Hello, pet parents! Welcome to my ultimate Vizsla feeding guide.
In this guide, I will cover how much to feed a Vizsla, how often to feed a Vizsla, when to feed your Vizsla, what foods to feed your Vizsla water dog, what foods to avoid feeding your Vizsla, and other questions you may have about your Vizsla’s nutrition.
You can read the article to the end or go through the table of contents below and jump to the section that answers the questions you have on your mind.
Table of Contents
- Vizsla Nutritional Requirements
- Nutritional Requirement for a Vizsla Puppy
- Nutritional Requirement for an Adult Vizsla
- Nutritional Requirement for a Senior Vizsla
- The Factors Affecting The Feeding of Your Vizsla
- Size consideration
- Age consideration
- Activity Level
- Health Consideration
- Vizsla Feeding Quantity
- How Much To Feed a Vizsla Puppy
- How Much To Feed an Adult Vizsla
- How Much To Feed a Senior Vizsla
- Vizsla Feeding Frequency
- How Often Should You Feed Your Vizsla Puppy?
- How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Vizslas?
- How Often Should You Feed Your Senior Vizslas?
- Vizsla Feeding Schedule
- The Kind of Food To Feed Your Vizsla
- The Kind of Food To Avoid Feeding Your Vizsla
- When To Transition Your Vizsla From Puppy Food To Adult Food
- Why Your Vizsla Is Not Eating
- Why Your Vizslas Is Always Hungry
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
Vizslas are definitely one of the most intelligent, friendly, and physically active dog breeds out there. They are known to be very athletic and energetic. Vizslas were bred for hunting; they are energetic and physical, with a strong muscular frame.
I have created this ultimate guide to feeding your Vizslas for curious and new pet parents to solve your dog’s nutrition problem.
Let’s jump into the article.
Vizsla Nutritional Requirements
Vizslas are medium-sized dogs that require the proper nutrients in their specific amounts to grow healthy. Like other dog breeds, if some of these nutrients are present in excess amounts or less, it would end up endangering the overall health of your dog.
Your Vizsla’s meal should primarily consist of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins to meet their nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle.
The size of a Vizsla will require adequate and quality nutrients to maintain its body weight. Failure to do so can result in health issues and prevent your dog from reaching its peak size.
Your Vizsla’s protein source must be animal protein like chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef. Their fat source can be fish oil or vegetables. Their source of fiber can come from wholesome, healthy vegetables like cabbage, carrots, sprouts, and broccoli.
Nutritional Requirement for a Vizsla Puppy
The diet of a Vizsla puppy and adolescent should consist of 22–26% protein, 5-8% fat, and 6% fiber. Vizsla puppies are energetic and have a high metabolism. They grow fast and will require quality nutrients to keep up. They require protein for building healthy muscles and minerals for strong bones; carbohydrates for energy; and fats for maintaining a healthy coat.
Nutritional Requirement for an Adult Vizsla
The meal plan for an adult Vizsla should consist of 26% protein, 17% carbohydrates, 8% fat, and 3% fiber. At this stage, adult Vizslas are most active and will need protein and carbohydrates to keep their weight and energy level optimal. However, you should avoid overfeeding your pet at this stage, as they are prone to obesity and will develop health issues.
Nutritional Requirement for a Senior Vizsla
Your senior Vizsla is less active at this stage than at previous stages. At this age, your pet’s food should ideally contain 20% protein, 5% fat, and fiber. Senior Vizslas will need minerals and vitamins added to their food to strengthen their bones and immune system.
The Factors Affecting The Feeding of Your Vizsla
Some factors will affect the diet of your Vizsla, such as the size of the breed, its age, its activity level, and its underlying health conditions.
Let’s take a quick look at those factors before we jump into the quantity of food to feed your dog.
Size consideration
The average length of a Vizsla for males is 22–25 inches (56–64 cm), and for females, it is 21-24 inches (53-61 inches) from the sole of its feet to its shoulder. The weight of a male Vizsla is 45-66 pounds (20-30kg) while that of a female is 40-55 pounds (18-25kg).
Male Vizslas are generally bigger than female Vizslas, which means that the male will require a larger intake of calories than the female to stay healthy and strong.
Age consideration
Vizsla puppies will require more calories at their growing stage due to their high metabolic rate. They need to be fed a lot if you want them to grow into strong, healthy dogs.
