Every dog deserves good wholesome food. Make sure your dog has a healthy diet.
Without water to drink, your dog may become seriously ill within hours. Give your dog constant access to clean drinking water.
Your dog needs a well-balanced diet to keep them healthy. Make sure your dog eats a diet suitable for their age, lifestyle and health status. Why not try our dog food?
Feed your dog at least once each day, unless advised otherwise by your vet.
Most human meals will not provide dogs with the nutrition they need. Some human foods, such as chocolate and onions, can even be poisonous to dogs.
How much your dog needs to eat depend on their diet, lifestyle and health. Read and follow the feeding instructions on any dog foods that you buy.
Adjust how much you feed your dog to make sure they don’t become under or overweight.
If your dog’s eating or drinking habits change, find or call a vet, as your dog could be ill.
· Your dog's nutrition is important for a healthy & happy life. Pet Experts help you to know what to feed your dog, how much food to feed, and the differences in dog foods, so your dog gets optimum nutrition.
What’s in a Balanced Dog Food?
Most of the dog foods sitting on the shelves today are meant to be the only source of nutrition for our pets. These foods are marked as "complete and balanced" on the label. By law, to be able to use this statement, the food must meet certain minimums or maximums established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). AAFCO sets these rules to make sure that pet foods really do meet the nutritional needs of animals.
Dog foods must contain specific levels of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins, depending on the life stage of the dog. To prove they are healthy, foods must either be made from a recipe that meets certain nutrition requirements, or they must be put through a special feeding trial.
So, just what makes up a complete and balanced dog food?
Carbohydrates
Dog foods meant for maintenance have anywhere between 30 to 70 percent carbohydrates. Dogs are omnivores, meaning they can use carbohydrates as a source of energy. The ability to use both proteins and carbohydrates as energy allows healthy dogs to function well on the majority of commercial diets. Common cereal grains like wheat, corn, rice, barley and oats give the kibbles structure and texture. Once processed, these ingredients are easy for dogs to digest.
An ingredient such as beet pulp, which contains carbohydrates that are less digestible (known as fiber), helps to keep an animal "regular." Fiber also helps keep the dog feeling full longer, decreasing the amount of food needed and preventing obesity. Fiber is not a necessary component to dog food, but it does have many benefits for the animal.
Proteins
One of the most important nutrients for dogs is protein. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks for creating strong muscles and repairing body tissues. Because the dog can only create half of the amino acids he needs, the other amino acids (called essential amino acids) must come from the diet.
Common ingredients such as chicken, egg, beef, turkey, lamb, soybeans and fish meal are used in dog foods to provide necessary protein levels. Adult dogs in good health generally require about 18-25 percent protein in their diet, which can come from a variety of sources.
Fats
While some may reflexively think fat is unhealthy, this is not always the case. Dogs require a balance of certain fatty acids that must be provided by the diet. Fats provide energy, as well as taste and flavor, to foods, and encourage the absorption of certain vitamins. Fat provided by the diet also helps dogs maintain healthy skin and a shiny, healthy coat.
Common fats used in dog foods include chicken or pork fat, cottonseed oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, fish oil, safflower oil, and many more. A balanced diet that provides about 10-15 percent fat is essential for health in the majority of adult dogs. The problem comes in when animals are allowed to eat excessive amounts of calories (including table scraps and treats) without proportionate exercise.
Vitamins and Minerals
Last, but not least, essential vitamins and minerals must be included in a dog food to maintain good health. Vitamin E helps support your dog’s immune system, while Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy skin and hair. Vitamins are found in many common foods, including fruits and vegetables, which is why these ingredients are found in many dog foods.
Minerals are necessary for helping the body perform certain functions and prevent deficiencies. Minerals needed in larger amounts include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, sulfur, and potassium. Minerals that are needed in much smaller quantities are called trace minerals. Important trace minerals include iron, zinc, copper, chromium, iodine, selenium, manganese and fluorine. Minerals in dog foods are provided by supplements, as well as ingredients like legumes, grains, meats, fruits and vegetables.
