This can make you feel bad, especially if you have to feed your dog late at night out of necessity.
Discover why feeding your dog late at night is not a good idea and the ideal time to do so instead. Regular feeding times will keep your dog content and healthy.
Why does my dog want to eat at night?
Dogs do exactly what we encourage them to do. While you may not intend to, feeding your dog at night actively encourages the behavior. If a dog requests food late at night, do not oblige them; otherwise, they will do so indefinitely.
You must establish and adhere to a routine if you want to prevent your dog from developing a nighttime feeding habit. This entails giving your dog two daily meals at the same time every day. Your dog will be able to tell when it is time to eat and when it is not if you try to stick to the exact times.
Additionally, avoid giving them food when they ask for it or at night because they will expect to receive it every time they ask and will continue to do so whenever they feel like it. Try giving your dog a snack before bedtime, but avoid giving them a meal, if you think they are hungry and you do not want them to be ravenous all night.
Reasons why you should never feed your dog before bed
There are numerous reasons why it is never a good idea to feed your dog before bed because it can be unhealthy for them and prevent them from having a regular routine. See our list of the top five reasons not to feed your dog at night.
The most likely cause of your dog keeping you up late at night or asking to go outside during the night for a bathroom break is that you are feeding them too late.
They lack access to the bathroom because you give them food in the evening and send them to bed. Without a way to go outside, they might urinate or poop inside the house, or they might cry and whine to get your attention so they can be let out.
This is detrimental to both your dog and your sleep schedule. Your dog should be able to sleep through the night and won’t wake up to go outside to relieve himself. As a result, it is preferable to feed them earlier, give them time to digest, and let them go outside before bed.
Your dog may be lethargic during the day
Your dog is going without food for a long period of time if they have to wait all day for a meal. The majority of dogs require food twice a day, typically at breakfast and dinner. If your dog has to wait until after midnight to eat dinner, they are going without food or water for hours.
They may become extremely exhausted, lethargic, and low energy as a result. They might not want to play, walk, or exercise with you or they might seem depressed. Although feeding your dog late at night may fit your schedule, it does not fit the dog’s schedule properly, and they will need to eat at a more appropriate and earlier time.
Excess energy to burn at night
Similar to the previous point, a dog that hasn’t eaten all day will be drowsy and lethargic. Then, when they do finally eat dinner, they will have an influx and a burst of energy that is prepared to go.
They might then want to play with you, run around the house, or go for a walk. Your dog won’t be able to burn off the energy from its meal at that time of night because you will likely be in bed.
If you feed the dog late at night, they might be awake for several hours afterward, unable to sleep or rest, and they might also keep you up, which could affect how you feel the next day or how you go about your daily activities.
It is not a good idea to feed them very late unless you intend to give them a lot of exercise after the meal. Additionally, you should never walk your dogs right after eating until at least two hours have passed because they might be experiencing digestive problems or even a painful twist in the gut.
Since they aren’t actually burning those calories off when they are fed late at night or right before bed, the dog may gain weight or adopt an unhealthy lifestyle.
Easier for your dog to gain weight
As was mentioned earlier, eating late at night can make it much simpler for your dog to gain weight. This is due to the fact that they cannot burn off the calories or use all of the food’s energy, which can instead be stored as fat.
Your dog is accustomed to a daily routine that includes sleeping at night and being awake during the day. When the body follows a regular schedule, it expends energy during the day and unwinds in preparation for sleep. However, if this routine is broken and your dog is eating at night when it should be sleeping, the body clock system as a whole is thrown off.
Additionally, it can be challenging to break your dog’s habit of eating at night. They may wake you up in the middle of the night to ask for food or treats because they believe that is when you should be eating.
Due to your body’s readiness to burn energy after not having entered relaxation mode, late-night meals can also affect your blood pressure overnight. You run the risk of developing heart disease and having a heart attack if your blood pressure is constantly higher at night rather than allowing your body to rest. The same goes for our dogs.
According to studies, eating late at night puts dogs at risk for heart attacks. Additionally, your dog’s overall cardiac health is at risk if they are overweight or have put on a lot of weight as a result of eating late.
What time should I stop feeding my puppy at night?
Generally speaking, empty the food and water bowls two to three hours prior to bedtime. So, if your lights-out time is at 11 p. m. , a puppy shouldn’t consume any food or liquids after 8:00–8:30 p m. This allows you to take him outside for one final bathroom break before turning in for the night.
FAQ
What time should I stop feeding my dog at night?
Avoid feeding your puppy three hours before bedtime, and try to avoid giving them any water in the final hour or so. This should elongate the time he sleeps through the night.
What is the latest time to feed a dog?
The last meal should always be around 5 p. m. so that he has enough time to thoroughly digest his meal and go to the bathroom before going to bed.
Can dogs eat at 11pm?
As this article has discussed, there is no conclusive scientific evidence supporting the recommendation for dogs to eat at night. They are creatures of habit, and they prefer to eat their meals every day at the same time every day. If you own a dog, you have the option of free-feeding or scheduling meals.
Is it better to feed dog early or late?
Is There a Best Time to Feed Your Dog? “While there is no perfect time, it is recommended to feed your dog as soon as you wake up in the morning and again when you get home from work in the afternoon for most dogs that eat twice a day. ,” says Dr. Sara Ochoa, veterinary consultant for doglab. com who practices in Texas.