By Lily Ferreras | Dog Nutrition | Cuddla.com

t is important to follow a species-appropriate diet. This is true for humans as well as for pets, especially since the appearance of processed food.

From a genetic standpoint, domesticated canines and felines are essentially the same as their wild counterparts, who are carnivores. This means that dogs evolved to consume a low-carbohydrate diet. Since they are carnivorous animals, they must eat fresh whole prey for optimal health.

But for the last century, the majority of pet owners have fed their pets a high-carbohydrate, low-moisture diet, i.e. commercial pet food. This new diet has created significant metabolic and physiologic stress in our pets. Moreover, it has become the root cause of most of the inflammatory processes and degenerative disease we see in veterinary medicine today.

Understanding dog nutrition and the ingredients 

Understanding the ingredients of your dog’s food is a must. Whenever you feed your dog with different kinds of food, you should always read the label and understand the ingredients used in commercial preparations. Understanding the ingredients while buying food for your dog helps you to know what to look for. What’s also very important for pet owners to know is that pet food is a relatively new concept. So, the dog food you buy from the supermarket has only been around a little over a hundred years.

What is pet food

The truth is that our pet population provides a place for recycling waste from the human food industry:

• Grains that fail inspection.
• Uninspected pieces and parts of waste from the seafood industry.
• Leftover restaurant grease.
• Diseased livestock.
• And even roadkill.

All those leftovers are collected and disposed of through rendering — a process that converts all sorts of human food industry waste into raw materials for the pet food industry. Then, they add bulk vitamin and mineral supplements. Finally, they extrude the mix at high temperatures, creating all sorts of toxic reactions.In addition, processed pet food producers are focused on grain-based pet food, even if dogs are carnivorous, not vegetarian.

Ingredients in dog food 

Dog food can be dry or fresh. Homemade fresh dog food generally consists of ingredients like freshly cut chicken pieces in addition to coconut oil, blue-green algae, etc. If you come across any different kinds of preservatives and if the dog develops all of a sudden signs pertaining to the food allergy, suspect the unwanted ingredient in the feed items given.

Also, it is important to understand the moisture status. Your dog might prefer more moist food, so you can pay attention to your friend’s preferences.

Beet pulp, pasta, soybean oil, wheat middlings, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, copper sulphate, iron sulphate, zinc oxide, choline chloride, etc. are often the ingredients in case of vegetarian-based diet for dogs.

Raw egg, chicken, beef, mutton, fish, quail, etc. are often part of the regular diet for dogs.

Many premium types of dog food preparations contain essential fatty acids, carbohydrates with adequate fibre contents, vitamins like A, D, E and B complex vitamins.

Furthermore, minerals like zinc is an essential ingredient for skin health status and calcium, which is an essential ingredient for bone growth, tonicity of muscles. They should be enriched in these food items. However, the cost of those food preparations are comparatively more expensive than the food preparations with general ingredients. Though it may be better for your dog’s health.

Types of dog food

Dry vs. canned food 

Dogs like dry foods only if they are tasty. Generally, they prefer canned food because of the moisture. It is about 70 to 80% in canned food, but only 10% in the dry food.If we look at the nutrients, often dry food contains nearly 90% nutrients whereas canned food contains less. That’s why to have a balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients, it’s best to give a variety of foods to your doggy, not just dry food all the time.Many dry foods are soybean, corn and/or rice based. Canned food is based on beef or chicken along with mineral and vitamin supplements suited for the upkeep of your dog’s health.

Homemade food 

Homemade diets are important for your dog’s feeding schedule. Usually, commercial diets have artificial colouring agents and flavouring agents that are harmful to your dog’s body. Homemade meals provide the guarantee of freshness in the preparation and ingredients, unlike the ready-made commercial items.The preservatives added in the commercial food items may be harmful to your furry friend, especially if he suffers from an illness.

Often, these meals are prepared using freezing procedures to kill the germs or by adding grape seed extracts to provide sufficient antioxidants to the homemade food items. Apple cider vinegar is also added to meat pieces prepared in a fresh manner. A meal can also be enriched with supplements like krill oil, for example.

So, what should my dog eat?

Dog appropriate nutrition

Dog nutrition varies with age. Yes. This is true. For example, puppies need milk as a major food item while an adult dog may need beef or chicken in addition to boiled egg and milk. So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies in reality for dogs like any other species.

Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates than adult dogs. Furthermore, puppies need more frequent feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. The movement-based requirements of diet are more in the case of puppies since they are often more active than adult dogs.

