Puppy Care

Providing your dog with a well balanced diet is part of being a responsible dog owner. Make sure you include foods that contain protein, carbohydrates, and good fats.  By providing your dog with a well balanced diet you are making sure that she has a long, happy, and healthy life. A proper diet will also provide her with a beautiful coat and bundles of energy.

The question that many people have is… What is the proper balance for my dog’s diet? Follow this general rule of thumb…

2 – 25% protein
20 – 35% fat
40 – 60% carbohydrates
Along with these essential nutrients you should also provide your dog with vitamins and minerals.

However, keep in mind that dogs have very different needs than us. Vitamin B1 is an important supplement that they need. This is because dogs are not very good at storing vitamin B1 in their bodies and it is absent from many Dog foods.

Feeding your dog only lean meat will not provide them with all the necessary nutrients. In nature, dogs eat their entire prey which contains everything they need. As responsible owners we shoud try an make their environment as natural as possible.

Studies have been done to look at the habits of dogs and what they eat. These studies have shown that dogs prefer cooked and mushy food over those that are raw and meaty. However, dogs are not usually very picky and many will eat almost anything we give them. So we need to ensure that we are giving them the best.

Most dog owners, myself included, tend to feed their dogs commercial Dog food. These often have essential vitamins and minerals. The manufacturers know that the Dog food must be stored easily so they package them in convenient ways such as bags or cans. Dog owners just love that. The downside is that usually the more convenient and attractive the packaging, the more expensive the food. Wouldn’t you agree?

This is one of the reason more and more dog owners are turning to home cooking for their dogs. The problem here is that it can be hard to provide our pets with the proper balance in their diet this way. The things that we eat and cook for ourselves are not good for them.

The key is to do some research and make sure that you are providing your dog with the best possible source of her nutrition to ensure healthy pets.

Things can go wrong if we are not careful with what we are giving our dogs. For example, too much milk powder in their food may cause scouring because some dogs have a hard time digesting lactose. Instead of creating your own recipes a better way might be to search for recipes that have been time tested.

Another is consideration is to be careful of bones. Try and avoid most bones, although your dog does enjoy a good bone. Small, cooked bones are more likely to splinter posing a risk for your dogs. So try to stay away from cooked chicken bones, lamb chops, and fish bones. Fish bones are probably the worst of all.

What is best for your dog can be learned over time. You can note any food that she avoids since this may indicate a food that she does not like. Just keep in mind that you should follow the unique requirements of a dog’s diet and you should be fine. This will ensure that your dog is happy and healthy.

Download a FREE copy of “39 Simple Tips to Keep Your Pet Healthy“.