The diet sheet a carer actually needs
A carer feeds correctly when your note answers every small decision you normally make without thinking. Write down the food itself, how much, and when, rather than leaving a bag by the door and hoping the routine is obvious. For your dog that means the name or type of food, whether meals mix wet and dry, the measured amount per meal, and the usual feeding times morning and evening. If you soak kibble, warm it, or split food across two smaller meals, say so plainly.
Portions, treats, and the never-feed list
Portions are where handovers most often drift. Note the cup, scoop, or weighed amount you use and include a photo or mark on the scoop if the measure is easy to misread. List treats separately: what kind is allowed, how many in a day, and whether treats replace part of a meal or sit on top of it. Then add an explicit never-feed list for your dog, covering table scraps, cooked bones, fatty leftovers, and any food your vet has told you to avoid for this dog. A carer who is being kind with extra tidbits needs that boundary written down before the first meal, not after.
How your dog eats, not just what is in the bowl
Feeding correctly is also about delivery. Record whether your dog uses a slow feeder, an elevated bowl, or a puzzle, whether food is left down or picked up after a set time, and whether other pets must be fed separately to prevent stealing or guarding. Note fresh water expectations too: where the bowl lives, how often it is refreshed, and whether your dog drinks a lot after walks. If your dog is a fussy starter, a fast gulper, or a grazer, that one line saves a carer from worrying over normal behaviour or missing a real change.
What normal looks like, so a change stands out
Give the carer a baseline. Describe your dog's usual appetite, enthusiasm at the bowl, typical stool consistency, and any regular sensitivities you already know about, such as loose stools after rich treats. Ask the carer to note skipped meals, vomiting, or a sudden change in thirst or stool the same day it happens, with the time. That written trail helps you and your vet connect a change to a food swap, a stressful day, or something else entirely, instead of guessing days later.
Keeping the record current
Update the sheet whenever the food, amount, or routine changes, and date the version the carer is holding so an old printout does not quietly take over. Bring the same details to boarding and vet visits, because questions about diet come up in both places. A short, specific, current record prevents the most common handover errors: double feeding, missed extras, and well-meant treats that upset the plan. When the diet lives inside KinsLe Pet Passport alongside your dog's other records, every carer and clinic works from the same portable packet instead of a different note each time.