Dog Feeding

By Mark Woodcock

The nutritional needs of our dogs constantly change through the course of their lives depending upon their environment. Who said dog foods were all alike?

As dog owners we should always choose a food that has good overall quality. Dog owners should always look for a statement on the food bag that says the product successfully passed feeding trails of the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This should ensure that the food contains no nutritional deficiencies or excesses that may be detrimental to your dog in the long run.

At what stage of life your dog is at is also another important factor when feeding your dog. Growth requires energy, puppies being much more active than their older counterparts and therefore, young growing puppies will require more energy than older dogs.

With young large breed dogs you need to be more aware that high energy intake can directly affect growth. Large breed puppies which grow too fast can develop a mismatch between their body growth and their bone growth. If the bones cannot keep up with the growth rate the dog could end up with an orthopedic disease.

Whilst intact growing animals require more energy, neutered dogs require less energy in comparison. Obesity tends to occur more often in neutered dogs than in intact dogs. Neutered dogs tend to gain weight more easily and are often less active, dog owners should recognize this change and not continue to feed the same amount of food to their dog after neutering.

As with humans, when dogs reach their geriatric years, their metabolic rate begins to decline because their energy levels are lower. They require less fat within their diet. Older dogs can be prone to constipation, but by adding a little fiber to the diet should eliminate this problem and make the dog more satisfied and full after eating. Older dogs can also develop problems like renal disease and therefore feeding healthy food which contains phosphorus will help to keep renal disease in check. You could also use senior formulas for older dogs with contain extra antioxidants which in turn will help to maintain the immune system and fight off age related problems.

Lactating animals require more energy than those at any other adult life stage. Producing milk for a litter of puppies is an energy draining process. It is not really possible to overfeed heavily lactating animals because so much energy is going into milk production.

Animals which have environmental stressors tend to have a higher energy requirements too. Animals which live outside, especially when it is very cold, may need up to 90 percent more energy than animals that live indoors where it's much warmer.

All of this may seem very complicated, but it is possible to choose the best diet for your pet if you have information about your pet's nutritional needs. If you have questions regarding your pet's nutrition, please contact your local veterinarian.

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