Last Updated on October 10, 2022 by Pets Feed
The rules of feeding dogs are a serious and important topic, because the health of pets directly depends on the quality of their nutrition.
Let’s briefly summarize the main recommendations.
How many times to feed the dog?
The frequency of feeding depends on the age and the size of the serving depends on the weight of the dog. Puppies up to six months are recommended to be fed 4 times a day, from 6 months to a year – 3 times, and after a year – 2 times a day.
Adult dogs on a natural diet need a daily amount of food equal to 3-5% of the dog’s weight. Puppies up to 6 months old – 5-7%. If you are feeding your dog dry food, check the packaging for the correct amount of food according to the dog’s weight and activity level.
Natural or dry?
There is no unequivocal opinion about which is better: dry food or natural. Both options have pros and cons, such as taking longer to prepare food for the dog than adding dry food to the bowl. But dry food may not work for the dog and cause allergies. Therefore, do not experiment on your own, but contact your veterinarian: he will tell you what kind of food to feed the dog.
If the feed is needed urgently and there is no time to consult a veterinarian, remember: cheap feed cannot be good, because it is made from the cheapest raw materials. Communicate attention to dyes (the more there are, the worse the feed) and compliance with storage rules (you should not take a package with a layer of dust on it).
Digestion in a dog begins in the mouth: although teeth are not designed to grind food, they are needed to grind it. Dogs swallow dry food without chewing, teeth do not fulfill their function, so you will have to take care of them additionally.
Dry food is a complete food that does not require any additives: it already contains all the vitamins and minerals that dogs need. Delicious is an option for those who feed the dog straight. In this case, it is important to maintain a balance: the diet should consist of 50-70% of meat, 30% -40% of dairy products, 10-20% of vegetables and 10-15% of cereals.
If you choose natural feeding, remember what foods should not be given to your dog.
What can you not feed your dog with?
You can give your dog raw or cooked lean meat: beef, turkey, chicken, offal, fish. You can’t – pork, lamb and meat products from the human table: dumplings, sausages, cutlets.
From cereals, dogs are given buckwheat or rice, but others, for example, oatmeal or barley, are not suitable for dogs.
Vegetables are given raw: cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes in small quantities, greens (except sorrel and rhubarb). And also fruits and berries: little by little you can practically everything, except citrus fruits, grapes, persimmons, watermelons and melons. Of vegetables, beets and potatoes are contraindicated. They contain a lot of starch, which the dog’s body does not assimilate.
Milk is not allowed, but low-fat fermented milk products are allowed. It is better to give the egg white boiled, and the yolk raw. Cashews and almonds are given several grains a day, but hazelnuts and pistachios are not worth giving. Low-fat cheese is perfect as a delicacy.
What is absolutely forbidden: salt, spices, sauces, white bread, sugar, chocolate, legumes, mushrooms. No table food, nothing fried, salty, or spicy. Digestion of dogs is not arranged in the same way as in humans; therefore, the pet’s nutrition should be different.
