How Many Calories Should A Beagle Eat?: Most beagle owners would agree that beagles are some of the best dogs you could have as a pet. Extremely loyal and affectionate, they are an excellent addition to any home. But that begs the question: how many calories should a beagle eat? In this article I will explain just how many calories this breed of dog needs to thrive on a daily basis and what kind of food they need to get the most out of their diet.
Beagle diet & nutritional needs
Initially bred for tracking and hunting game birds, a beagle would spend most of its time running and chasing around in large packs. Hunting would require enormous amounts of stamina and energy, so a beagle would eat whatever came its way. Given a chance, a beagle will eat anything and everything.
Beagles are known for their voracious appetite and will eat just about anything and everything. If allowed a beagle would keep on eating, and even though they are a relatively robust breed, some of the scraps they pick up or the sheer volume of food they eat could result in an upset stomach or affect your dog’s health in other ways.
Modern-day beagles are much more likely to be family pets. Unchecked, their ravenous appetite could lead them to become an overweight hound in no time. Beagles are prone to become overweight.
Keeping a beagle at a healthy weight means strictly monitoring the quantity and quality of food and if your beagle is overweight a strict diet might be needed.
It’s important to watch the calorie intake and feed a beagle nutrient-rich food as part of a balanced beagle diet, with little to no manufactured food, healthy fats only, and generally, quality food to avoid excessive weight gain as the beagle breed is prone to obesity.
It may be tempting to give your beagle puppy scraps and treats, make sure you make allowances in their diet for this extra food, a fat beagle is an unhealthy dog.
Less active or older beagles might require a different amount of food than active dogs.
What is a healthy weight for a beagle?
I did a little research to see how many calories an adult beagle needs throughout the day. According to Beagle Pro, they recommend 45 calories per pound for an adult dog, a little less at 42 calories per pound for a senior dog, give or take 20%. Pet Care RX says “Beagles range in weight from 25 to 30 pounds and need between 674 and 922 calories per day.”
These figures are only good for dog foods that list out the calorific content.
With a little trial and error, you will see how much food to give your beagle to maintain healthy body weight and nutritional needs.
| Beagle height range | The ideal weight range for an adult beagle |
| 13″ and under | 22 – 30 Pounds (9.97 to 13.60 kg) |
| 13″ to 15″ | 25 to 35 pounds (11.33 to 15.87 kg) |
Table shows a guide for weight ranges for adult Beagles depending on size.
Food for your beagle
There are three main different types of food for beagles that could make up an adult beagle diet, these would include;
Adult dog food
Raw food diet – homemade food such as raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables such as sweet potatoes
Dry food, kibble/biscuit, commercial dry food (grain-free if possible)
Store-bought ‘wet’ tinned foods sometimes mixed with dry kibble
If you have a beagle puppy, presuming you got the dog from a reputable breeder, it’s best to stick with the feeding regime they have in place. If the diet suits your dog, then you may decide to stay on this diet, why fix what’s not broken?
Beagle raw food diet
Raw food diet
To some, the best dog food is homemade food such as raw meat and vegetables. However, to some, the thought of feeding their dog raw meat, whole bones, eggshells veggie scraps, etc. may seem weird.
Raw food makes a great beagle diet and is rising in popularity. While it’s a little odd for us, for the dogs, it’s perfectly natural and what they would have eaten before becoming domesticated.
We still find it fascinating when our youngest, Bonnie, comes running as soon as crack an egg; she loves eggshells!
To some, the best dog food is homemade food such as raw meat and vegetables. However, to some, the thought of feeding their dog raw meat, whole bones, eggshells veggie scraps, etc. may seem weird. However, raw food diets are rising in popularity. While it’s a little odd for us, for the dogs, it’s perfectly natural and what they would have eaten before becoming domesticated. We still find it fascinating when our youngest, Bonnie, comes running as soon as crack an egg; she loves eggshells!