Adult Vizslas should not be fed more often than their puppy counterparts. The adults have a slow metabolism that can lead to stomach bloating and indigestion if they’re fed excessively.
Your senior Vizsla will be less active and require fewer calories than when they were younger. Doing otherwise might lead to obesity and other serious health problems.
Activity Level
Athletes are required to maintain a strict diet compared to non-athletes, so you should also keep your Vizsla away from certain foods if you want to maintain its athletic abilities.
You wouldn’t want to feed your Vizsla a meal high in fat and sodium, like cheap fast food, which would make him sluggish and lethargic.
These fast foods don’t contain the nutrients that would make your dog perform to the best of their abilities and make them slow to learn new tricks or obey your commands.
Health Consideration
Vizslas are prone to certain health conditions, which should be taken into consideration in their diets if you wish to manage or prevent those issues.
Some health issues that affect your dog breed include hip dysplasia, mitral valve disease, retinal dysplasia, luxating patella, cataracts, and hearing disorders.
These health problems could be avoided or mitigated by eating or avoiding certain foods from the start, rather than treating them as they arise.
It might be tempting to cut corners and go for the cheapest food. But engaging in such an act in the long run could lead to pain, seeing your Vizsla sick, frequent visits to the vet, and thousands of dollars in expenses.
Vizsla Feeding Quantity
Your Vizsla, just like any other dog breed, will require different amounts of food according to their stage of development. The amount of food a puppy will need will be different than the amount of food an adult will need to meet their nutritional requirements.
On average, feed your puppy Vizslas 2.63 to 5.38 cups of food that have 288 to 863 kcal per day; feed your adult Vizslas 4 to 6 cups per day that have 940 to 1350 kcal per day, according to their activity level; and feed your senior Vizslas 4-5 cups per day that have 940-1150 kcal per day.
I will provide you with charts below to help you plan your dog’s meals from its puppy years to its senior years. However, this meal plan is not one-size-fits-all. It’s just a general guideline that should be followed based on your dog’s needs and recommendations from your vet or dog nutritionist.
How Much To Feed a Vizsla Puppy
For your Vizsla puppy to grow into healthy adults, the meal should be high in protein and low in fat, which can be obtained from animal meat.
A Vizsla puppy should be given 2.63 to 5.38 cups of food per day that contains 150 kcal to 580 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.
The feeding requirement of your puppy is given in detail in the charts below:
| Age | Daily Food Quantity (Cups) | Kilocalories (Per day) | Protein | Fats |
| 2 – 3 months | 2.63-3.73 | 288 – 397 | 22-26% | 5-8% |
| 4 – 5 months | 3.5 – 4.56 | 489 – 567 | 22-26% | 5-8% |
| 6–9 months | 3.75 – 4.88 | 659 – 833 | 22-26% | 5-8% |
| 10-12 months | 5.13-5.38 | 850-863 | 22-26% | 5-8% |
Following the above guidelines will aid in bone development and muscle growth, as well as strengthen their immune system to combat common bacteria and viruses that can cause health complications.
How Much To Feed an Adult Vizsla
Following the guidelines below will aid in bone development and muscle growth, as well as strengthen their immune system to combat common bacteria and viruses that can cause health complications. This is done by reducing the feeding frequency to two times per day.
A mature and adult Vizsla puppy should be given 4 to 6 cups of food per day that contains 940 to 1350 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.
The chart below will give you an understanding of the daily consumption needs of adult Vizslas and help you with their meal plan.
| Age | Daily Food Quantity (Cups) | Kilocalories (Per day) | Protein | Fats |
| 1 –6 years | 4 – 6 | 940 – 1350 | 26% | 8% |
How Much To Feed a Senior Vizsla
Senior Vizslas are generally less active than their younger counterparts due to fragile bones and joints. This means their meals will contain fewer calories, protein, and fat.
Geriatric Vizslas are often plagued with health issues. Some of these issues can be alleviated by supplementing your senior dog’s diet with vitamins and minerals to help revive his or her weakened immune system and fragile bones.
Senior and geriatric Vizsla puppies should be given 4-5 cups of food per day that contain 940 to 1150 kcal of nutrients based on their age, weight, size, gender, and health issues.
The table below gives you some details about the meal plan of an older Vizsla.
