Dog’s Nutritional Requirements
November 15, 2010
How to Understand a Dog’s Nutritional Requirements
Dogs are the best pals for human beings and are grown in most of the houses. A dog is usually pictured as a carnivore, a 100% flesh eater. Its digestive tract is relatively short and unable to digest plant material properly. Its teeth are sharp to kill prey and tear apart the meat. But dog is also opportunistic and will, if required, adjust its menu to what is available. For now, let’s say it is a carnivore, but definitively not an obligate one.
Your Canine needs dog food that consists of the following seven groups of nutrients: Proteins, fat, Carbohydrates, Minerals, Vitamins, Fiber, Water. Dogs need a certain amount of energy to sustain the normal activities of their daily lives. Growth, pregnancy, lactation and exercise all increase these normal energy requirements.
Take extra care of newborn puppies, as they are like new born babies. New born pups feed every two hours. Well-fed pups generally have their tummies looking full and they sleep well. By the age of three to four weeks, the pups are now ready for their first taste of solid food. Do not force feed if they are not ready. For their first solid feed blend puppy food with part milk replacer and part water. Blend these to make a puree of the consistency of baby cereal. Get more puppy care information for growing healthy puppies. The mother dogs need for calories increase with the number of puppies and the week of lactation up to 4 weeks.
Always remember to provide fresh drinking water, even if your dog’s food seems very wet.Perfect healthy dogs occasionally skip a meal or eat less than normal. Unless the dog is showing signs of illness or its appetite does not pick up again soon, there is no need for any alarm. Be careful to avoid overfeeding young dogs as by doing so, it may lead to a variety of medical problems.
As dogs become older they are prone to age-related diseases just like humans. By providing your senior dog with the right nutrition in his twilight years, you can help alleviate many symptoms and even slow down the aging process.
It is important to understand that nutritional needs will vary among dogs and puppies, depending on lifestyle, life stage, and health condition. Some dogs, with certain health conditions have specific nutritional requirements that are provided in a prescription dog food diet, available through veterinarians.
