How To Select a Proper
Diet for Your Dog
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How and what we feed our dog
has a big effect on our pet's health and over-all
behavior. There are so many commercially available
dog foods to choose from that making the right decision
can be somewhat impossible. But let's tackle the problem
nonetheless.
For a change, look beyond the labels and advertisements
and look into what exactly your dog food contains.
What follows is a partial list to help you find out
if your dog is getting what he needs in the right
amounts.
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If your pet dog has large, smelly stool, is gaseous, burps
often, sheds constantly, is prone to ear and skin infections,
has either no energy or is hyperactive and if his immune
system is weak, something may be wrong with your dog's diet.
Although any or a combination of these symptoms may occur
occasionally, having them recur often is a cause for concern
and reviewing your dog's diet is one of the first things
you should look into.
First of all, your dog needs 45 nutrients to function properly.
Major groups for these nutrients are protein, carbohydrates,
fat, vitamins and minerals, as well as water. These nutrients
have to be in the right amounts so that they are properly
digested and absorbed by the body.
Protein
Remember that your dog, or any dog for that matter, is
a carnivore, meaning his body mainly uses meat. That also
means that vegetables and grains are not supposed to have
a major contribution to your pet's diet.
On dog food packages how much protein is in the food is
indicated. But finding out how much protein is in the food
is not as important as knowing what source the protein came
from.
Dog food makers have a wide choice of protein sources to
choose from. Aside from meats (beef, chicken, lamb, etc.),
plants and grains like corn, wheat and soy are used as sources.
To find out what sources have been used most in the package
you're buying, look at the ingredients list. By law, the
largest amount of ingredient used is listed first and others
follow in decreasing amounts. You should see 3 meat sources
on the first 5 items mentioned. Any less than that and you
may not be giving your dog the
proper protein for his diet.
Carbohydrates
Your dog will also need carbohydrates primarily for energy.
But unlike their masters, dogs do not need a lot of carbohydrates
to be healthy. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates
is ideal for your pet.
Since dogs are meat-eaters, diets high in carbohydrates
will take a long time for your pet to digest, not to mention
resulting to large and smelly stool and gas. The gums can
also grow sore due to excessive chewing and his breath can
develop a bad smell. So only use a small amount of a carbohydrate
source (such as grains) in your pet's diet.
Fats
Two kinds of fat exist. One is saturated (animal fat) and
the other is polyunsaturated (vegetable fat). Your dog will
need both and taken together supply essential fatty acids
(EFA) needed to maintain good health.
Not enough fat in the diet can cause low energy levels,
heart problems and dry skin. However, too much fat can cause
obesity. Tumors and cancers can also develop. In reading
the label, look for a product that has a good balance between
animal and vegetable fat in it.
Vitamins
Vitamins are necessary to release nutrients from the food
that the body can use. There are two types of vitamins:
water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. Both types
are needed by your dog.
Vitamins B and C are water-soluble. Too much of these will
not harm the body much since it is urinated out in 4 to
8 hours. This is the reason they need to be in each meal.
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. They are stored
in fatty tissues of the body and the liver.
It is important to remember that vitamins are easily lost
in the making of manufactured dog food. And they break down
as soon as you open the package and expose the food to light
and air. Vitamins B and C are particularly sensitive.
Vitamin C is needed for healthy teeth and gums as well
as for a strong immune system to fight diseases. While dogs
can produce their own vitamin C, it is not enough and therefore
needs to be part of the diet. Vitamin B is needed for energy
and to break down protein and carbohydrates.
Minerals
Minerals are a critical component of a diet but they make
up less than 2% of most formulated dog
food products. Since more than half of the necessary
minerals are lost in manufacturing processes, adding mineral
supplements to your pet's food is recommended.
Water
Ready access to fresh and clean is necessary for your dog
to maintain proper body functions as well as to aid the
body to break down hard-to-digest food like meats.
Whether you make your own dog
food or buy them off the shelf, it is necessary to make
sure the proper nutrients in the right amounts are given
to your dog. Just a little effort goes a long way in helping
our pets lead a healthy life as your companion.
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