Dog Food: Obesity

Dog nutrition has to be the most important element to successful dog care that you the dog owner need to be aware of. Dog nutrition contributes largely to the life span of your pet and the quality of life that your pet leads. It is such a huge topic of interest right now that finding the right food and following the correct guidelines can be quite a challenge. Many dog food owners complain that they need to be scientists to understand the dog food labels!

Because there are now a vast amount of different dog breeds, pet food manufacturers have developed different types of food best suited for optimum dog nutrition for the specific breed of dog. Being aware of your own dog’s specific nutritional requirements can be a difficult task in itself, and if you are not sure you can always speak with your Vet who will advise you on the best avenue to take.

Dog nutrition will change depending on the dog’s age, the possible developing of bad health, etc. This said, providing the utmost nutritional base for a dog that is going through a difficult stretch for whatever reason is very important. Your Vet will be able to best help you in determining the appropriate food for your pet in cases such as this so be sure to check with him or her.

Below I have listed some general tips to ensure that your dog gets the most out of whatever food you do offer him/her:

feeding at the same time each day

When you bide by a feeding schedule, you can ensure that your dog’s food is always fresh. Dog food that is filled in the bowl first thing in the morning is exposed to air and so will not be as fresh. Also, allowing for the food to be down all day, means that your animal can just eat all day long and we all know what that can lead to!

how much food your dog needs

This fact can be tricky. There are multiple factors to consider when trying to figure out the appropriate amount of food to feed to your dog daily. The activity level of your dog, your dog’s metabolism, and genetics, are all factors to consider. What you want to attempt to do is feed your dog enough to maintain his ideal body weight. For information concerning the ideal body weight of your dog, consult your Vet.

feeding table scraps

Under no circumstances should a dog be fed table scraps. Not only will this develop into a habit on your part, but your dog will never leave you or your family alone while you are all at the table.

Dog Diet – The Right Food For Your Dog

Furthermore, certain foods are very bad for dogs to ingest, and can lead to toxicity and severe illness for your dog.

exercise

Simply exercising your dog can help to control excess weight gain if your dog is prone to this.

Another suggestion for controlling excess weight gain is to put your dog on a low density calorie dog food. Your Vet will be able to assist you in deciding if this is an appropriate option.

You may think that it is cute to have your dog on the chubby side, starting as a pup and then on toward adult form, but, it is not healthy so be sure and take your feeding your dog seriously.

Healthy meals are useless if your dog spends the entire day gorging on junk food or treats. Dogs love to nag, but table scraps and fatty snacks cause obesity. Treats shouldn't account for more than 10% of her daily caloric intake. As a treat in between meals, provide carrots, boiled sweet potatoes, or green beans.