Water
A healthy diet is not complete without the addition of water. Water is essential for eliminating waste from the body, regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients, and preventing dehydration. Also, while some water can be found even in dry dog food, your pet should always have a source of water to go along with a healthy, balanced diet.
Weaning and Feeding Your Puppy
If you’re responsible caring for puppies in the first few months of their lives, you’ll need to be prepared to move them from a diet of mom’s milk to regular puppy food. This process of gradually reducing a puppy’s dependency on his mother’s milk, known as weaning, should generally begin between three and four weeks of age and is ideally completely by the time the puppy is seven to eight weeks
When to Wean a Litter of Puppies
Puppies receive complete nutrition from their mother’s milk for the first four weeks of life, so there is no need to feed them anything during that time. However, in the event that the mother dog is ill or doesn’t produce enough milk during these four weeks—or if the pups are found as orphans—it may be necessary to feed them commercial milk replacer. If you find yourself in this situation, contact your veterinarian for product and feeding recommendations.
After that time, it’s best to let weaning be a gradual process that occurs over several weeks. This allows the mother dog to slowly dry up her milk supply and puppies need time to learn important behaviors from their mother and littermates, including how to interpret signs of dominance, inhibit their own biting habits and submit to more dominant dogs. Puppies generally begin eating puppy food around three to four weeks of age.
How to Wean a Litter of Puppies
Start by separating the mother from her litter for a few hours at a time. This time apart will reduce the pups’ dependency on their mother’s milk and overall presence. While separated, introduce the puppies to eating from a pan. The amount of food, the frequency and length of separation can gradually be increased. As the puppies become independent and self-confident, they can spend more and more time away from their mother until they are completely weaned. Take your time. It can be frustrating if puppies don’t immediately take to the transition, but be patient—periodic setbacks are normal!
Caring for the Mother During the Weaning Process
To prevent the mother from overproducing milk—which can lead to painful, engorged mammary glands—it is important to follow a feeding and separation schedule both for her and the puppies. This should be discussed with your veterinarian to ensure that the puppies are receiving adequate nutrition, and that the mother’s food intake is being adjusted properly when she is no longer nursing her litter.
Feeding Your Puppy During the Weaning Process
While weaning, it’s a good idea to feed puppies the same high-quality puppy food they’ll eat throughout their entire growth period. Be sure to moisten the food with warm water (or puppy milk replacer) to create a soupy mix that’s appealing to their sensitive palates.
Puppies often play with their food when it is first introduced, but they will quickly learn what to do with it! Start with small quantities, and gradually increase the amount of puppy food. By the time the pups are completely weaned at seven to eight weeks old, they should be eating their dry food consistently.
How Much Dry Food to Feed Your Puppy
Puppies require up to twice the energy intake of adult dogs and, depending on the breed, will need to be fed a food that contains 25 to 30% protein. Remember, the adult size of a dog is determined genetically—not by how fast the animal grows. Do not overfeed in an attempt to accelerate a puppy’s growth rate.
If they are allowed to overeat, puppies can consume too many calories, grow too rapidly and develop health problems. Small breeds often reach their adult body weight in nine to twelve months. As puppies, its okay to leave dry food out for small them to peck as they wish. But most medium-breed puppies and all large- or giant-breed pups can suffer from bone or joint problems if they eat too much during this stage and benefit most from controlled feeding.
Feeding Your Adult Dog
Adult dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your adult dog should be based on his or her size and energy output. Activity levels may vary dramatically between pets, and will play an important role in determining caloric intake.
How Much to Feed Your Dog
The amount you feed your adult dog should be based on his or her size and energy output. For example, an animal with a normal activity level should receive what we call “maintenance” energy. A pampered lap dog may require just 10% of that, while an active pet who exercises regularly outdoors may require maintenance plus 20 to 40%.
You may need to adjust portions as you learn your dog’s ideal “maintenance” amount. Pet owners should always consult with their dog’s veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule and types of foods for their pets.
Outside factors, like the temperature, can contribute to how much your dog should eat. Since keeping warm and cool require extra energy expenditure, extreme hot or cold weather can also increase a dog’s energy needs. Talk to your pet’s veterinarian about what to do when the mercury dips or soars.
