Article Title: Determining The Proper Nutrition For Your Dog
Author: John Duncan
As more companies jump into the competitive market of pet
nutrition, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the
average consumer to tell which one is the best for their pet.
Many considerations must be taken into account when you choose
a dog food, in particular any allergies that your dog may have.
For example, many dogs cannot tolerate beef products, while
others have a sensitivity to lamb. Through a process of trial
and error you can usually find a dog food that your pet will
eat, but is it good for them?
Natural products are making great inroads and although they are
expensive, many dog owners are making the switch. You'll find
everything from macrobiotic pet food, to natural meals that
require more preparation than your own.
If you are looking to find a natural dog food, the choices are
numerous, but one company, NutroPro, has done a very good job
of providing an easy to use dog food that is comparable in
price to Science or Iams. If you have the time to prepare your
dog's food, you may want to consider the gourmet dog food
preparations, but in many cases, bagged or canned dog food can
be just as beneficial.
Each type of food will come with a recommended serving amount
based on a dog's weight. Puppies obviously need to be fed more
at first, but you will need to scale back as they get older.
Since every dog has a different metabolism, you may need to
experiment a little to see what amount of food they really
need.
You can use body condition to determine how well they are doing
on their current amounts. The rib test is one of the easiest
ways to determine a dog's weight condition. Have your dog stand
straight and place your hand on their rib cage. If you can feel
their ribs, but not see them, they are in good condition. If
you feel mushy or lumpy deposits between the ribs, or if you
can't feel the ribs at all, your dog may be overweight.
Obviously, if you can see your dog's ribcage, they are not
getting enough to eat.
Treats are a large area of concern, since most dog owner's
overdo. The average dog will never tell you when they've had
enough, it isn't in their nature. Most dog treats will have
serving guides to help you know how many you should give your
pet, but you may want to halve this amount, particularly if you
are feeding a high quality dog food.
Try to avoid giving your dog table scraps, even though it is
tempting. Once in awhile, it is fine to treat your dog, but
don't make a habit of it. Our foods are usually higher in fat
content, and when coupled with a good dog food, you're dog will
be ingesting too many calories, which can lead to obesity.
One treat you must always avoid is chocolate in any form. There
has been a lot of controversy over this in recent years, but the
bottom line is that certain chemicals in chocolate can cause
seizures in a dog. Even if you've fed them chocolate for years,
you are still running the risk that a seizure could occur. There
is a no way for a dog to be "immune" to these chemicals and it
is much smarter to avoid giving them chocolate.
With proper nutrition, feeding and care, you can add years to
the life of your pet.
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