Elderly dogs need restricted protein but the protein needs to be easily digestible and easily assimilated in the body. The diet schedule should have an ample supply of water for them. Feeding aged dogs too much protein may finally lead to overburden to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters in the kidney.

This is true especially when the immune system of these dogs is compromised due to many factors. Similarly, elderly dogs need less food only because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited amount of energy.

Female dogs in the pregnancy stage need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some discomforts to them. However, all pregnant and nursing animal need a special type of food items that deliver a balanced type of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals.

The nursing animal with puppies need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium and hence, there will not be any calcium based deficiency and the bones of the puppies will be strong without any curving.

A balanced and species-appropriate diet

A healthy, species-appropriate dog diet should include:

• High-quality protein – muscle meat, not pieces or parts.
• Moderate level of animal fat.
• High levels of EPA and DHA.
• High moisture content.
• A few fresh cut veggies and a bit of fruit (mimics prey’s stomach contents).
• No grains.
• No potatoes or other starches.

Plus, your furry friend should be well hydrated.

 

 

How much water should a dog drink a day?

Many pet owners leave a bowl of water out for their dogs the time. However, monitoring your pet’s water intake can improve her health, prevent illness and much more.While some pets naturally do this on their own, some either under-drink or over-drink. Too little water can lead to dehydration, kidney stones, organ failure and even death. On the contrary, drinking too much water can lead to stomach bloat, electrolyte imbalances, and hyponatremia (water toxicity).Here are some optimal guidelines to know how much water your pet should drink daily:

Size:

On average, a healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.

Food:

A healthy diet is as important as water and the type of food your pet eats affects his water intake. For example, dogs that eat only dry food will need a little more water than those that eat canned. Also, avoid ingredients that can artificially increase your dog’s thirst such as sodium.

Age:

Puppies need about a 1/2 cup every two hours and need to be closely monitored. Senior dogs tend to naturally monitor themselves.

Exercise:

Bring water along on any exercise excursion with your dog. After exercise, just give him little water at a time to prevent bloat.

Weather:

Summer means more panting which means an increase in water intake.

Medications:

Check with your vet to see if you need to decrease or increase your pet’s water intake while taking a medication.

How to source dog food

To get started, you can contact or research pet food manufacturers to know for sure whether the food you’re buying is from ethically raised animals and the ingredients they use. 

Usually, companies that go through the effort to make non-toxic, human-grade, non-GMO food discuss it extensively on their website. There they offer all the transparency you need to feel confident in feeding their food, including their certifications. 

Ultimately, however, the best way to know what’s going into your pet’s food is to make it yourself. Making your dog’s food yourself means you can select ingredients.

Dog meal plan

How much should I feed my dog? 

Many people will give different answers based on their experience with their dogs. However, scientific facts can differ from those answers.

Meal plan for young to adult dogs

As a general rule of thumb, you should feed your pet x amount of calories based on age and body weight. Here’s the basic formula to calculate daily calorie intake:

Canine Daily Calories = Body Weight (kg) x 30 + 70

Meal plan for puppies 

Usually, puppies should not be separated from their mom before they are eight weeks old. However, if you find yourself having to feed an orphaned pet, 5 % of his body weight may be taken as food quantity measure.

Furthermore, unlike adult pets, puppies and kitties need to be fed restricted amounts of food but with more frequency. Once they get older, the amount will be increased but the frequency of feeding is often decreased in many occasions.

How often should I feed my dog? 

For dogs of 12 months or older, traditionally it has been recommended that they should be fed just once a day, with small breeds being fed twice a day because they only eat a small amount at each meal time.

In addition, if it is a puppy on her first 6 weeks of age, she needs to be feed milk five to seven times per day. She will probably make some sound if she gets hungry.

After she is 6 weeks old, her feeding frequency may be reduced. Once she is 4 weeks old, she might start taking some solid food.

Between 8 weeks to 12 months, you can feed your puppy twice a day: breakfast and dinner. Beware that your pup will be teething around 3 to 6 months of age.

Generally, from 6 to 12 months, you can introduce commercial puppy food to your doggy. After that, you can move to adult food gradually.

A note about food allergies 

Food allergies are something that is difficult to identify unless one is well aware of the baseline information with regard to this type of allergy. The main symptoms of food allergies in dogs include facial itching, limb chewing, belly itching, recurrent ear infections or skin infections.

