Here are some tips on what
dogs can eat and how to check whether your dog is eating a balanced
diet. These dog food tips are very handy when it comes to dog care.
Dog Food & Diet Tips
It is a matter of pride to own healthy and strong dogs. Perfect health can be accomplished only with a balanced diet. For the pet, a number of thing needs to be consider, when it comes to feeding it. Even if you feed your dog with the costliest dog foods, it might be deprived of the nutrients essential for its growth and development. Eating too little can make it underweight. On the other hand, eating too much can make the pet obese, which may ultimately need weight control. Hence, you need to provide your pet with a balanced diet that contains all the essential nutrients in it. In this article, we have discussed the food and balanced diet required for dogs.
Balanced Diet For Dogs
- Water should never be substituted with milk, although the latter is an essential fluid in the balanced diet for dogs. The pet should be fed with moderate quantity of milk, because it's over consumption may cause diarrhea. Ensure that your dog gets the good supply of clean water.
- Growing puppies and pregnant dogs need additional supply of calcium. Be sure to provide your pet with the essential nutrient in such special situations.
- The protein content recommended for a balanced diet for dog is 20 to 30 percent. Be sure to include protein rich food in your dog's diet. Chicken, salmon and lamb are good sources of protein, apart from pulses.
- Your dog needs 'fuel' so stay healthy and active. Hence, provide it with food rich in fat and oils. The nutrient also helps in improving the taste and digestive capacity of the pet.
- Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are important inclusions in the balanced diet of your dog. The nutrients are required for strong bones and teeth as well as the development of cells and tissue.
- Cereals, pasta and rice are rich sources of carbohydrate, an essential nutrient required for the supply of energy to the dog. Complement the food with fibrous food, as to improve the smooth bowel movement of the pet.
Tips
- Feed your dog with food at regular interval. You may serve measured meal, twice a day. Feed your pet on scheduled timings.
- Being omnivorous, dogs love to feast on meat. However, you should remember that the pets, fed on raw meats, are susceptible to a number of diseases and infections. For example, raw liver can cause vitamin A toxicity in dogs, even if it is accompanied by a balanced diet. Moreover, small soft bones may choke the pet.
- If your dog is habitual of being rewarded with treats frequently, then you should be careful not to overdo it. Keep a check on the treats, because excess of them can perturb the static calorie balance. You should also remember that chocolates are harmful for dogs.
- Dogs are deprived of biotin, when they consume raw eggs. In addition, the consistent use of raw eggs in the dog's diet may lead to dermatitis, loss of hair and poor growth in your pet.
- Fish is high in protein content and hence, it should be included in your dog's diet. However, make sure that you provide cooked fish to your pet, because the consumption of raw fish has been cited as the cause of vitamin deficiencies in dogs. It can also result in the loss of appetite, abnormal posture, weakness, seizure in dog.
- The daily intake of balanced food, rich in all the essential nutrients, nearly eliminates the need of supplements. However, it is still recommended to provide your dog with supplements, because it only adds to the health of the pet.
- Avoid feeding your dog with table scraps, because it develops the bad habit of begging in the pet. Moreover, table scraps do not find any place in the balanced diet and may cause harm to your pet's smooth bowel movement.
- In case you are feeding your pet with shop-bought dog food, ensure that you have chosen a well known brand. Good quality is the prerequisite for the good health of the pet. Ensure that you have chosen the food according to the age, weight, breed and special needs of the dog.
