How Much Food Should an American Akita Eat?

Although energy requirements vary greatly, protein needs are pretty consistent. Adult dogs generally need at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. As long as the diet has the proper balance of available amino acids, whether they come from plant or animal sources, does not make any difference to the nutritional health of the pet.¹

Obviously your dog's diet should also provide sufficient micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals. It is very important to offer adequate amounts of vitamin A and D in particular, which are less likely to be consumed in the correct amounts.

You must follow the instructions specified on the dog food packaging, and consult your vet in case of doubt.

Choosing dog food for your Akita doesn't have to be a difficult task, and neither should you fall into the trap of thinking that the most expensive dog food is the best one. You should consider the option of choosing organic food for dogs, especially if you follow an organic food diet yourself.

After breastfeeding, your American Akita puppy's diet should be focused on promoting optimal development and stimulating the immune system that has not yet matured. Therefore, you should choose dog food in the "junior" range.

The amounts of food will vary depending on the age of the puppy:

• 2 to 3 months: 150-200 grams per day divided into 4 portions
• 4 to 5 months: 250 grams per day divided into 3 portions
• 6 months: 300-400 grams per day divided into 2 portions
• 8 months: 300 grams per day divided into 2 portions

The amount of food that you give to an adult dog every day will vary depending on its weight and level of physical activity. Obviously, at this stage you should choose dog food from the "adult" range.

It is important to go regularly to the vet for a weight check-up: If your American Akita gains weight at a faster rate than it should do, it is consuming an amount of energy that it is not capable of burning. On the contrary, if the dog is losing weight you should increase the helpings of dog food to cover the energy that it is expending on a daily basis.

Depending on its weight, you can use the following amounts as guidelines:

• 30 to 40 kg (66 to 88 lb): 500 to 590 grams spread over 2 or 3 portions per day
• 50 kilos or more (110 lb): 590 to 800 grams spread over 2 or 3 portions per day

As the American Akita gets older you should adapt the amount of food to the amount of physical exercise it does in order to prevent obesity. Generally, you will end up reducing the amount of food to smaller portions, but you can also opt for a more specific dog food from the "senior" range.

If its diet is correct, it will provide your dog with all the necessary nutrients. However, there are certain cases where it is necessary to increase the intake of certain nutrients through dietary supplements. Here are the three most common situations:

• The dog is sick or is in recovery phase.
• The puppy is not growing properly.
• A female Akita is pregnant or lactating.

Apart from these three situations, you shouldn't use nutritional supplements unless they have been prescribed by a vet.

If you want to read similar articles to How Much Food Should an American Akita Eat?, we recommend you visit our Healthy diets category.