A good balanced diet is important in maintaining your dog’s health. There are many ways to create a good diet for your dog. In general it is better not to give your dog a large variety of foods which could cause havoc with its digestion. There are many different feeding regimes to choose from: dry complete diets, semi-moist or tinned dog food with or without biscuit mixer, and home made diets using raw meat. Within this, there are many different qualities.
Nutrients can be divided into two groups and within these are six main classes. Firstly the energy producing group of protein, fats and carbohydrates; secondly the non-energy producing group of water, vitamins and minerals. Protein is important for tissue building and growth as well as several other bodily …show more content…
As with complete dry foods, tinned foods and semi-moist foods can vary in quality. Again choose a good quality dog food with an easily digestible recipe and choose a food which is nutritionally complete. As before it is best to avoid changes in your dog's diet so if you find a product that works, stick to it.
As far as home made raw meat diets are concerned, whilst they are natural and can taste good, it is very difficult to get the balance right, so you are probably better off choosing from one of the tried and tested commercial diets. Puppies in particular need the best possible diet whilst they are growing up, as even a slight imbalance may harm their development and growth.
Care should be taken if using dietary supplements. Good quality commercial diets are generally well balanced, but sometimes adding a supplement can be beneficial to your dog’s health. Be aware that high levels of some vitamins and minerals in the diet can be as harmful as too little, so consult your vet for advice.
From about the age of seven, your dog should be switched over to a food that is specially designed for senior dogs. Such a food will contain slightly less protein but of a higher quality and
Nutrients can be divided into two groups and within these are six main classes. Firstly the energy producing group of protein, fats and carbohydrates; secondly the non-energy producing group of water, vitamins and minerals. Protein is important for tissue building and growth as well as several other bodily …show more content…
As with complete dry foods, tinned foods and semi-moist foods can vary in quality. Again choose a good quality dog food with an easily digestible recipe and choose a food which is nutritionally complete. As before it is best to avoid changes in your dog's diet so if you find a product that works, stick to it.
As far as home made raw meat diets are concerned, whilst they are natural and can taste good, it is very difficult to get the balance right, so you are probably better off choosing from one of the tried and tested commercial diets. Puppies in particular need the best possible diet whilst they are growing up, as even a slight imbalance may harm their development and growth.
Care should be taken if using dietary supplements. Good quality commercial diets are generally well balanced, but sometimes adding a supplement can be beneficial to your dog’s health. Be aware that high levels of some vitamins and minerals in the diet can be as harmful as too little, so consult your vet for advice.
From about the age of seven, your dog should be switched over to a food that is specially designed for senior dogs. Such a food will contain slightly less protein but of a higher quality and