If dogs consume a lot of prepared foods including various kinds of proteins, fillers, colouring agents and more, the incidences of food allergies are more than one can imagine. Allergic reactions mostly involve the skin or the gastrointestinal tract.

If you come across your dog itching after having food, then it could be a food allergy. However, conditions like fungal infections need to be ruled out before assuming that the itching is a sign of food allergy.

There are many recorded incidences of allergies to corn and wheat. However, food allergies can vary from dog to dog. Read the labels carefully if you suspect your dog is allergic.

 

List of toxic foods:

Dogs can be opportunists when it comes to getting their paws on tasty treats. However, not all everyday foods and drinks are safe if they come into contact with them. 

So, if what we eat on a daily basis can be toxic food for pets, let’s have a look at the nine things are particularly dangerous to both dogs.

#1 – Onions, garlic and chives

Plants containing allium, including onions, garlic, leeks and chives. However, dogs can safely consume 1/4 teaspoon of freshly chopped garlic per 15 pounds of body weight since it has substantial health benefits.The onion family is particularly toxic and can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage. Signs of illness are not always immediate and can occur up to a few days later.

#2 – Chocolate and chocolate-based productsIt’s irresistible for both humans and pets. However, chocolate is another poisonous food for dogs and cats. It contains a stimulant called theobromine (dark chocolate has the highest content of this) which can cause kidney failure.

#3 – Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts contain a toxin that can affect your pet’s muscles and nervous system resulting in weakness, swollen limbs and panting.

#4 – Corn on the cob

Corn on the cob could potentially be fatal if eaten by your dog. Although the corn is digested by dogs, the cob can cause a blockage in your dog’s intestine.

#5 – Avocado

Avocados are another poisonous food. They contain a substance called Persin, which is in its leaves, fruit, and seed. This substance can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

#6 – Sugar and artificial sweetener

All sugars and artificial sweeteners, including xylitol, are harmful to your pet. Many foods like sweet treats, drinks, sugar-free products, etc. often have an artificial sweetener called Xylitol. 

Xylitol causes an insulin release in our bodies. However, if your pet digests one of these sweetened foods they can go into hypoglycemia, which is linked to liver failure and blood clotting disorders.

 

#7 – Alcohol

Alcohol, in particular, Ethanol in alcoholic beverages has a huge impact on pets even in small doses. The drink not only causes intoxication as it does in humans, but it can lead to sickness, diarrhoea, and even central nervous system damage.

#8 – Cooked bones

Giving your dog a raw uncooked bone to chew on is great, but avoid cooked bones at all cost. These can easily splinter and in large quantities cause constipation or at worst, perforation of the gut which can be fatal. Cooked bones are harmful to both dogs and cats.

#9 – Grapes and raisins

Vitis vinifera fruits, including grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants are also poisonous.

The active ingredient which causes the toxin is unknown, however, these four fruits may cause severe liver damage and kidney failure.

P.S.: What should I do if my pet has eaten any of these? If consumed, even small amounts of these items can be fatal so always act immediately and take your dog to the vets.

 

Dog Food Allergies

Food allergies are something that is difficult to identify unless one is well aware of the baseline information with regard to this type of allergy.

Allergic reactions mostly involve the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms of food allergies in dogs include:

• Facial itching.
• Limb chewing.
• Belly itching.
• Recurrent ear infections.
• Skin infections.

If dogs consume a lot of prepared foods including various kinds of proteins, fillers, colouring agents and more, the incidences of food allergies are more than one can imagine.

If you come across your dog itching after having food, then it could be a food allergy. However, conditions like fungal infections need to be ruled out before assuming that the itching is a sign of food allergy.

There are many recorded incidences of allergies to corn and wheat. However, food allergies can vary from dog to dog. Read the labels carefully if you suspect your dog is allergic.

Insider Tip: If you come across any different kinds of preservatives and if the dog develops all of a sudden signs pertaining to the food allergy, suspect the unwanted ingredient in the feed items given.

Dog nutrition costs 

Research by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) found that 98% of pet owners underestimated the lifetime costs, with 12% (2.6 million) of dog owners putting it at £500 when the true cost is between £21,000 and £33,000 depending on size and breed. With dogs generally living for 10-13 years, that adds up to £2,000 or more a year.Food is one of the biggest outgoings. There are lots of options – some people are passionate about raw meat, others opt for dry kibble, and then there are various tins and sachets. However, a report by Which? found that spending more on premium dog food does not guarantee that it is any more nutritious.Food should be selected based on the quality factor. In addition, here are some ideas to reduce cost without compromising your dog’s health.