How and what we feed our dogs has a significant impact on their health and overall behaviour. There are so many commercially available dog diets to choose from that finding the appropriate one can be challenging. What constitutes a well balanced dog diet?
Look past the advertisements and labelling to see exactly what your pet dog food contains for a change.
The following is a partial list to help you figure out if your pet is getting enough of what he requires in the proper amounts.
Something may be wrong with your family pet’s diet if he has huge, foul-smelling excrement, is gaseous, burps frequently, sheds incessantly, is prone to ear and skin infections, has either little energy or is hyperactive, and if his immune system is weak.
Although any or a combination of these symptoms may appear on occasion, seeing them often is cause for concern, and one of the first things you should look into is your animal’s food.
To begin, your pet dog requires 45 nutrients to function properly.
Protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals, as well as water, are the major classes of nutrients.
These nutrients must be consumed in the correct amounts in order to be adequately digested and absorbed by the body.
Protein
Remember that your dog, or any dog for that matter, is a carnivore, which means his diet is primarily made up of meat. This also means that grains and vegetables aren’t supposed to play a large role in your family pet’s diet.
Some members of this group are obligatory or genuine carnivores, while others can meet their nutritional needs by eating plant matter (herbivores) or a combination of meat and plants (mixed carnivores) (omnivores). Obligate carnivores include cats, herbivores include cows, and omnivores include dogs and humans.
On dog food labels, the amount of protein left in the food is shown. However, knowing how much protein is left in the diet is not as important as knowing where the protein originated from.
Pet food manufacturers can choose from a variety of protein sources. Plants and grains such as corn, soy, and wheat are used as sources in addition to meats (beef, chicken, lamb, and so on).
Look at the components list to see which sources were used the most in the plan you’re buying. By legislation, the active component with the highest concentration is listed first, followed by those with lower concentrations. On the first five items, you must see three meat origins. If you give your dog less than that, you might not be giving him enough protein.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are also necessary for your pet dog’s energy. Pet dogs, unlike their owners, do not need a lot of carbs to stay healthy. A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is ideal for your pet.
Given that dogs are carnivores, high-carbohydrate diets will take a long time for your family pet to digest, not to mention result in large, stinking faeces and flatulence.
Excessive chewing might irritate the gums, and his breath can develop a foul odour. As a result, only include a tiny amount of carbohydrate (such as grains) in your pet’s food.
Fats
There are two types of fat. The first is saturated (animal fat) while the second is polyunsaturated (plant fat) (veggie fat). Your dog will require both, which together provide essential fats (EFA) for healthy health.
Insufficient fat in the diet can lead to fatigue, heart problems, and dry skin. Excess fat, on the other hand, might lead to weight concerns. Cancers and tumours can grow in the same way.
When inspecting the label, look for a food that has a good balance of animal and vegetable fat.
Vitamins
Vitamins are needed to allow the body to absorb nutrients from diet. Water and fat soluble vitamins,are the two types of vitamins. Your pet dog will require both types.
Water-soluble vitamins B and C Given that it is urinated out in 4 to 8 hours, consuming too many of these will have no effect on the body. This is why they must be included in each meal. Fat solubles include A,D,E & K vitamins. They are stored in the body’s fats and the liver.
It’s critical to know that vitamins are readily lost during the production of pet dog food. They also degrade as soon as the package is opened and the food is exposed to light and air. B and C vitamins are extremely sensitive.
Vitamin C is required for strong teeth and gums, as well as a healthy immune system to prevent infection.While dogs can synthesise vitamin C on their own, it is insufficient and must be supplemented in the diet.
Vitamin B is needed for energy as well as the breakdown of protein and carbohydrates.
Minerals
Minerals are an important part of any diet, yet they only make up about 2% of many manufactured pet food products. Because the bulk of vital minerals are lost during the processing of food, mineral supplements should be added to your pet’s diet.
Water
It’s critical to have ready access to clean, fresh drinking water to support your dog’s vital physical functions. In addition, to assist the body in breaking down difficult-to-digest foods such as meats.
Whether you create your own dog food or buy it ready-made, it’s critical to provide your dog the necessary nutrients in the right amounts.
A small amount of work can go a long way towards helping our animals have a healthy life as your companion.
