How much to feed
How do I adjust my dog's food after a stay at a boarding kennel?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Weigh your dog on return and compare against the pre stay weight, since kennel routines sometimes differ from home in exercise, feeding amount, or both, occasionally leading to a small weight change either way. Return to your dog's usual calculated amount promptly, adjusting slightly if a genuine weight change has occurred, rather than assuming the kennel's feeding matched your normal routine exactly.
Why a check on return is worth doing
Boarding kennels vary in how closely they follow an owner's specific feeding instructions, and even with good communication, exercise levels and feeding times often differ from a dog's normal home routine.
A short stay is unlikely to cause a significant change, but a longer stay, particularly one involving illness, reduced appetite from stress, or a different exercise routine, can result in a noticeable weight change by the time your dog returns home.
Checking and adjusting
Weigh your dog within the first day or two of returning home and compare against your last recorded weight before the stay, using this as a quick check rather than waiting weeks to notice a change.
If weight has shifted noticeably, adjust the food amount accordingly using the standard calculation for the new current weight, and monitor over the following couple of weeks to confirm the adjustment is right.
For future stays
Provide the kennel with written, specific feeding instructions, including exact gram amounts and your usual food brand, rather than general instructions, to reduce the chance of a mismatch during future stays.
If your dog has a specific weight management plan in progress, mention this explicitly to kennel staff, since a routine stay can otherwise interrupt a carefully calculated ongoing plan.
Key takeaways
- Weigh your dog on return from a kennel stay and compare against the pre stay weight.
- Kennel routines can differ from home in exercise and feeding, occasionally causing a small weight change.
- Adjust food based on the current actual weight rather than assuming the kennel matched your usual routine exactly.
- Provide specific written feeding instructions for future stays, especially if your dog is on an active weight plan.