With so many options, how can you choose the right type of food for your dog? Here are some ideas for you!
The best diet for a dog includes the right balance of nutrition. This includes vitamins, proteins, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates. The idea here is to ensure nutritional balance. Dogs are not strict carnivores. That means, they can derive maximum nutrition from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A good dog food contains quality fruits, meat, fiber, vegetables, and grains that are appropriate for your fur friends’s digestive system.
The nutritional requirements of a puppy and an adult vary considerably. Consult with your pet’s vet to ensure you are feeding the right dog food to your pooch.
Kibble or dry dog food
Kibble is a type of dry dog food that contains necessary nutrition for pets. Kibble food provides complete nutrition for a pet. This is a balanced formulation with essential minerals, vitamins, carbs, and meat that provides full nourishment for a healthy life.
This type of dry dog food has a longer shelf life and is the most economical of all pet food options. What’s more, it is less likely to cause tooth decay by reducing the risk of tartar buildup.
Canned food
Wet dog food is canned food for pets. Canned foods are more palatable than kibble food because they are wet and contain a mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Ingredients are cooked, vacuum sealed, and heat sterilized. They come in tins and pouches.
Wet dog foods contain more water and are beneficial for pets that do not drink a lot of water. Canned food is a good alternative for pets with urinary problems.
Semi-moist dog food
Apart from dry and wet dog food, another variety is semi-moist food. Such foods are not as nutritional rich as the other two types and are best given as an occasional treat to your furry friends. Semi-moist pet food may also contain artificial flavors and colorings.
A raw diet
Dogs have strong digestive system with short intestinal tracts. As a result, they can easily digest freeze dried or raw meat and bones as a source of phosphorus and calcium. However, in some dogs, raw foods may cause broken teeth and even food poisoning. You should not change your pet to a raw diet without consulting with the vet.
Veterinary Diets
Apart from these dog diets, there are other vet diets that are formulated for dogs with specific conditions, such as urinary disease, liver disease, or kidney problem. Such dog diets control the amount of specific nutrients that could affect the pet’s medical condition. However, when it comes to choosing a dog diet, it is best to consult with the vet.
How Should You Feed Your Dog?
When it comes to feeding your canine baby, start with little feeds since puppies have little tummies. Plan out their diet chart by spreading meals to four times every day until they are four months old. Then you should gradually reduce the dietary pattern to three times until they are six months of age. Following this age, reduce the feeding frequency to twice a day. However, dog food must be balanced with minerals, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and carbs.
A senior dog, on the other hand, requires a low-calorie diet, with sufficient amount of protein, fiber, and fat. Senior dog diets are formulated with a balanced nutrition and are lower in calories. Since these are high on fiber, they create a feeling of fullness and keeping their digestion kicking.
Can I feed human food to my pet?
You love your canine and want to share everything with him. But when it comes to sharing human food with pets, you ought to be extra careful. Dog food is different from that of humans. Sadly, some human foods may even proof fatal for dogs. This includes cinnamon, almonds, chocolates, garlic, and macadamia nuts, among others. So you should consider different variables when it comes to planning a dog diet chart. It would help to pay special attention to the dog breed, age, body composition, temperament, gender, and activity level when determining a dog diet.
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