A dog is a man’s best friend. You do everything you can to maintain your optimum health. Doesn’t your best friend deserve the same? Your dog is an active (rather the most active) member of your family and needs the same, if not more attention to health and nutrition as you do, to stay healthy, and live longer.
After all it’s very easy to get lost in a big pet store. The sea of products that we have today, aisle after aisle is very confusing and also time consuming to figure out what is the best product. However keeping your dog healthy need not be a career option for you. All we need to use is a little common sense and good information regarding the breed and age of your dog.
Let’s divide the dogs into two categories – small & adult.
For Small Dogs & Puppies
It has long been established and proven that small dogs
have a different metabolism as compared to large dogs, due to physiologic effect of their body mass.
have a different metabolism as compared to large dogs, due to physiologic effect of their body mass. For example, a Great Dane weighing 100 pounds needs to consume about 23 calories per pound of body weight Pomeranian weighing 6 pounds needs to consume 47 calories per pound of body weight every day-more than twice as much!
As an owner of a small dog, you need to be certain that your dog’s energy needs are being satisfied. Be sure to choose a diet that's been formulated properly with optimal balance of highly digestible nutrients. Digestibility determines how much your dog can actually utilize each nutrient in a diet.
Puppies
require almost twice or thrice as much food as adult dogs per pound of weight. To keep up their energy levels, they have to be fed as frequently as three to four times until they are six months of age.
require almost twice or thrice as much food as adult dogs per pound of weight. To keep up their energy levels, they have to be fed as frequently as three to four times until they are six months of age.Diet is always the key to raising your children or puppies. The diet should balanced, nutrient rich, should contain high levels of phosphorous and calcium and be highly digestible. It should also contain high-quality proteins and should adhere to Association of American Feed Control Officials' (AFFCO) procedures. This would ensure that the puppy develops strong bones, muscle and tissue.
For Adult Dogs
Your adult dog
like you needs a combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water in a balanced diet to meet their daily needs. A lot of dog food bags claim they are in themselves complete food. This ends up null, if the nutrients cannot be absorbed by your dog’s system. Major companies take great care in this aspect by trying to provide the nutrients in an absorbable form.
like you needs a combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water in a balanced diet to meet their daily needs. A lot of dog food bags claim they are in themselves complete food. This ends up null, if the nutrients cannot be absorbed by your dog’s system. Major companies take great care in this aspect by trying to provide the nutrients in an absorbable form. Dog foods must also consist of mineral and vitamin supplements in a balanced form. The proportions should be accurate so that they do not interfere with each other in your dogs system. This would provide maximum benefit to you dog. If the food consists of one ingredient in overdose and the other in lower doses, it could have an adverse affect on your dog’s health
.
.Given below are some feeding tips to make chow time more pleasant:
Always keep the food dish
clean.
clean.Feed adult dogs twice a day to prevent hogging at one single meal. This lessens the chance of your deep chested dog developing bloat or stomach torsion.
The feeding schedule should be relaxed so that your dog knows its mealtime but will not bother you if you are a little late. This is also a good time to have your dog perform basic commands, i.e. sit, give paw, etc. After performing correctly you can reward him with the command “okay”, a signal he will come to know… that he has permission to eat.
Keep away from your dog while feeding, so that he does not get insecure and feel a need to defend his food.
Never let your dog have free access to food, lest they have constant activity in their digestive systems.
Make sure your dog sits and has his food, in which case there is less chance of food spilling all over the floor.
Never play with your dog with his dish, better to teach him manners instead.
Leave the dish for 15 minutes so that he licks it clean.
If for some reason your dog doesn't eat its meal after this 15 minute time frame, remove the food and give it to him again at the next scheduled feeding.
And don't worry...he won't starve! Like people...sometimes dogs are just not in the mood to eat. Rest assured that they WILL eat when they are hungry enough.
If for some reason your dog doesn't eat its meal after this 15 minute time frame, remove the food and give it to him again at the next scheduled feeding.
And don't worry...he won't starve! Like people...sometimes dogs are just not in the mood to eat. Rest assured that they WILL eat when they are hungry enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment