What to Feed Your Dog-Nutritional Needs
Your dogs should have a complete and balanced feed that has been stored in a cool, dry place and not exposed to rodent or insect infestations available to them at all times during the day.
Six nutrients your dog must have to maintain good health are:
Fresh Clean Water
Water should be clean and available to your dog at all times. Your dogs body weight is approx. 60 to 70 percent of their body weight. Dogs can get seriously ill and even die from a lack of clean water.
Proteins
Proteins help your dogs develop and maintain healthy tissue, organs, enzymes and antibodies and help your dog grow and develop properly. Make sure your dog has protein based foods containing animal meats, eggs, vegetables, eggs (not raw eggs-see why below), cereals, and so.
Fats
Provides your dog with energy, twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Fats help with cell structure, are needed for some hormone production, help to absorb certain vitamins.Fats are the most concentrated form of food energy, providing your pet with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Fats are essential in the structure of cells, needed for the production of some hormones, and are required for absorption and utilization of certain vitamins. Fats also provide insulation and protection for internal organs. A deficiency of essential fatty acids (such as linoleic acid) may result in reduced growth or increased skin problems.
Carbohydrates
Provide energy, aid in intestine health by altering the bacterial growth in the small intestine, and are an important factor in reproduction processes. Fiber (a kind of carbohydrate) can help manage chronic diarrhea in dogs but the fiber should be moderately fermentable. Beet pulp is a common fermentable fiber found in commercial dog foods because they promote a healthy gut and at the same time avoid side effects such as flatulence and excess mucus.
"Other examples of moderately fermentable fibers include brans (corn, rice and wheat) and wheat middlings. Foods that are high in fiber are not good for dogs with high energy requirements, and who are young and growing"(1).
Vitamins
Vitamins are an essential that helps dogs obtain normal metabolic functioning. If you are feeding your dog food that is complete and balanced there should be no need for vitamin supplements. Vitamins are absorbed more readily when they are in the dogs normal diet rather than in supplements. Consult your veterinarian before giving your dog any vitamin supplements. Giving your dog vitamins it does not need can cause them to build up in their system and cause a type of poisoning from too many vitamins called hypervitaminosis. A vitamin deficiency is called hypovitaminosis. Too much vitamin A can cause bone pain, joint pain, brittle bones, and dry skin. Too much vitamin D can result in dense bones, calcification of soft tissue, and most dangerous side effect of giving your dog too much can result in kidney failure.
Minerals
Minerals Provide nutrients that help bones and teeth, maintain fluid balance, and are a vital part of metabolic reactions, however, they cannot be processed by animals in supplements and must be provided in their feed.
Weaning and Feeding Your Puppy
If you’re responsible caring for puppies in the first few months of their lives, you’ll need to be prepared to move them from a diet of mom’s milk to regular puppy food. This process of gradually reducing a puppy’s dependency on his mother’s milk, known as weaning, should generally begin between three and four weeks of age and is ideally completely by the time the puppy is seven to eight weeks.
Feeding Your Adult Dog
Adult dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues.
Fresh Clean Water
Water should be clean and available to your dog at all times. Your dogs body weight is approx. 60 to 70 percent of their body weight. Dogs can get seriously ill and even die from a lack of clean water.
Proteins
Proteins help your dogs develop and maintain healthy tissue, organs, enzymes and antibodies and help your dog grow and develop properly. Make sure your dog has protein based foods containing animal meats, eggs, vegetables, eggs (not raw eggs-see why below), cereals, and so.
Fats
Provides your dog with energy, twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Fats help with cell structure, are needed for some hormone production, help to absorb certain vitamins.Fats are the most concentrated form of food energy, providing your pet with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Fats are essential in the structure of cells, needed for the production of some hormones, and are required for absorption and utilization of certain vitamins. Fats also provide insulation and protection for internal organs. A deficiency of essential fatty acids (such as linoleic acid) may result in reduced growth or increased skin problems.
Carbohydrates
Provide energy, aid in intestine health by altering the bacterial growth in the small intestine, and are an important factor in reproduction processes. Fiber (a kind of carbohydrate) can help manage chronic diarrhea in dogs but the fiber should be moderately fermentable. Beet pulp is a common fermentable fiber found in commercial dog foods because they promote a healthy gut and at the same time avoid side effects such as flatulence and excess mucus.
"Other examples of moderately fermentable fibers include brans (corn, rice and wheat) and wheat middlings. Foods that are high in fiber are not good for dogs with high energy requirements, and who are young and growing"(1).
Vitamins
Vitamins are an essential that helps dogs obtain normal metabolic functioning. If you are feeding your dog food that is complete and balanced there should be no need for vitamin supplements. Vitamins are absorbed more readily when they are in the dogs normal diet rather than in supplements. Consult your veterinarian before giving your dog any vitamin supplements. Giving your dog vitamins it does not need can cause them to build up in their system and cause a type of poisoning from too many vitamins called hypervitaminosis. A vitamin deficiency is called hypovitaminosis. Too much vitamin A can cause bone pain, joint pain, brittle bones, and dry skin. Too much vitamin D can result in dense bones, calcification of soft tissue, and most dangerous side effect of giving your dog too much can result in kidney failure.
Minerals
Minerals Provide nutrients that help bones and teeth, maintain fluid balance, and are a vital part of metabolic reactions, however, they cannot be processed by animals in supplements and must be provided in their feed.
Weaning and Feeding Your Puppy
If you’re responsible caring for puppies in the first few months of their lives, you’ll need to be prepared to move them from a diet of mom’s milk to regular puppy food. This process of gradually reducing a puppy’s dependency on his mother’s milk, known as weaning, should generally begin between three and four weeks of age and is ideally completely by the time the puppy is seven to eight weeks.
Feeding Your Adult Dog
Adult dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues.
Featured Video: Banfield Pet Hospital-Cat and Dog Nutrition
If You Want to Make Your Own Dog Food to Sell-You Must Meet AAfco Requirements
"AAFCO establishes the nutritional standards for complete and balanced pet foods, and it is the pet food company's responsibility to formulate their products according to the appropriate AAFCO standard".
Go Here: https://petfood.aafco.org/Labeling-Labeling-Requirements
Go Here: https://petfood.aafco.org/Labeling-Labeling-Requirements
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Notice: As an Amazon Associate and a Google Adsense Associate. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases on this website. #CommissionsEarned
Contact us: [email protected]
References:
1. Dog Nutrition Tips. (2016). ASPCA. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-nutrition-tips
2. Banfield Pet Hospital - Cat and Dog Nutrition. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7201RKAuuGM
1. Dog Nutrition Tips. (2016). ASPCA. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-nutrition-tips
2. Banfield Pet Hospital - Cat and Dog Nutrition. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7201RKAuuGM