Feeding Working Canines
A dog’s energy needs will increase with his or her work and stress level, and the dietary needs of working canines—such as police dogs, guide dogs and cattle dogs—will depend on their occupations. A dog with a moderate work load may require an energy increase of 40% compared to maintenance, whereas a dog with a high work load may require an extra 50 to 70%.
Feeding Your Dog as He Recovers from Surgery
An animal recovering from surgery or suffering from a disease may have an increased nutritional requirement for repair, healing and fighting infection. Be sure to check with your veterinarian on your pet’s post-opt nutritional needs.
Limiting Treats
Treats should be given in moderation and represent five percent or less of the dog’s daily food intake. The rest should come from a nutritionally compete dog food. When using treats as motivation, such as during training exercises, use the smallest pieces you can.
Setting a Feeding Schedule
We recommend all dogs be fed twice daily. Simply divide the amount of food your pet requires into two meals, spaced eight to twelve hours apart. Dogs may be fed in a number of ways that meet both the owner’s and the animal’s needs. These methods include portion-control, free-choice and timed feeding.
Portion-control feeding refers to controlling the amount of food that your pet consumes by measuring your pet’s food and providing it in one or meals daily. This method is often used for weight control programs and for animals that might overeat if fed free-choice.
Free-choice feeding allows food to be available to your pet at all times, as much as your pet wants, and whenever he or she wants it. This method is best when feeding dry food, which will not spoil when left out. Most nursing mothers are often free-choice fed, but some dogs will overeat when fed in this manner, resulting in obesity.
Timed feeding involves making a portion of food available for your pet to eat for a specific period of time. For example, food can be placed in the dog’s bowl for 30 minutes. After that time, if the pet has not consumed the food, it is removed.
Overweight Dogs
One of the most common pitfalls dog parents should watch out for is overfeeding. Attempts to shower our dogs with love by means of big meals and lots of tasty treats are sweet, but misguided. In dogs, as with humans, extra weight can lead to health problems. Be sure to indulge your four-legged friend with affection, not food!
Causes of Obesity in Dogs
Obesity is an extremely common problem in pets and, as with humans, it can be detrimental to the health of a dog. The overweight pet has many added stresses upon his body and is at an increased risk of diabetes, liver problems and joint pain.
Obesity develops when energy intake exceeds energy requirements. This excess energy is then stored as fat. The majority of cases of obesity are related to simple overfeeding coupled with lack of exercise. Certain groups of dogs appear to be more prone to obesity than others. Specific breeds, such as Labrador retrievers and pugs, and older dogs are particularly susceptible.
How to Tell if Your Pet is Overweight
There are a few ways easy ways to identify whether your pet has put on the pounds. You should be able to feel the backbone and touch the ribs in an animal of healthy weight. If you cannot feel your pet’s ribs without pressing, there is too much fat.
Also, you should see a noticeable waist between the back of the rib cage and the hips when looking at your pet from above. When viewed from the side, there should be a “tuck” in the tummy, meaning the abdomen should go up from the bottom of the rib cage to inside the thighs. Dogs who fail these simple tests may be overweight.
How to Help Manage Your Dog’s Weight
We have a few tips that can help your pet shed the extra padding. Please note, if your pup has put on weight, we recommend that you consult your pet’s vet before starting on a weight loss program.
Correct your pet’s diet. Overweight animals consume more calories than they require. Work with your veterinarian to select a more suitable food and determine your pet’s caloric requirements. The diet should contain a normal level of a moderately fermentable fiber and fat to prevent the skin and coat from suffering during weight loss.
Increase regular exercise. Increasing physical activity can be valuable to both weight loss and weight maintenance. Regular exercise burns more calories, reduces appetite, changes body composition and will increase your pet’s resting metabolic rate.
Modify your behavior. A successful weight management program means making changes in your behaviors that have contributed to your pet’s weight. For example, you may be giving your pet too many treats or not giving her enough opportunities to exercise.
Here are some ways you can commit to your pet’s weight loss:
· Remove your pet from the room when the family eats
· Feed your pet several small meals throughout the day
· Reduce snacks and treats, and feed all meals and treats in your pet’s bowl only
· Provide non-food related attention with lots of affection
