Dog Food
One of the universal truths about dogs is that they eat a lot and will often eat themselves into a stupor. It's up to you to make sure that your dog gets the right formula for his or her nutritional needs. Don't forget that you need to put all this great food in bowls and feeders and dogs are sometimes picky about the bowls the eat or drink out of.
Dry vs. Canned
This debate is mostly a question of taste. Health problems aside, offer your dogs both kinds of food and see which they like better. Once you've decided which food to use, follow these guidelines to feed them the appropriate amounts.
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Dry 
Because of its low water content, dry food has much more nutrition per bite. Consequently, it takes less food to feed your dogs and each bag lasts longer. - More economical.
- Better for bigger dogs.
- Serve with lots of water.
- Less tarter buildup and plaque.
- To make it more palatable, you might have to mix it with wet food or warm water.
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Canned
Wet, yummy, messy, and fragrant. What could be better? - Dogs have to eat more to get the same nutrition as dry food, but they'll like it.
- Good to mix with dry food as an added enticement.
- Can build up on teeth and cause serious rot and gum disease.
- Since it's the more palatable food, it's a good idea to use if they're having trouble eating, but it might be hard to introduce them to dry food once they're used to it.
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Semi-moist dog foods are also available, but they haven't received the best reviews from reviewers.
Essential Ingredients
Your vet should tell you what kinds of foods your dogs need. S/he might have specific recommendations, in fact. Follow those rules.
If you're not sure what to get, these are some, but not all, of the requirements that should make their way into your dogs' food. Everything should be certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). - Healthy, adult, 35-pound dogs need about 1000 calories a day.
- Sick dogs need twice that.
- Puppies need twice as many calories per pound as adult dogs. (But they're smaller, so the overall calories may be fewer.)
- Mother dogs need four times the average.
- Lazy and old dogs need 80% of the average.
- 20-30% protein content.
- Read what the Pet Center has to say about which proteins are digestible. While many things have protein, if dogs can't break them down, they're useless.
- Younger dogs should get 10% of calories from protein but older dogs may need up to 50% of their calories from protein.
- The quality of the protein is usually directly reflected in the price of the food.
- 2.5-4.5% dietary fiber.
- 10% fiber is good for dogs trying to lose weight.
- Too much will cause your dog to get diarrhea, and fail to absorb nutrients.
- High quality brands have lots of meat. Lower quality dry foods are soybean, corn, or rice-based. (The order of ingredients listed reflects the quantity in the food.)
- This means that higher quality foods will probably be more expensive and healthier. Your dogs will have to eat less of it to be full and healthy, though. It's a worthwhile investment.
- Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals.
- Omega-3 (Linolenic Acid) and Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) fatty acids.
- Taurine is an amino acid that is often left out of dry food. Your dogs need it. Make sure it's on the label.
- Vitamins A, D, and E are essential, but should not be overdosed upon. Feed your dogs the amount recommended by the food brand is sufficient.
Types of Dog Food
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Puppies
Intended for dogs up to one year old. Many Puppy foods are also intended for pregnant or nursing dogs. If your dog is pregnant or nursing, check with your vet to find out what kind of food is right for her. - While most dogs eat once or twice a day, puppies need to eat more often, like four times a day.
- Some new dog owners are tempted to feed a puppy after every whimper; resist the temptation of overfeeding and avoid some premature plump on your puppy.
- Some vets say that puppy-specific food isn't necessary after 4 months, and that a puppy's needs can be met by adult dog food.
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Medically Oriented Diets
Get your vet's approval before putting your dog on any kind of special diet. While a Web site may say that something is safe, only your vet can address the true reality of your dog's personal health. |
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Natural Living Diets
If you want your dog to live along the same principles as the rest of your family, try these diets. While feasible, they take a serious commitment and knowledge of canine nutrition. Do your homework and consult your vet first. |
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Senior Dogs
If your dogs are getting on in years and have started to have different nutrition needs, try these options. |
Feeding Tips- Brand Preference: Your dog has tastes. If you dog refuses to eat a particular brand of food, just switch to another brand or flavor with similar nutritional value, instead of forcing your preference on your poor companion.
- Cleaning: Clean the food bowl after every meal.
- Feeding Schedule: Some dogs need to be fed twice a day, some once, and some can be trusted to eat throughout the day. (Often the larger dogs need to eat more often.) Get together with your dog and your vet, work out a schedule, then stick to it for the course of the dog's natural life. Alternating feeding patterns will throw your dog for a loop.
- This will also help establish a walking schedule as well.
- If you keep the feeding schedule somewhat relaxed, feeding them during the same hour each day, they'll be less punctual with their pestering.
- Switching Foods: Mix the new food in with the old food and slowly phase out the old food. Doing this over a week will keep down any digestive problems.
- Table Scraps: Feed your dog once from the dinner table and expect regular suppertime harassment. In general, avoid feeding your dog human food. Why?
- Dog food made by recognized manufacturers is engineered to fill all your dog's nutritional needs. They don't need your food.
- Your food will make your dog fat.
- Bones from human food can chip and cause choking or indigestion, milk can cause diarrhea, and chocolate can cause death.
- Vitamin Supplements: If the dogs get a properly balanced diet, they won't need any vitamin supplements.
- Water: Lots of water. Especially with dry food. But especially for dogs who drool.
Treats
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Treats, the thesaurus will tell you, are rewards. They shouldn't replace a canine's regular diet, just as you wouldn't want your child to subsist on Oreos alone.
Things to consider when purchasing treats: - AAFCO Approval: The Association of American Feed Control Officials puts its seal of approval on treats (and food in general) that conforms to its nutrition standards.
- Calories: Watch your dog's weight. Or else.
- Consistency: A change in ingredients from treat to treat can be hard on your dog's digestion.
- Ingredients: You can feed them filet mignon bits if your wallet allows, but in general look to balance quality components with reasonable price.
- Size: Buy treats appropriate to your dog's size. Too small and they will choke. Too large and it's no use trying to eat.
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Never Feed Dogs (a partial list from Pet Education)
- Alcohol
- Bones (They get chewed into tiny little pieces and can cut up the dogs' insides.)
- Caffeine
- Cat Food
- Chocolate
- Dairy
- Garbage
- Grapes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Pits
- Raw Eggs
- Raw Fish
- Sugary Foods
- Table Scraps
- Tobacco
- Yeast Dough
A Health Note
If you overfeed or under exercise your dogs, they will get fat. And they will experience many of the same problems that obese humans do. Big, fat, lazy dogs aren't more adorable than their skinny brethren; they're just less healthy. If you followed all of the portion information for your dog and your finding s/he is getting too fat, feed your pet less. If it's too skinny, feed it more. You can tell a lot about your dog's health by paying attention to your dog's behavior.
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