Food for Dogs – What Makes a Healthy Diet for Fido
We love our dogs and as such want to provide them the best food we can find. A healthy diet is an important part of maintaining a healthy dog, and can reduce our dog’s risk for developing certain illnesses or diseases. Dogs, like people, have to maintain a certain balance in their diet in order to get the vitamins and minerals they need to live long, healthy lives. But a dog’s anatomy is not like a person’s, and as such dogs require a different diet than we do. You may choose to purchase balanced dry food for your dog or create your own specialized diet, but in any case you need to be aware of what is nutritionally sound for a complete and balanced diet for your dog.
Proper Balance is Key
You can learn a lot about what an animal eats by looking at their teeth, and there is no question that dogs are carnivores. Their teeth are specialized for ripping apart animal flesh, and their digestive tracts are much shorter, which is typical for carnivores. In fact, when you are looking for dry foods for your dog, you definitely need to get a food that’s first ingredient listed is a type of meat (chicken, fish, lamb, beef etc). Ideally, your dry food would consist of at least 30% protein. Dogs need particularly high levels of protein, and ensuring your dog gets lots of meat will help it reach its dietary requirement.
Of course, dogs also need high levels of calcium. Meat is high in phosphorous but low in calcium, and so an all meat diet would be insufficient and potentially tragic for your dog. Thus you want a meat based diet and not an all-meat diet for your dog. You definitely need to look at the labels to see what exactly is in the food you may be feeding your dog. Ideally, you would find a food that has 30% protein and 18% fat, with omega fatty acids and vitamins E and C. If you can find a good quality food for your dog, then you should not need to supplement their diet. If you think you may need a supplement, instead you should consider changing your dog’s diet, especially if you plan on breeding. Supplements can be potentially dangerous to breeding females and their pups.
You may also be wondering, how much food you should be feeding your dog. The requirements for your dog are going to vary according to its age, breed, weight, and activity level. Other factors such as your dog’s genes and the climate in which you live can also play a role in the nutritional needs of your dog. In short, the best answer is it depends. Overfeeding may lead to obesity, which in turn leads to a variety of health problems. You should consult your veterinarian if you have any question as to how much you should be feeding your dog, especially if you suspect your dog may be overweight.
The most important thing to remember when considering your dog’s diet is to realize that there is no exact right food to feed your dog. If you are ever in doubt as to whether you are feeding your dog a balanced diet, look at its coat and skin. If your dog’s coat seems coarse, or if your dog has greasy or flaky skin, these could be indications of a poor diet. And of course, if your dog has any kind of health issue (especially kidney, heart, or thyroid problems), you should consult your vet about its diet. The diet and discussion outlined above is for a healthy dog with no obvious health issues. Your vet is always an excellent source for outlining any specific needs your dog may have.
Tags: diet, dogs, pet food, supplements