A raw diet could typically include raw meat, bones, some fruits, and vegetables, fish oil. These kinds of foods would provide a beagle with all the healthy fat and sufficient calories for a nutritional diet and healthy growth.
Those who are in favor of feeding your beagle a raw food diet report benefits such as;
- Shinier coats
- Healthier skin
- Cleaner teeth
- Higher energy levels
- Smaller and stiffer poops
- Fewer food allergies
You could choose to prepare the food yourself, buying in bulk from a butcher or other source and freezing ready for use. Or, like us, if you want the convenience of pre-packed raw then use one of the many companies that supply frozen prepared meals. Choose a quality brand. A quality brand is more likely to contain high-quality, natural, human-grade ingredients. The food should contain the essential amino acids, vitamins, and macro-nutrients your beagle needs.
When we had our first Beagle, Bracken, over ten years ago, we fed her on a quality dry kibble; if my memory serves me right, it was Eden Pet Foods. After a few years, we heard more and more about raw food and gradually switched all of our beagles over to a raw food diet. As we are in the UK, our favored prepared raw food is from Nutriment.
Beagle Caloric Requirements
Beagles range in weight from 25 to 30 pounds and need between 674 and 922 calories per day. This recommendation must be adjusted according to the activity level of your Beagle, with more active dogs needing more daily calorie intake. Most Beagles are active, energetic dogs with seemingly boundless energy, so the larger daily recommendation is likely to be more well-suited to your dog, especially if your dog is a puppy. Beagles over 7 years old are typically less active and need fewer calories.
Types of Food
Beagles are not known for being picky about food – in fact, they’ll eat almost anything. Dry dog food works well with Beagles, especially since it helps to keep their teeth clean. A commercial dry food can be free-fed during the day because it doesn’t spoil, but if you are concerned about your beagle’s weight, free-feeding is not the road to weight control. Measure your Beagle’s food carefully according to advice on the dog food package for the weight and activity level of your dog, or look at the calories per cup and measure accordingly. Divide your dog’s daily ration into two to three daily meals. A small amount of canned dog food can be mixed with the dry, but the total should add up to no more calories than your Beagle requires.
Ingredients
Beagles require a high-protein diet to support their active lifestyles, especially if the dog is involved in tracking or agility competitions. Foods approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials contain all of the necessary ingredients for a balanced diet. Select a dog food with poultry, fish, or whole meats listed first among the ingredients on the package label. Sources of essential fatty acids, such as sunflower, safflower or fish oil, help keep your dog’s coat shiny and maintain the dog’s energy level. Vegetables, fruits, and carbohydrates such as brown rice add healthy fiber to the food.
Avoid ingredients like meat by-products and cereal grains such as corn or wheat, which can be harder for your beagle to digest than whole meats or meat meals. Higher-quality foods contain easily digestible proteins, vegetables, and fruits that usually result in less waste and smaller stools. Natural preservatives like Vitamin E or Vitamin C are preferable over chemical preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and ethoxyquin.
Creative Feeding
Beagles are hunting dogs and enjoy following an interesting scent. Take advantage of this natural tendency and engage your dog’s mind during the day by hiding dry dog food around your home in places your dog can sniff out. This makes a fun game out of feeding and helps to prevent destructive behaviors when you aren’t around your Beagle.
Beagles love to chew, so providing your dog with a chewable puzzle toy that you can fill with dry food mixed with something like peanut butter, satisfies this need in your dog. This also helps to protect your prized possessions from possible destruction in your absence by your dog. Beagles enjoy spending time with their people and can develop destructive behaviors if they are lonely and bored. Feeding your dog in this manner helps to curb such behaviors.
Obesity
The Beagle is a relatively healthy breed with few health concerns. Unfortunately, an overfed Beagle can easily become obese, and that can lead to a variety of health conditions such as arthritis and heart disease. Feel along your dog’s sides and back. If the ribs and spine are so padded by fat that you can’t easily detect them, your beagle is overweight. Seek the advice of a veterinarian about reducing the dog’s weight; some health conditions can also cause obesity.
