Recommended daily amount: 4 to 8 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.

NOTE: How much your adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don't all need the same amount of food. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference--the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your dog and the less of it you'll need to shake into your dog's bowl.

Keep your Bloodhound in good shape by measuring his food and feeding him twice a day rather than leaving food out all the time. If you're unsure whether he's overweight, give him the eye test and the hands-on test.

First, look down at him. You should be able to see a waist. Then place your hands on his back, thumbs along the spine, with the fingers spread downward. You should be able to feel but not see his ribs without having to press hard. If you can't, he needs less food and more exercise.

Bloodhounds are messy eaters, so you may want to tuck the ears into a snood before mealtime. Choose water dishes with a narrow diameter to help keep the ears from dragging in them.

Bloodhounds are prone to gastric torsion, also known as bloat. Factors that contribute to bloat include eating a large meal and then drinking large amounts of water, heavy exercise directly before or after a meal, giving food in raised feeding dishes, and stress. Keep these things in mind when you feed your Bloodhound.

For more on feeding your Bloodhound, see our guidelines for buying the right food, feeding your puppy, and feeding your adult dog.

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