Nutritional Tips for Dogs
Dogs require enough care to ensure that it is healthy, happy and well take care of.
Some of the main tips to observe in feeding and dog nutrition include:
1. Water – A dog requires water on a regular basis. Ensure the water is fresh, clean and is available all the time. They like taking water and it is important to keep refilling the water bowl as soon as it is finished. Water helps to maintain a smooth and healthy skin.
2. Crunch – Dogs like crunchy food. The food should include hard dog biscuits and raw bones. If given soft food continuously, it leads to a layer building up on the teeth and this can pose as a threat to the teeth. Hard foods also make the dog’s teeth very hard and healthy.
3. Quality food – The best quality food for dogs is dry food. Meat alone is not good for dogs. Left over vegetables and pieces of meat can be given to the dog to give it a variation in the food and also the texture.
4. Puppy feed – For a puppy, it should be introduced to solid food as soon as it is weaned. The food should be introduced in small quantities to avoid a situation where the young sensitive stomach gets upset. There are some canned foods that one can buy that can be given to the puppies. Compared to full grown dogs, puppies should be fed more times in a day till they are six months old when they should be fed twice a day and when older than that, once a day.
5. Plump dog – A plump dog does not mean that it is healthy. Avoid feeding dogs with large quantities of carbohydrates and fat. They should also not be fed with leftovers directly from the table as this can lead to overweight.
6. Exercise – A dog needs regular exercises and this can be done by taking a walk with it. They can run around or jump and this makes their bones stronger.
A dog is not a true carnivore and so it can eat a variety of foods and not only meats.
A good diet for a dog is that which gives the body energy. It should also help to build strong cells and promotes the absorption of nutrients. Unlike human beings, a dog’s body is not able to produce the essential amino acids and therefor they have to come directly from the foods that they eat.