Besides increasing your Beagle’s daily exercise, just cutting your dog’s food ration or feeding them a low-calorie dog food containing increased amounts of fiber can help your dog lose weight. Dividing your dog’s food into several meals throughout the day can burn more calories while keeping the dog feeling full. You can also consider adding healthy ingredients such as green beans or canned pumpkin while reducing the dog’s ration. Such ingredients can help your dog feel full without adding many calories, according to the National Beagle Club of America.
Choosing the right food for your beagle
There are various aspects you need to consider before selecting your beagle’s food. The first thing you need to do is decide whether you will be feeding manufactured food or home-cooked food to your beagle.
Home Cooked food
If you have some extra time, then home cooking is an excellent option for your beagle. Cooking your beagle’s meal at home is quite easy as most of the essential nutrients might already be in your kitchen. However, there are some specific vitamins and minerals which a dog requires daily. So it is recommended to feed manufactured food at least once a day.
A healthy and well-balanced meal of your beagle should look like this:
| Food | Portion per meal | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Meat/fish | 40% | White Chicken Meat, liver, mackerel, tuna, kidney beans, etc. |
| Vegetables | 25% | Baby carrots, beets, spinach, sweet peas, spinach, green beans, etc. |
| Carbs | 25% | Oatmeal, plain rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, plain pasta, etc. |
| Fruits | 10% | Raspberries, strawberries, banana, mango, pear, etc. |
| Extras | Cottage cheese, plain yogurt, eggs. |
You can simply mix all the ingredients and serve. If your beagle shows any sign of allergy, then just stop everything and take him to the vet immediately. Many food items that may seem safe for human consumption can be toxic. So be extra careful before selecting the food items.
If you are vegetarian and planning to keep your beagle on a vegetarian diet then refer Can a beagle be vegetarian.
Manufactured food
There are quite a few brands that provide a fantastic quality of dog food, whereas there are few that are just the worst. This makes it essential to do thorough research before selecting a commercial food for your beagle.
A ‘Premium Quality’ label on a package does not make it premium. There are quite a few reputed dog food brands that put fillers to increase their profit margins. Fillers have zero nutritional value, and they just fill up your beagle’s stomach. Foods with fillers fail to provide a complete healthy meal to your beagle, and this makes them crave for more food. If your beagle is eating grass or his own feces, then it might be because you are unknowingly feeding him food with fillers.
Here are a few things to look for while selecting a Manufactured dog food:
Real Meat: Meat provides protein, which is essential for the healthy growth of a beagle. Make sure it has meat listed as one of its key ingredients. On the package, it can be listed as ‘meat’ or ‘meal’ with its type (like ‘Chicken Meal,’ ‘beef meat,’ etc.).
No Fillers: Quite a few popular dog brands use fillers to maximize their profits. Look for a label of ‘No added Fillers’ to ensure that your pooch is not consuming any additives that can affect health.
Balanced Nutrition: There should be a proper balance between all the nutrition.
Healthy Fats: Dogs require a proper amount of healthy fats in their diet. It is a significant source of energy. Healthy fats are also responsible for the adequate development of a beagle’s cells, nerves, muscles, and body tissues.
Types of Manufactured Food
Now that you know what to look for in dog food let’s discuss what kind of dog food you should choose. Yes, there are types.
Wet Food: A considerable portion of wet food contains water, making it an excellent choice for beagles who refuse to drink water. Wet food is gravy and has a bit more flavor than dry food, a good option for puppies. Here is a list of best wet dog food for beagles.
Dry Food: This is the most popular and economical option for dog food. Dry food is easy to store and feed. It also helps maintain your beagle’s dental health. They have no water portion in it, and good quality dry food is densely concentrated with nutrients making it an ideal choice for an active breed like a beagle.
Opinion: Beagles loves to eat, and usually, they don’t have any such preference regarding their food. So the better option would be to feed dry food. Good quality dry food will provide all the necessary nutrients that a beagle needs.