Keep both if they are useful. Do not turn a word such as “good” into a guessed amount or average a set of descriptions as though it were measured intake.
Choose fields with clear meanings
Record the food and observation window alongside the entry. If you weighed what was offered and what remained, preserve those amounts and the circumstances that affect the calculation. If you did not measure, keep a description rather than inventing grams.
| Date/window | Food/context | Offered/remaining if measured | Description | Method/completeness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ____ | ____ | ____ g / ____ g, or blank | ____ | Measured / estimated / descriptive; complete / partial / unknown |
| ____ | ____ | ____ g / ____ g, or blank | ____ | Measured / estimated / descriptive; complete / partial / unknown |
| ____ | ____ | ____ g / ____ g, or blank | ____ | Measured / estimated / descriptive; complete / partial / unknown |
The table is a local recording aid. It is not a feeding plan or a PETICO import specification.
Keep descriptions descriptive
You might write “approached bowl promptly,” “left some food,” or “not observed during the meal.” Use words that describe what you saw.
An ordered label can help you organize a diary, but it does not create an amount. Do not assign arbitrary grams to “low,” “medium” and “high” appetite. If you change the labels, explain the change so old and new entries remain understandable.
“Not observed” is different from “did not eat.” Preserve that difference.
Record food and method changes
A change of food, added treats, another caregiver or an interrupted meal belongs in the context field. Do not hide it to make the series look consistent.
Grams of different foods do not automatically have the same nutritional meaning. This guide does not calculate nutrients or convert unlike foods into a clinical intake measure. The defensible first comparison is between observations with a clearly shared basis.
When the method changes from estimate to measurement, start a distinct segment or explicitly label the change. Do not silently join the two as one uniform series.
A fictional example of unlike entries
Fictional diary:
| Day | Entry | What it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | “Ate eagerly”; amount not measured | A descriptive observation |
| Tuesday | 90 g measured under a stated meal window | A numeric record for that window |
| Wednesday | No observation | A gap, not zero intake |
| Thursday | 75 g estimated; food changed | An estimate with changed context |
A mean of “Monday to Thursday food intake” is not supported by these four entries. Monday has no measured amount, Wednesday is missing and Thursday differs in method and food context.
A useful summary says exactly that. It can still preserve the Tuesday record and all contextual notes.
Compare only the appropriate series
For a numeric comparison, select the same signal, unit and collection basis. Keep descriptive entries beside it, not inside its arithmetic. Count eligible records and show excluded or missing entries.
The comparison guide explains complete and partial windows. The missingness guide helps distinguish absence of evidence from a recorded zero.
Prepare a question for a veterinarian
Bring the dated diary, food and method changes, and the question you want answered. Do not replace original notes with a conclusion the records cannot establish.
If you are worried about your dog, contact a veterinarian. This resource helps organize the observation history; it does not diagnose a cause or recommend a diet or treatment.
Use the blank template to keep the next entries consistent.