morning, afternoon, and evening for puppies.
Leaving food accessible to your dog throughout the day can encourage unhealthy weight gain as Frenchies naturally love food. These dogs will continue to eat as long as the food is available, making them prone to obesity.
It’s also important to identify a specific feeding area where your dog should always eat from. This will foster good behavior in your Frenchie as they will learn to move to that specific spot when it’s time for meals.
Minimize on treats
Giving too many treats to your Frenchie will pile extra calories on them, making them overweight and consequently obese. You should only give these occasionally and in moderate quantities.
Rather than highly processed treats that pack nothing but calories on your Frenchie, it’s best to go with healthier options like fruit snacks that are rich in fiber and vitamins.
Snacks like carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli are excellent treat choices for your Frenchie. Generally, treats should never exceed 10% of your Frenchie’s total daily calories.
Read our article on Dog-Friendly Snacks That Your Frenchie will Love Anytime
Encourage slow eating
Due to the structural formation, Frenchies are naturally gluttonous and prone to fast eating. These dogs just gulp down food without proper chewing, making them susceptible to flatulence, bloating, and choking risk.
This can make them highly uncomfortable. It’s thus crucial to slow down how quickly your Frenchie eats to help control its weight and curb bloating.
There are various ways you can use to slow down your dog’s eating. You can use special kinds of slow-feeding bowls. These are designed to control the speed at which dogs eat.
You can also make use of two bowls or place a ball on top of your dog’s food. Using a slow feeding bowl ensures that your dog works longer for its food and provides a good way to expend energy.
Portion the food
Instead of giving your Frenchie one big meal, which may cause stomach upset; it’s best to divide its food into 2-3 meals depending on their age. Ideally, you should split Frenchies puppy’s food into 3 meals given in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
This will ensure that their tiny digestive systems are not overwhelmed. Adult Frenchies should be fed twice, in the morning and evening.
Do not feed your Frenchie too late in the evening.
It is important to give your dog time to rest after meals. As such, it’s ideal for feeding 2-3 hours before bedtime. This will give it time to rest and absorb the food. It also leaves room for an evening walk or plays.
In addition, feeding your dog late in the evening will deprive it of good sleep and prompt it to go for potty at midnight.
Feeding your Frenchie late in the evening may make it possibly gain unhealthy weight, give it more energy to burn out at night, and make it tired and lethargic during the day.
For optimal health, feed your Frenchie 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Get a good feeding bowl
When it comes to feeding a Frenchie, any bowel will not just do the trick. Frenchies have a flat-face structure which makes feeding hard. These dogs will find it difficult to eat from the ordinary flat bowls.
As such, they need specially designed feeding bowls that are tilted or slanted on one side to make feeding easier and enjoyable.
Slow feeding bowls are also helpful in slowing down the rate at which your Frenchie eats to avoid bloating. You can also opt for elevated bowls to prevent your dog from straining its neck and joints and avoid bloating.
Check the ingredients label.
Before feeding your dog commercial foods, it’s important to read through the ingredient list to get a glimpse of what’s included in your dog’s food. This will help you ensure that the food does not contain ingredients that can harm your Frenchie.
Ensure that the food is made with high-quality and wholesome ingredients with no by-products, artificial additives, or preservatives that have no nutritional value for your Frenchie.
Good food for dogs should always list proteins in real animal meat as the first ingredient. It’s also crucial to ensure the food meets all AAFCO nutritional standards.
Consult your vet.
It’s important to consult your vet to advise how best to meet your Frenchie’s energy needs and nutrition. A vet can properly evaluate your dog’s health and determine your dog’s ideal nutrition.
A vet will also check out any health issues that your dog may be suffering from and guide on the best nutrition for handling those conditions and meeting your dog’s energy requirements.
A vet is best suited to guide you on the right amount of food to feed your canine based on its size, weight, activity, and special health issues.
Understanding Frenchie Energy Needs
Each dog is unique and thus has specific nutritional requirements. The energy requirement for a dog is depended on its size, weight, and activity level. It is thus important to fully understand your dog’s energy requirement to feed the right amount to meet this need.
Puppies, for example, are highly active and thus have higher energy requirements than adult or senior dogs. Typically puppies have twice the energy needs of old dogs. They need to consume more food to provide the energy they need to fuel their activities.
