food-diet-for-dogs

Besides, keep your dog clean by using the best smelling dog shampoo, choosing the right food is important to make your dog healthy and happy. When it comes to a food diet for the dog, as a dog lover, you will be spoilt for choice as they are available in various forms: semi-moist, dried completely, or tinned food with or without biscuit mixer, or homemade food. Whatever you use, make sure you provide your dog with the favorite. My dog, Natasha, loves tinned food with biscuits, but I make sure that, I mix its diet with other foods and only treat it to its favorite when am giving it a reward for something well done. You might have your style of choosing food for your dog, but all you need to adhere to is, give it the best-mixed diet for its consumption.

Getting the Food Diet for Your Puppy

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If you have puppies, you will have to consider the type of diet you are offering to it because, they grow 20 times faster than the adult dogs, thus, need a special diet to aid them in their physical development.  To avoid overstretching their small stomachs, you will need to provide them with specially formulated growth foods at intervals. You can get some advice from the nearest puppy breeder to make sure that you are doing the right feeding. Before the age of four months, you will be required to feed the puppy at least four meals in a day. As it continues to grow, you can reduce the meal to three times until it is six months. From the age of six months, you are allowed to change to two meals which you should keep it routinely for the rest of its life.

Types of Dog Food Diet in the Market

When you are shopping around for dog food, you will find it in various sizes and types, and it is up to you to decide which is best for your dog. If you are a new owner, you can try on various types until you find out which one is the favorite for your dog. Once you are aware what your dog’s food need is, make sure that you balance it with the other types, so that, it has a variety to take and also, the mix might just be good for its digestion. Luckily you can find a large selection of different types of food, and save on the purchase by using a PetSmart coupon code. The main types of dog food include:

  • Dry Complete food
  • Semi-moist and tinned foods
  • Homemade food
  • Treats

Semi-Moist and Tinned Foods

semi-moist-and-tinned-foods

Semi-moist and tinned foods vary in quality and quantity packaging. When choosing this type of food, make sure that it is food which is easily digestible by your dog. Make sure when you are choosing this type of food, it is specialist food which is nutritionally complete. When your puppy gets used to a particular food, make sure you make it its main food to avoid digestive problems.

Dry Complete Food

dry-complete-food

If the dry food is what your puppy loves, then you will have a variety of complete dog food in this category with varied qualities. Depending on the type of dog you have, choose the best dry food for it which will work well with its digestive system and which you can readily afford. My Natasha loves premium dry foods, and I am sure that, the food provides her with the best and highest quality ingredients. Most of the premium dry foods are a mixture of chicken and corn or rice.  I buy this type of food, and I have found out that, I can save. It is because a small quantity is used to satisfy my Natasha unlike for the other cheap grade food which she has to feed double. In the end, it cost the same at the end of the day, and that is why I have always preferred the high-quality stuff.

Homemade Food

homemade-food

Your dog can survive on homemade food so long as you make sure that, it is well prepared not to harm its digestive system. If you are not sure how to go about this, you are better off sticking with the commercial foods for the sake of your puppies’ development because they require the best dog food due to their sensitive stomach and slight imbalance can cause havoc.  If you have to change the diet, it must be done gradually for at least a week to make sure that, you don’t end up harming your dog’s digestive system.

Treats

dog-treats

If you are in for a treat for your dog, you will find a variety on the market to choose from, which might excite your dog. Most treats have a lot of color, fat, sugar, and milk in them. Thus, it is good to check the ingredients to make sure that, whatever you are buying for your dog is the best. Make sure you choose one which has been developed with the dietary of the dog in mind. But whatever the content, make sure that the treats don’t turn out to be your dog’s main meal. If you have to use them regularly, then make sure that it is sparing as too much of it could cause obesity to your dog.  Avoid treats containing chocolates as they can cause liver problems or even be fatal to your dog. Sugar treats or sweet biscuit treats should also be avoided as it affects the dog’s waistline and teeth and could be a cause for low or high sugars.

Tips For Feeding The Dog

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If followed well, the tips below could help you avoid digestive problems in your dog

  1. If you find that your dog is unable to finish the food you offer it at ago, it might mean that you are offering too much. Though there is the recommended food quantity for the dogs by the manufacturer, it is not standard to all dogs. Check out the dog’s stool; if it is firm, dark, crinkly, then the amount given is okay. But if you find that the dog is producing firm stool which gets watery at the end, it could be a sign that you are overfeeding it and affecting its digestive system, change the trend.
  2. It is recommended that you stick to one main food for the dog and avoid adding supplements because, if you over supplement, it can be harmful to your dog.
  3. Don’t ever try to change for your dog abruptly; if you have to change, make it gradual over a period of at least a
  4. If your dog is large or medium build, make sure you feed it from a raised bowl so that, it doesn’t swallow air which could at the end, contribute to bloating. It is recommended that you buy bowl stands.
  5. Avoid feeding the dog when you are about to travel with it in the car or for a walk as this could cause sickness leading to torsion or stomach dilation which is a risky condition that will automatically require a veterinary intervention.
  6. Avoid feeding the dog from your play or at the table as it will encourage it to have attention seeking behaviors like barking and begging and even develop separation anxiety in the process.
  7. Don’t disturb the dog when it is eating from its bowl because, if you snatch it the bowl, it might cause anxiety in the dog which will lead to food aggression.

Conclusion

That’s it. Make sure that, whatever food diet you feed your dog on, is highly nutritious and is the favorite for your dog.

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About The Author:

Emma EngelEmma is the founder of HelloCutePup.com. As the owner of 3 dogs, Emma has had the pleasure of learning the ins and outs to becoming a pet owner. With years of experience working on training, at-home dog health care, and aesthetic maintenance, she has the real-world experience that every pet owner is looking for. She is an avid blogger who enjoys giving realistic tips and tricks to help dog owners understand their pet’s personalities and to help pets easily become a part of the family.

 

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