However, you must still ensure that they get the essential nutrients they need.
| Age | Daily Food Quantity(Cups) | Kilocalories(Per day) | Protein | Fats |
| 7 years and above | 4-5 | 940-1150 | 20% | 5% |
You can continue giving your senior dog the same food you give your adult Vizsla, only in a smaller quantity as they don’t need as many calories as adult dogs. However, you should still consult your vet or pet nutritionist to be on the safe side.
Vizsla Feeding Frequency
Your vizla’s meal frequency will vary the same as the feeding amounts, which are majorly dependent on its age. Below is a list of how often to feed your Vizsla:
How Often Should You Feed Your Vizsla Puppy?
• During the weaning process or at 8 weeks old and below: ,eed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.
• 8 weeks to 3 months old: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.
• 4 months to 12 months old: gradually transition to feeding them three times a day with equally spaced time intervals
| Age | Feeding Frequency |
| 2 – 4 months | Four times a day, if not free fed |
| 5 – 12 months | Three times a day |
| 1 – 6 years | Two times a day |
| 7 years and above | Once or twice a day |
How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Vizslas?
You should feed your adult Vizslas two times a day, with 12 hours of spacing between meals. One in the morning and one in the evening is ideal.
How Often Should You Feed Your Senior Vizslas?
You should feed your senior Vizslas two times a day except given a specific schedule by a vet.
Vizsla Feeding Schedule
• Vizslas puppies should be free-fed or fed in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night due to a faster metabolism in comparison to their adult colleagues
• Adolescent Vizslas should be fed in the morning, afternoon, and evening to help them transition properly into an adult.
• Adult and Senior Vizslas should also be fed in the morning and the evening unless stated differently by your vet or pet nutritionist.
As a general rule, you should feed your Vizslas a few hours before going to bed in the evening, so they have enough time to digest the food before going to sleep.
In total, we shouldn’t spoil our companions with treats as they may grow too attached to them. Treats should be heavily used as a reward when training your dog.
| Age | Optimal Feeding Times |
| 2 – 4 months | 7:00 am, 11:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 7:00 pm if not free fed |
| 5 – 12 months | 7:00 am, 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm |
| 1 – 6 years | 7:00 am, 7:00 pm |
| 7 years and above | 7:00 am or 7:00 pm if fed once a day; 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. if fed twice a day. |
The Kind of Food To Feed Your Vizsla
The food you feed your Vizsla should specifically cater to large breeds and contain the required nutrients necessary for a strong and healthy dog.
The kind of food to feed your Vizslas includes dry dog food, wet dog food, home-cooked food, and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) to ensure they eat a balanced diet.
Let me touch on these few points to help you understand what to feed your dog:
Dry Dog Food: Dry dog food, or kibble, is a portion of commercial pet food made by grinding and mixing up ingredients like meats, grains, and nutritional additives, which are then shaped into little kernels and cooked at high temperatures to remove the water content. Dry dog food contains more carbs, less fat, less water, and sometimes less protein. Dry dog food is often recommended by vets due to its lower cost, dental health benefits, convenience, weight loss support, and playtime perks.
Wet Dog Food: Wet dog food, or canned food, is made by mixing up and cooking the ingredients before adding or extracting varying amounts of water. Unlike dry dog food, wet dog food contains more water, fewer carbs, more fat, and often more protein. They are recommended by veterinarians due to their high water content, taste, ease of eating, and high nutritional profile.
Home-Cooked Diet: Home-cooked diets are a great option for pet parents who are not into commercial dog food and want to go the extra length to prepare a meal for their furry companion. Feeding your dog a home-cooked meal gives you control over its nutrition and can put your mind at ease knowing that you are always giving your dog the best care.
BARF Diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food is a diet that includes raw meat, raw eggs, crushed animal bones, fruits, vegetables, probiotics, and other natural ingredients. BARF diets are used as a substitute for processed foods with preservatives. However, consult your vet before feeding your pet a raw diet to avoid health complications from harmful substances.
The Kind of Food To Avoid Feeding Your Vizsla
We should take caution before giving whatever food we’re eating to our Vizsla. They have large appetites, which makes it tempting to hand them whatever we find ourselves eating.
There are certain human foods, fruits, and vegetables to avoid feeding your Vizsla because these foods contain toxins that are harmful to your pet that could lead you to frequent trips to the vet.
