Nutrition in Dogs | How should dogs be fed?
One of the most important issues to be considered during dog care is a healthy and balanced diet. Because dogs are not creatures that can digest all kinds of food. Unconsciously, the food is might cause them to get sick. Therefore it needs with lara containing foods rich a dog food should be fed with. The nutritional needs of dogs vary according to their age. Nutrition plans should be changed as their needs change. In other words, it is not possible to talk about a uniform diet for dogs . Also, where the dog is fed is one of the factors affecting the diet . Again, the breed and its dimensions are other issues to be considered regarding the feeding of a dog . So, how should dog nutrition be? What should be considered about nutrition in dogs ?
How should dog nutrition be?
The most important point to be considered in the diet of dogs , five as we mentioned earlier in are requirements. Food needs of a dog change from birth to old age . In other words, the preferred dog food for one dog may not be suitable for the other. For this reason, the most ideal is to get advice from a veterinarian about dog nutrition .
Nutrition in Puppies
Feeding puppies is a much more sensitive issue than adult dog feeding. Offspring should be fed with breast milk 4-6 times a day, especially for the first 3-4 weeks . Breast milk can meet all the nutritional needs of offspring during this time. However, it is necessary to switch to additional foods from the 5th week. The reason for this is that breast milk is no longer sufficient alone. Many puppies are excised from breast milk when they are 8 weeks old. In this period, food supplements can be started. Again, as a supplementary food, a quality puppy food can be softened with water and given to the puppy. It is recommended to give the diluted formula three times a day.
It is very important that dogs are fed with high quality and rich dog foods after they are cut from breast milk . Because high nutritional amounts in poor quality foods used for puppy feeding may cause puppies to gain weight quickly . In addition, a food with insufficient nutritional value causes puppies to decrease their immunity and become susceptible to diseases . This is why puppy dogs i formulated specifically for dry must be fed with foods.
In addition, it is recommended that a 2 month old dog should be given 4 times a day, a 5 month old dog 3 times a day and a 6 month old dog 2 times a day . So the number of meals the dog’s age then grows decreases.
Nutrition in Adult Dogs
Small breed dogs should start eating adult food when they are 12 and large breed dogs at 18 months of age. But the transition from baby food to adult food should not be too sharp. The change should be made slowly over a few days. Because sudden food changes can damage dogs’ digestive system.
The most important detail to be considered about adult dog nutrition is that their foods contain high levels of protein, carbohydrates and fat. However, changes in the amounts of these nutrients can be made according to the general health of the dog. Adult dogs should also be fed one meal per day, but the number of meals can be increased to two, provided that the amount of food remains the same. Some dog breeds are prone to weight gain. In this case, light dog food can be preferred. It is also possible to find special types of dog food for neutered, highly mobile or task dogs .
Nutrition in Elderly Dogs
Senile; It starts from the age of 5-6 in large breed dogs and 7-8 in small breed dogs. Adequate and balanced nutrition of the dogs will enable them to live longer and healthier. For this, they should be fed special foods just like in previous periods. Foods fed by older dogs should contain high amounts of protein. This is important to prevent muscle loss. Again elderly specially prepared food for dog s in the amount of nutrients such as phosphorus, protein and fat are set in proportion to their needs. Therefore, especially high blood pressure, diabetes, and this food for dogs living bone problems, then the choice is useful to have.
Nutrition in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Dogs
It is beneficial for the dogs in pregnancy to be fed with puppy food . Because the nutritional value of puppy food is high. These foods should be given to the pregnant dog 2-3 times a day , and the amount should be increased 1-1.5 times towards the end of pregnancy . It is recommended not to give any food to the mother on the first day after birth. After giving birth, the mother eats the placenta and baby pouches. This is a natural process and is necessary for the mother’s milk release. When the mother starts to give milk, she will start to consume more food. Attention should be paid to feeding foods containing abundant energy and protein to meet the increasing energy need.
What to Consider in Dog Nutrition?
One of the important issues to be considered about the nutrition of dogs is age. We mentioned this briefly above. However, it is also important that dogs are fed according to their size. There are serious differences between the weights of small and large breed dogs . Therefore, nutritional needs will be different in every period. In addition to the features such as age and size related to dog nutrition , the physical activity, breed and general health status of the dog must be taken into consideration.
Food that they consume should have a rich content for healthy feeding of dogs. But besides the content of the food, the size of the grains should also be considered. In other words, the grains of the preferred dog food should match the dog’s tooth and jaw structure. Food residues should never be used for dog nutrition . It is also very risky to prepare food for the dog at home. Because it is quite difficult to obtain raw materials suitable for the breed, age and special sensitivity of a dog, to constantly prepare the food fresh and to cook in the appropriate amount. Therefore, the most ideal one is to feed with a quality dry food.
Many foods that people consume are harmful to dogs. Because a significant part of these foods are excessively calorie and can cause dogs to get sick. Therefore , it is very important to raise awareness about food harmful for dogs . Among the harmful foods mentioned; There are foods like chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, broccoli, cherries and apples. In addition to these, you should definitely get help from a veterinarian about how to feed your dog to minimize nutritional errors and ensure that your dog lives a healthy life .
