Is your dog eating correctly? If you want to raise a healthy hound, it could be essential that you get their diet right. Here are just a few tips to ensure that your dog is eating healthily.
Consider the age and breed of your dog
A dog’s nutritional requirements can depend very much on the age and breed of the dog.
For instance, puppies tend to require very different nutrients to older dogs to help with growth. For this reason, they may need specially formulated puppy food – adult dog food could be bad for their stomach.
When it comes to breeds, certain types tend to eat more than others. On the whole, more physically active breeds need to eat more – a border collie, for instance, needs to eat a lot more than a basset hound (providing that you’re also giving them the amount of exercise they need). Smaller dogs also require more calories per meal than larger dogs due to having a faster metabolism. As a result, certain brands of dog food may be better suited.
It’s worth talking to a vet about the individual nutritional needs of your dog. If you’re buying a puppy from a breeder, they may also be able to offer a nutritional plan.
Opt for healthy dog food brands
Some dog food brands are packed with unnecessary additives and fillers. It’s important to avoid these brands as they tend to offer little nutritional value (they’re often engineered simply to taste good).
By doing your research, you can discover natural types of dog food. These are likely to have a much better nutritional value. Ideally, a healthy dog food brand should contain over 25% protein and at least 10% fat.
Don’t let your dog eat all the leftovers
You should be careful of feeding scraps to your dogs. While dogs can eat many human foods, too much of this type of food could be bad for your dog’s gut. Foods with high levels of sugar and salt could be particularly bad.
It is, therefore, best to save these types of food as a treat. Just like humans, dogs can get addicted to junk foods if you feed them to them too regularly and may even go off dog food.
Be wary of these toxic foods
There are some foods that can be toxic to dogs. These include:
– Chocolate
– Coffee
– Grapes/raisins
– Avocados
– Onions
Never feed your dog any of these foods – it could be fatal in some cases. Always exercise caution when eating these types of food and ring a vet if you think your dog has consumed these foods (a small amount of chocolate may not be an issue, but a single grape could be cause for concern – it’s worth understanding the toxicity of each of these foods).
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