Nutrition is one of the most difficult things for dog owners to understand and cater for.
Dogs are notorious for begging for scraps at the dinner table – who can resist those big brown eyes.
However, if you give in and make this habit, your pet could end up with serious health issues in the future.
You may feel that your dog can handle the table scraps you allow without any stomach issues. Unfortunately, the real problems may build up over time and cause damage to the pancreas.
Not only are many human foods not good for pets, but the amount that you feed them could be far more than your dog needs.
Dogs shouldn’t eat whenever they feel like it.
Dogs should be allocated a certain amount of food each day and no more.
Free feeding (feeding them whenever they ask) may well be convenient for you. But if they’re gaining weight too fast, it can have a significant impairment on their health.
When dogs eat too much, they become overweight quickly and can suffer from the same problems as humans. This can include diabetes, heart disease, painful joints, and more.
This is even harder to control if your dog is sedentary, so make sure you’re allowing them to work off those calories with playful activity on a regular basis.
Check with your vet.
Always ask your vet which dog food brand they recommend. Some may have different recommendations based on the size and breed of your pet.
But remember that they are businesses, so are likely to push brands that will make them the most profit!
You also want to pay attention to the news about any recalls so that you don’t accidentally feed your dog anything toxic.
There are some human foods that can serve as special treats for your four-legged friend.
You don’t have to avoid giving them all human foods, just those that are toxic such as chocolate, grapes, or onions.
Some of the human foods you may want to ask your vet about include plain rice and chickens as well as canned pumpkin and certain fruits. These should be doled out in small increments and not served as a complete meal.
Dogs don’t care about nutrition, they just want to get their food down as fast as possible.
One thing you may have to watch in terms of nutrition is how quickly your dog consumes their meals. Most dogs tend to gobble down their food so you may need to slow down the eating process by using products that look like puzzles. These house the food and make them work a bit harder and longer for it – and they quite enjoy it.
Always brush your dog’s teeth at least once per day. this can come after a meal, at the beginning of the day, or at the very end of the day. You can buy a special toothbrush and toothpaste just for dogs from most pet supply shops.
They don’t particularly like or look forward to it, but after a time they’ll give in & put up with it.
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