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| About Dog Food and Nutrition
If dogs had freedom of choice, they would behave carnivorously and prefer to eat fresh meat. However, a dog, unlike cats, is an omnivore, who eats and digests different types of food, also vegetables and fruits.Dog food producers manufacture all sorts of nutritious foods with different tastes and structures. High quality industrial food can provide a dog with necessary proteins, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Many new dog owners ask themselves what to fed their dog with. A balanced diet is essential to keeping your dog healthy, so what kind of food you will give to your dog is an important question. Dog nutrition needs Dogs need several different kinds of nutrients to survive: amino acids from proteins, fatty acids and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. Your dog’s nutritional needs will depend on its age, body condition, size, its breed as well as its life style. Dogs satisfy their energy needs from three major dietary sources: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Proteins in dog diets are of key importance as dogs cannot survive without them, because they contain specific amino acids that dogs cannot make on their own. Amino acids are key building material of animal tissue and meat is an excellent source of protein for dogs. Carbohydrates, which can be found in cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes provide your dog with energy. Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed oils of various plants, provide the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. Essential fatty acids are necessary to maintain your dog’s skin and coat in prime condition. Deficiencies in “omega-3” essential fatty acids may cause vision problems and impaired learning ability. “Omega-6” essential fatty acids have important physiologic effects in the body. Minerals are essential nutrients for dogs; the most important are:
A dog needs a balance of these nutrients in order to remain healthy. Make sure that you provide your dog a balanced diet not just necessary calories. Energy needs of puppies, adult dogs, older dogs and lactating dogs are different. Puppies Energy needs of growing puppies are different than those of a grown up dog. A puppy has higher calories needs per pound of body as an adult dog. When a puppy is 4 weeks old, a dog owner should start feeding it other food than mother’s milk in 3-4 meals per day. Older dogs Older dogs do not have so much physical activity than young dogs; besides, their metabolism is slowed as well. So they need 20% less calories than a middle-aged adult dog. Lactating dogs The mother’s needs for calories increase with the number of puppies and the week of lactation, up to 4 weeks. Do dogs necessary have to eat meat each day? Dogs are omnivores, and can survive without meat. Although dogs prefer animal-based proteins they can also survive on vegetarian diet. They can digest vegetable proteins, such as soya. Dogs can be on vegetarian food, as long as they get sufficient proteins and enough vitamin D. Regardless of whether the protein comes from plant or animal sources, normal adult dogs should get at least 10% of their total calories from protein. Older dogs need more protein, 50% more. A typical diet of normal adult dogs contains between 2.5 and 4.5% fiber. However, if a dog is on a diet to lose weight, its food should contain more fiber, in order to feel full without gaining weight. How can I help my overweight dog to lose weight? If your dog is too fat, fed him smaller meals, less tasty food, low-calorie food, enable him enough exercise. Your dog should have a bowl of fresh water available at all times. And do not feed him leftovers from table. Sources: Dog Nutrition; National research Council of National Academies, National Academy of Sciences,USA: Dog Nutrition on dognutrition.com Healthy Dogs - diet and nutrition |