Highly active dogs that love to play, walk, or participate in various activities have higher energy needs than less active couch potato dogs. They consequently must be fed on larger amounts of food to cater to this need.
While underweight dogs need to be given more food, you should reduce the quantity for overweight dogs to control their weight. It’s best to consult a veterinarian for guidance on how best to cater to the energy needs of these dogs.
Frenchies are not among the most active dog breeds existing. They only require moderate exercise to keep healthy.
As such, they do not have very high energy needs. Weighing between 17-30 pounds, Frenchies have an average calorie need of 550-600. Generally, Frenchies should be fed 25-30 calories per pound of body weight per day.
What should the fat to protein ratio be for dog food?
A dog should get at least 10% of calories from proteins and 5% from fats. This means that good dog food should have fat to protein ratio of 1:2.
The table below summarizes the average Frenchie energy needs per day
| Activity | Daily energy requirements |
| Puppies | 12-30 calories per pound of weight |
| Average adult Frenchie | 550-600 calories |
| Highly active adult Frenchie | 780-825 calories |
| Old french | 470-520 calories |
| Underweight Frenchie | 30-40 calories per pound of weight |
| Overweight Frenchie | 10-20 calories per pound of weight |
What is a good dog feeding schedule?
A good dog feeding schedule shows the best feeding time and frequency for dogs. This should take into consideration the age of a dog.
For adult dogs, a good feeding schedule includes twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening. Puppies’ feeding schedule, on the other hand, should have 3 eating times per day.
What vitamins do dogs need in homemade food?
Dogs need natural and wholesome vitamins such as vitamin A, B vitamins, C, D, E, K, and choline for growth and maintenance. Good sources of these minerals include green leafy veggies and whole grains.
What nutrients should I add to homemade dog food?
Homemade dog food should contain high-quality proteins, fats from meat or oil, and wholesome carbohydrates from grains and vegetables. You should also add it with calcium and fatty acids.
What can I give my dog to boost energy?
You can give healthy and nutritious snacks such as carrots, broccoli, kales, or yogurt to boost your dog’s energy. These will supply the needed energy quickly. However, they should only be given in moderation
Do high-energy dogs need more food?
Yes, high-energy dogs are highly active and thus need more food to fuel their activity than inactive dogs. Due to their high activity levels, high-energy dogs are unlikely to become overweight.
How much energy does a dog need per day?
The daily energy needs of a dog depend on factors such as the dog’s weight, size, and activity level. Generally, to get the energy your dog needs, you can multiply his weight by 70 raised to 0 .75
How much food should I feed my active dog?
Generally, active dogs need more food than the less active ones. Therefore, you should feed them a high-quality diet that’s high in protein two times a day.
How do I know if I’m feeding my dog enough?
The best way to know if you are feeding your dog enough food is by keeping a close eye on its body weight and general body condition. Monitor if your dog seems to be losing or adding weight, and consult your vet.
Is it better to feed your dog once or twice a day?
Feeding a dog twice a day, 12 hours apart, is recommended for average adult dogs rather than once daily. However, the age, breed, and health condition of a dog determines how often it should eat.
Should I leave my dog’s food out all day?
No, leaving your dog’s food out all day is not advisable, as this encourages a dog to get into the habit of eating more than it requires, which can quickly lead to obesity.
How long after eating does a dog poop?
Most healthy dogs will poop 30 minutes after eating. This is because a dog’s stomach is designed so that the colon is triggered naturally when the stomach is full. Older dogs may take longer than that.
Should I feed or walk my dog first in the morning?
After waking, you should walk your dog first, then wait for around 30 minutes before feeding him. Walking a dog on a full stomach is not recommended. Besides, dogs are easier to train while hungry.
Final Thoughts
The right amount of food is necessary to meet your Frenchie’s energy needs and keep it at optimal health. As such, it’s essential to fully understand your dog’s nutritional needs to meet them sufficiently.
Your dog’s size, weight, age, health condition, and activity level play an important role in determining the amount of food you should feed it to cater to its energy needs.
Frenchies are prone to obesity due to their large love for food. They thus need careful and considerate feeding to help them maintain a healthy weight.
Generally, Frenchies require between 25-30 calories per pound of weight daily. Ensure you feed them a completely balanced diet that contains high-quality animal proteins, a healthy amount of fats, and wholesome carbohydrates to meet their energy need.
