Appropriate Dietary Habits for Dogs
Do you want your pup to live a happy and healthy life? Definitely, the answer will be yes, so try to maintain the best dietary habits for dogs. Feed a healthy and balanced diet to keep your dog’s energy high. Remember, different animals have different nutritional requirements. Moreover, these requirements vary from age to age. So, ensure that you’re keeping these things in mind. Here, we’ll share some dog care tips for maintaining appropriate dietary habits.
What to Do With Dogs That Always Want More?
Once you have served the proper proportion of food, but your dog still wants more and feel hungry, you need to consider the following things:
Is your dog getting enough nutrition to satisfy his appetite?
When you purchase low-quality food for your dog, it means it lacks nutrition and is not enough to satisfy their appetite.
Are you feeding the right proportion of food?
For example, you take your dog with you for exercise. When you came back, your dog needs more calories than usual. In such conditions, you need to ask your vet about how much food you must serve?
Are you providing clean water?
When your dogs are thirsty and they don’t find fresh water, they start eating. So, if you want to prevent this from occurring, clean your dog’s bowl and fill it with fresh water.
Best Feeding Methods for Dogs
Remember, the best feeding method for dogs depends on their personality and size. Consider the following feeding methods:
1. Free Feeding
In this method, you leave a bowl full of food in front of your dogs so that they can eat as much as they want. Your dogs will eat whenever they are hungry. You can use this method if you’re feeding dry food because wet food can get spoiled quickly.
There is a drawback of this method as well. It results in weight gain and obesity in pets. However, if you can’t stick to a feeding schedule, then you can opt for this method.
2. Timed Feeding
For this, you’ll have to set a feeding routine and stick to it. Your pets will know the meal times, and they’ll be ready for it. You can give dogs 5-10 minutes to finish the meal. This method is perfect for those pet owners who want to mix the medication with their dog foods. In this way, you can control calorie consumption as well.
Moreover, in this method, you can establish a proper routine so that your dog digests food before the next meal and exercise. If you’re unsure about the feeding method, you can consult your vet for advice.
General Feeding Advice for Dogs
Another dog care tip is to avoid feeding home-cooked food to your dog. They lack nutrition and can’t fulfill your dog’s nutritional needs. When buying dog food, ensure that the first ingredient on the list is meat. If the ingredients specified at the top are wheat, meat by-product, or corn, avoid this kind of food.
Try to feed the same brand and type of food to your pup. When you change the brand and food type regularly, it will result in an upset stomach and obesity. If it’s essential to change food, then introduce the new food gradually so that your dog can digest it.
For proper digestion your dog needs to eat slowly. For dogs who eat to quickly, try using a specialized feeding bowl that will slow your dog down. Like this one to the right.
It's also very important to allow your dog to fully digest properly prior to returning to exercise and activity. The stomachs of some dogs can twist while they are running around if they have not fully digested, and this can be, in some cases, fatal. After your dog eats, put them in a kennel or make them lay down for 15 - 20 minutes before allowing them to get back to running around.
How Many Meals Per Day Are Good for Dogs?
There is no specific answer to this question because the number of meals varies from breed to breed and dog’s age. As a dog owner, you should provide at least two meals each day. You can serve them about 12 hours apart. Ideally, the best way is to feed them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedules but if you can’t stick to that schedule, then go for two meals each day. Remember, when you don’t feed for more than 12 hours, it can cause nausea.
Summary of Good Dietary Habits
When you understand the best feeding method for your dog, you need to follow the below given appropriate dietary habits:
Always provide clean water in a clean bowl
Don’t feed until you’re sure that your dog is hungry
Don’t take your dog for a walk until your dog digests the food
Maintain healthy habits to ensure that your dog burns the calories
You can take your dogs for a walk and exercise to avoid weight gain problems
When your dog gets old and energy levels are decreased, stick to a low-calorie diet
Avoid serving the full bowl because it can cause issues like weight gain and obesity
Try to set a fixed feeding schedule and stick to it. If you can’t do that, then choose a free-feeding schedule.
Use a feeding bowl if your dog eats too fast.
Allow your dog 15-20 minutes to digest after they eat.
Final Words
When it comes to maintaining proper dietary habits, you need to be at your best. From food selection to the feeding method, you have to do everything wisely. Otherwise, your dog may not get enough nutrition or fail to digest food. So, follow the above-mentioned dog care tips and maintain appropriate diet habits for your dogs. Come and see us or chat with us here at Backyard Dog Care and Boarding for more!
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