Human food to avoid feeding your Vizsla includes chocolates, coffee, gums, peanut butter, candies, cooked bones, etc.
The fruits and vegetables to avoid feeding your Vizsla include grapes, avocado, garlic, onions, etc.
You should always check the ingredients on the food label to see if these ingredients are present in the food. Or you can simply consult a vet or pet nutritionist to check the ingredients with them.
When To Transition Your Vizsla From Puppy Food To Adult Food
You should transition your Vizsla puppy from puppy food to adult food when he’s around 10–12 months old.
Transitioning your adolescent Vizsla from puppy food to adult food is an important stage in your dog’s development. Puppy food contains more calories and nutrients than adult food to meet the nutritional requirements at that stage of life.
Transitioning needs to be gradual by introducing adult feed bit by bit until you get to 100% adult feed.
However, feeding your adult Vizsla puppy food will fill them with more protein and fat than their body requires and will lead to obesity due to the high fat content the body doesn’t need for optimum growth.
| Day | Puppy Food | Adult Food |
| Day 1 – 2 | 75% | 25% |
| Day 3 – 4 | 50% | 50% |
| Day 5 – 6 | 25% | 75% |
| Day 7 – 8 | 0% | 100% |
Why Your Vizsla Is Not Eating
Your Vizsla will not eat if it has one or a combination of the factors listed below:
Illness, dental problems, stomach sensitivity, changes in hormone levels, medication, constipation, time of day, spoiled food, anxiety, dehydration, and stress
Vizsla are not picky eaters, so when they are eating, it might be a sign of some underlying illness that needs to be treated by the vet. Sometimes it can be something as mild as stress, which can resolve itself after some time, but you can go see a vet if symptoms persist.
Why Your Vizslas Is Always Hungry
Great Danes, like other dog breeds, are big eaters. Other reasons may be a deficiency in some nutrients, learned behaviors, too much stress, or a lack of food training.
Excessive exercise will make your dog’s body burn faster, thus making them hungry after such exercises. Worms could be another reason your dog is always hungry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Vizslas eat a lot?
Portuguese water dogs eat a lot, but this should not be encouraged as they are prone to obesity, which can cause a host of health issues in your dogs. This is why proper feeding and a schedule need to be in place to train your dog.
Can Vizslas become vegetarians?
As a whole, Portuguese water dogs can live on a vegetarian diet as long as their diet consists of enough nutrients, proteins, fats, and calories to meet their nutritional requirements.
However, you should consult a pet nutritionist or veterinarian to plan a vegan diet for your dog breed to prevent health complications that can arise from an uncertain practice.
Can Vizslas eat bones?
Vizsla can eat bones as they contain a great deal of minerals that meet their nutritional requirements. Also, eating bones will strengthen your teeth and gums as well as improve dental hygiene.
However, you should follow some guidelines laid down by the American Kennel Club before giving bones to your co*cker spaniel. One of the guidelines is to throw away the raw meat bones given to your furry friend after three to four days.
What human food can I feed my Vizsla?
You can feed your Portuguese water dog different types of human foods, such as beef, chicken, pork, turkey, salmon, tuna, and eggs. They can also eat noodles, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, unsalted peanuts, parsnips, and other foods such as rice and pasta, yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter.
What fruits and vegetables can I feed my Vizsla?
Portuguese water dogs can eat many types of fruits, such as strawberries, apples, bananas, raspberries, peaches, mangoes, pears, blueberries, plums, melon, pineapple, oranges, and kiwi fruit. They can also eat vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, peas, corn, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and more.
Should you give your Vizslas supplements?
Your Portuguese water dog doesn’t need to be given supplements if you feed it a commercial diet that meets its nutritional requirements. However, you may need to feed them supplements if you feed them home-cooked meals as recommended by your vet or dog nutritionist.
Final Thoughts
Vizslas are loyal companion dogs. Their excellently streamlined bodies and muscular frame make them excellent for sporting activities. However, you will need to feed them the right amount of quality food for them to reach their peak growth.
Options such as dry, wet, raw, and homemade diets are all great for them. You can free-feed your Vizsla puppies, but you have to draw up a strict plan as they go on. It is also essential to know what foods are healthy and should be avoided, as some are toxic.
However, if you desire more information on how to take care of your Vizsla, you should contact the nearest vet for information on essential nutrients, and you can also see a pet nutritionist for a regimen schedule for your pet.
