You should know that all dogs are different and a diet that your neighbour’s dog love may not be the best for your dog. Your vet is the best person to recommend the best diet for your dog. Domesticated dogs are mostly carnivores though they consume some omnivorous foods. In fact, Dr Leigh (Your Vet Online) recommends that you feed your pet a complete and balanced meal for every stage of its life. Consider any medical issues that your dog may have when choosing the best food for your pet.
It’s perfectly okay to feed your pet a pure kibble diet, or you may even mix their food up with some raw or cooked meat, vegetables, rice, and fish. Even though many owners prefer to feed raw meat diets to their pets, such a diet may not suit every dog. Dr Leigh Davidson suggests the following:
- If you decide to feed your pet raw meat, make sure that you choose human-grade meat. In fact, pet meat & bone products may contain preservatives that could be bad for your dog’s health.
- Without proper food hygiene, the risk of both you and your pet getting a food-borne bacterial infection including salmonella or campylobacter is quite high.
- Consult a veterinary nutritionist to formulate the diet for your pet. Many raw diets are incomplete and not properly balanced for the dog’s stage of life or medical conditions.
- Although a small amount of cooked meat including lamb or boiled chicken is perfect for your dog, avoid cooked bones and onion sauces that might be present on the meat.
- Tinned tuna, salmon, and sardines in spring water are good for your pet on an occasional basis. But you should check them for fish bones first.
- Cooked pumpkin or raw grated carrots are ideal for bulking out your pet’s meal. Many dogs lack enough fibre in their diets. Adding pumpkin or carrot to the diet can improve the bowel health of your dog.
- Your dog shouldn’t consume whole bones since it can lead to constipation over time.
Usually, one to two bones a week is enough to remove plaque from your dog’s teeth. The bone should be big enough so that the dog can’t fit the entire bone in its mouth. The bone should be raw since cooked bone can splinter causing internal damage or obstructing the intestine of the pet.
How much food does your dog need?
The exact amount of food your pet needs depends on many factors including the size, age, and breed of your dog. It may also depend on how regularly does your pet exercise. The most important thing is that you don’t underfeed or overfeed the dog. If you are unsure of the exact amount of food for your pet, the best thing is to ask your vet to assess the dog’s diet and nutrition as well as its overall health and well-being. If you are interested in plant-based dog treats, W’ZIS are a reputable option for dog owners.
Your pet should be well hydrated. Make sure its water bowl is filled up at all times and change it daily. That way your dog will help itself to water whenever it needs it. When you are assessing the weight and size of your pet, look at its body shape than the weight. Your dog should be lean so that you could run your fingers firmly over the side and feel its rib cage. If this is not possible, you might be overfeeding your pet. Dog obesity is linked to diseases like osteoarthritis and decreased longevity, which is totally preventable.