How Much Beef & Rice Should I Feed My Dog?

Beef and rice are used two different ways in dog food. They are main ingredients in canned dog food, or homemade dog food. Feed beef and rice to your dog in appropriate amounts, in order to insure good health. Mike Richards, DVM, at Vet Information Online, states that an all beef diet is not a good one, as it can cause upset stomachs and does not give a full spectrum of nutrients. He suggests mixing beef with rice in order to create a more balanced diet.

  1. Canned Beef and Rice

    • Feed your dog canned foods that have beef and rice as the number one ingredient. Each type of canned food will have listings for the amount of food to be fed to your dog. Follow the can or label when it comes to amounts. Most brands will follow the same suggested feeding pattern. Pro Plan, made by Purina, and Science Diet, both have beef and rice formulas that follow the same feeding schedule. If your dog is eating only canned beef and rice food, and no dry food or other types of food, check the feeding chart on the back of the can to determine how much to feed him based on his weight. Typical amounts are between 1/2 and 1 can per day for dogs that weigh less than five pounds, 1 to 1/4 can per day for dogs that weigh between 5 and 15 pounds, 1/2 to 2 cans per day for dogs that weigh between 15 and 30 pounds, and 2 1/2 to 3 cans or more for dogs that weigh more than 30 pounds.

      If you feed your dog a mixture of dry food and canned food, like Pro Plan or Science Diet, you can decide how much canned food to give your dog based on the amount of dry food they have access to. If you give your dog canned beef and rice foods as a supplement to a free-fed diet of dry food, 1/4 of a can per day is sufficient.

    Make Your Own Food

    • Make your own dog food using cooked rice and thoroughly cooked beef. No Cans Online, an online site set up by pet owners, uses recipes created with the advice of vets. Find a recipe there or use a canned dog food ingredient list as a suggestion for a recipe. Vet Information online, and those that create recipes on No Cans Online, say that dogs that weigh under 10 pounds should get two cups of beef and two cups of rice per day, spread over several meals. Dogs that weigh between 10 and 30 pounds should get between two and three cups of beef and two and three cups of rice per day. Dogs between 30 and 50 pounds should have four cups of beef and four cups of rice per day. Feed less or more per day depending on any weight loss or gain.