The Fundamentals Of Dog Health Care: Nutrition
Successful dog health care can only be achieved by fulfilling their dietary requirements.
A dog’s nutritional requirements differ depending on their age, so managing their diet is not as straightforward as it initially appears.
This guide will inform you as to how you can tailor your dog’s diet to make sure it is benefiting their general health. The cornerstone of successful dog ownership is a good diet.
Adult Dogs
Balance is the most important aspect of a dogs diet, just like in humans. Protein is fundamental in maintaining this balance. Feed your dog plenty of chicken, salmon and lamb to ensure their protein content is up and around the recommended 20 to 30 per cent.
A dog’s energy is supplied by carbohydrates from rice, cereals and pastas.
To ensure smooth bowel movement, complement their diet with plenty of fibre.
You should feed your dog twice a day, at the same time, with similar portion sizes.
Puppies
The dietary needs of a puppy are very similar to those of adult dogs, with the major difference being that the food needs to be easily digestible and higher in energy. Puppies have smaller stomachs than adults, so feed them more regularly with smaller portions.
There are some foods you cannot give to a puppy that you would be okay giving to a normal dog. An example of this would be table scraps, because they can be particularly difficult to digest.
Senior Dogs Diets
Older dogs differ from adults and puppies because they are less active and have a slower metabolism.
An older dogs diet needs to be easily digestible, as well as low on calories. Their aging joints can be supported by giving them vitamins C and E.
A dog’s ability to chew effectively lessens with age. Large pieces of chewy meat should be avoided in older dogs’ diets, as well as keeping portion sizes down.
