A Detailed Guide – Feeding Your Pets Correctly!
“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
- Mark Twain
It may interest you to know that millennials represent the biggest share of pet ownership, especially in the United States. Baby boomers follow this. While millennials own 32% of pets ownership, baby boomers stand for 27% as of now. Here, the generation Xers stand at the third position with 24% of pet ownership.
Researches reveal there are more than 195 types of dog breeds. What’s more interesting is that all breeds have different meal preferences and taste buds. This makes the dog care subject more vast and interesting for all dog lovers out there.
Let’s dig into this concept and unravel all crucial information.
Planning for an ordinary dog diet is never a case when you are in love with your four-legged friend. Feeding a dog becomes one of the prominent debate topics, especially when you are new to dog ownership. And why not when all they depend upon is your unconditional care and love.
Preparing a dog’s meal can be time-consuming, challenging, and expensive, but that’s until you gel up with these changes. Before keeping your convenience and food preferences further, make sure you are seeking all information about complete raw dog food in detail. This will give you a fair idea of how you should be planning an ideal dog meal.
Let’s begin with some common factors to consider –
- Learn all about the safe ingredients suitable for your pet. Not all dogs are good enough to digest every dog food type. Therefore, consider different factors including – age, breed, taste buds, underlying health issues, weather conditions, allergies, etc.
- Know that dogs are biologically designed to consume and digest raw dog food easily. Moreover, it’s 100% safe for all breeds. Here, remember that their stomach acid is so strong that it can burn your fingers.
- Always remember that your dog isn’t a brand freak at all! So, chances are your pet may fall for some inexpensive food types. It’s all about developing and falling for a particular taste type.
Believe in a three-step plan –
This one is a straightforward feeding plan that works for almost all dog breeds. However, make sure you are considering your pet’s age before feeding any of these. It includes –
- Fresh vegetables
- Meat
- Bone
Such is the beauty of this meal plan that it can be distilled into three steps itself. Here’s how –
- Pick any meat type, including – pork, chicken, lamb, beef, etc. If your pet is below two years, consider feeding diced or minced meat.
- Get some fleshy bones to treat your four-legged friend. They love eating and licking bones for hours. Prefer to treat them with bones twice or thrice a week. Feeding more than this can harm their digestive system.
- Grate fresh veggies on processed or raw dog food to enrich its nutrient value to the best. However, ensure that you feed a quality dog food that proves beneficial for your pooch’s overall well-being.
Note – For the sake of your pet’s health and taste buds, you can pick different veggies and meat types often. This will let your pet enjoy the meals.
Do all dogs require the same natural diet?
No, only a few dog breeds thrive on raw dog food. Unarguably, dogs can’t consume or digest a 100% natural diet, especially when they recently had bowel surgery or have been struggling with a compromised immune system for a long time now. But at the same time, a well-planned natural diet is ideal for combating many health issues in pets.
What do dogs require from their meals?
Dog food contains two core functions. One is offering a sufficient amount of energy, and the other is remaining healthy. Here, pets should be examined on the basis of different parameters, including – the number of physical activities performed, how old your dog is if the dog is pregnant or feeding puppies, weather conditions, and much more. Temperature is important to measure because dogs in hot climates are likely to require more energy as panting consumes more calories than your expectations.
Interestingly, dogs don’t need to consume many carbs and sugar content for energy build-up. Their core dietary needs encompass fat. That’s the reason why veterinarians recommend feeding fat-soluble vitamins the most. Besides this, a pet’s body requires fatty acids and other series of minerals and vitamins.
What are the most common suitable ingredients to involve in your pet’s diet?
That question seems to bother almost every pet owner at least once in their lifetime. And it should as the concern is about their pet’s diet. Here are some common and crucial ingredients to consider –
- Lean muscle meat should be rabbit, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, turkey, etc. Prefer feeding in diced or minced form to avoid any digestion issues.
- Fish – You can feed any fish, but it should be high in fatty acids like – pilchards, salmon, sardines, and much more. If you can’t find fresh fish every time, keep a weekly stock ready. Also, avoid feeding fish more than twice a week.
- Root veggies – This will include – swede, carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc. Here,
- Avoid potatoes as they contain high levels of starch.
The last word –
Dogs seem no less than an important family member, especially when you begin sharing an emotional bond with them. As dogs understand emotions, it gets easier to blend with their mindset and treat them accordingly. The overall concept of treating them well encompasses feeding as an integral part. A minor negligence in feeding can result in severe health issues in dogs. Thus, it’s wise to be familiar with everything concerning their food and health right from day one. If required, seek professional help at the earliest as it’s much better than losing an innocent soul forever.
