Keeping our pets healthy can be an externally lengthy and tiring process. Most people may not even know what the proper dietary requirements of their dog are due to all the misinformation floating around the internet and in some help books. The truth is our furry companions like us have nutritional needs that you need to provide in order to keep them as healthy as possible. We have done all the research you can think of from sources like veterinary veterans to make this guide to help you meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Keep on reading to get down your perfect formula for a healthy pooch!
Dogs aren’t completely carnivores
Believe it or not, dogs aren’t complete carnivores, in fact, their mortal enemy the cat is more of a carnivore than a dog can ever be. While dogs certainly can’t survive on a vegan diet they’d have a much better chance at it than cats and that needs to be taken into consideration when planning their diets. That being said you should always check if dogs have any allergies to anything you are about to feed them.
Now you may be a little confused about this since most people compare dogs to wolfs who are in fact pretty much full carnivores. The fact is that the domesticated dogs have come quite a long way from there feral ties. Do to this and humans having to make due to keeping themselves and their dogs alive over time the dogs intestines have extended in order to process plant matter more easily in case that happens to be their food source for a while. This also could partly be because dogs were used to guard livestock so they want to eat meat all the time was slowly pushed out of them for better farming/ herding results.
Different Breeds
I’m sure you’re pretty tired of hearing about the fact that you’re going to need to know what exactly breed your dogs made of in order to figure out their nutritional needs. Sadly though, each different breed was brought up for different types of physical activity and will need different types of food and water to keep them going help them throughout the day. You can’t just leave your dog inside and think that not exercising them as much as they’re naturally supposed to be going to decrease their metabolism. These dogs will still have a high metabolism that will almost force you to feed them to avoid any whining.
Basically, if you have something like a sheepdog or herding type dog that used to running a lot or being vigilant you’re going to need to feed them more. These dogs have a high metabolism and if are you still running around a lot their bodies need to take in and store more energy. This also means that they’re going to need more water than other breeds if they’re used to being a dog that runs around a lot. This still varies dog by dog and if you have an exceptionally lazy hound dog then you may actually need to feed them less.
Even a Chihuahua can need a surprisingly higher amount of food then you can say possibly for their little bodies. Just because a dog is small doesn’t mean they don’t have a high metabolism linked to their breed. This is seen in a lot of other animals including cats or all the breeds generally range from the same side. For example, a sphynx cat requires more food than your regular cat because they have to generate more body heat. Breed types make all the difference in animals and what nutritional need they need
Age
As a dog gets older than nutritional needs are going to change as well. Older dogs are going to need more vitamins and minerals the help their body and bones stay strong than a healthy dog that goes outside and plays every day. This can be the same with puppies as you’re going to have to feed newborn dogs a lot more than you’re going to feed your full grown dog. This is because their bodies are still growing and need to constantly take in food in order to promote healthy weight gain and development.
There are different formulas made for all kinds of dogs that you can buy at your local pet store. Generally, Dogs food bags will have labels on them that tell you what the particular who that particular bag of food you is made for. There are even breed-specific bags that can help you figure out what to feed your golden retriever once you buy them. There are also a lot of different puppy mixes as well as older dog mixes that can help you out if you don’t know how to figure out the ingredients that you’re older dog needs the most.
A lot of Pet Associates will also be able to guide you to the proper food that your pet may need. If you still don’t know what you should be feeding your heading always consult with your vet. They’re going to be the best place of advice for getting a nutritional needs right of your particular pet. If needed they can even try to do a breed test figure out what exact breed your dog is if you adopted them from a local shelter. While breed tests may not be 100% accurate it can still be a great basis to figure out what exactly your dog needs out of their exercise and nutrition.
Feed Them Right
Feeding your dog right can be a costly thing to do. If you’re thinking of getting a dog and look into what foods that breed may need you can try to figure out a monthly budget for it. If you want to help your dog and possibly have fewer vet visits within their lifetime then feeding them right is going to be a very important step in ownership. Always check with your vet before putting your dog on any new diet though as it can cause problems based on your pet specific needs.
