Natural food standards for dogs. Vitamins and minerals

What to do if a person still cannot trust factory food? There is a solution - good old dog food natural food, cooked at home! This is exactly what we want to talk about, because if you cook it correctly, it will also become a real healthy treat for your pet. However, you need to remember what you should not feed your dog - this is also written below!

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Dog feeding regimen

A dog's feeding schedule greatly depends on its age. And here it doesn’t matter what kind of diet you chose for your dog: natural, home-prepared or ready-made purchased. Question: How many times a day should a dog be fed is usually of interest to inexperienced novice breeders.

And the answer to it is:

1 month old puppies are fed frequently - 6-8 times a day;
at 2 months – 5-6 times;
from 3 to 6 months – 3-4 times;
from 6 months to 1 year – 3 times; after a year, the puppy is transferred to the “adult” mode and fed 2 times a day.

Some breeders feed adult dogs three times a day. In principle, this is unnecessary, unless the dog has digestive problems and does not sit on special diet. There are also such cases: dogs are fed only once a day, but a large portion is given. Veterinarians strongly do not recommend organizing dog nutrition in this way. Most likely the animal will not “guess” to divide the portion into two doses and will eat it all at once.

As a result, in 6-7 hours all food will be digested and most the pet will spend the day with empty stomach. Even if the dog leaves something for himself “for later,” this food often spoils in the bowl. And eating spoiled food is fraught with serious problems.

Therefore, we strongly reject the scheme of feeding the dog once a day.

As for the volume of the portion that the dog should receive at one time, there is no definite answer. Every homemade diet is individual and even seemingly identically prepared food can ultimately have different energy value. Therefore, when preparing dog food at home, you need to know nutritional value products used (written on the packaging), and also weigh them before cooking.

Knowing the mass of foods and their energy value, you can better calculate the serving size with the optimal amount of calories and figure out how to feed your dog correctly. And the veterinarian will be able to tell you the right amount of calories that your dog should receive, taking into account its breed and physical state. In the future, you can divide the daily portion into two equal meals. Or give, for example, 1/3 of the volume in the morning, and 2/3 of the volume in the evening, or vice versa. Here everything will depend on the needs and desires of your pet: some have a stronger appetite in the morning, others in the evening.

Making a menu

So, let's assume you have decided on a feeding schedule. Now you need to decide what to feed your dog and select a list of optimal products that are best included in the diet. natural diet your dog. Please note that feeding dogs does not provide a lot of variety. It is enough to introduce some innovations into the diet infrequently, once or twice a week, or even less often. And a few recipes for homemade that will help make it easier for you, right now in the video below!

Which porridge is better?

They are most easily absorbed by the dog’s body and carry the maximum energy charge for it. You can sometimes use pearl barley, wheat, corn or barley porridge. However, these types of cereals can cause digestive upset. Of course, this doesn't happen often, especially if you only use these cereals occasionally. However, remember that it is more difficult for the dog’s body to obtain useful substances from them.

It is recommended to dilute dog porridge with vegetables. They will supplement it with the necessary vitamins and antioxidants. Vegetables can be about 10-15% of the total volume of the prepared “dish”. Vegetables can also be cooked, although many dogs are not averse to gnawing on raw potatoes or carrots. The best vegetables To supplement dog porridge are carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini, peppers, and parsnips.

What about meat, poultry and bones?

It is the meat component that should prevail in the overall menu of your pet. Meat is protein and it is a natural and natural food for dogs. Dogs eat raw meat with great pleasure. However, it is not recommended to give it due to the fact that it may be contaminated with helminth eggs or toxoplasma.

To protect your pet, raw meat must be refrigerated. But you can give it to food only when it is defrosted and reaches room temperature. Food that is too cold or too hot can harm your dog.

So what kind of meat should you feed your dog at home? Almost all meat is suitable for dogs, the main condition is that it is not too fatty. It is for this reason that pork is not recommended for dogs. at least, its fatty parts. Best choice for four-legged friends is beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey, chopped meat not recommended. An absolutely ideal option is horse meat and venison, but the question is that getting such meat is not at all easy, and it costs quite a lot.

Meat by-products can replace part of the meat volume in the diet. Liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and stomachs are readily eaten by dogs and make it somewhat cheaper. To increase the nutritional value of a dog's diet, you can add meat, fish or bone meal to it. This ingredient is found in almost all dry dog food.

As for bones, this product should not be on a dog’s menu.

Especially when we're talking about about tubular chicken bones or necks (they can be used for fat, but after the meat has been stripped from them, they should be removed). After all, fragments of such bones are very often removed by veterinarians from the gastrointestinal tract of our pets. And it’s very good if they manage to do it on time.

Bones that have the right to be in a dog’s diet are large beef bones with rounded edges or cartilage; they can also be given raw. Therefore, if you are one of those owners who believe that bones are “vital” for dogs, it is better to choose this option on the market.

Products from the table

Natural food for dogs should not mean that you feed your dog something you can’t finish eating yourself. If you have chosen this type of feeding as a homemade diet, you must definitely cook for the animal separately! Products from the table are not suitable for dogs because they contain increased amount salt, spices and fats.

The most you can offer your dog to eat is potatoes. Add boneless meat or fish and offer it to your dog. Borscht, soups, and pasta will not bring any benefit to your pet, but they often cause digestive upset. Veterinarians are categorically opposed to smoked, fried and spoiled food.

Prohibited products

What should a responsible owner not feed a dog? Under the ban, as you probably already guessed, you can find almost the entire amount of food on the table.

They especially warn inexperienced owners so that they better not include ingredients such as:

Tubular bones (we already talked about them today).
Sweets, pastries, cakes, candies. Some owners mistakenly believe that dogs love sweets, but they are most likely simply reacting to the colorful wrappers in which the candy is wrapped. Therefore, there is no need to succumb to provocations from the animal and give it sweets.
Pickles and smoked meats.
Baking.

And remember that the dog’s diet should be without salt and spices. Each product already contains a certain amount of salt, so dog food can only be added occasionally. But here mineral supplements, vitamins and calcium sold in pharmacies must be added to your home diet.

Video “Feeding pets with natural food”

A very informative lecture on how to properly feed your pets to complete our review!

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In order not to spend money later on treating your pet and before taking the animal into your home, you need to thoroughly study the issue of what to feed the dog. Because proper nutrition is the key to your pet’s health. To avoid the occurrence of various gastritis, enteritis, pancreatitis and other difficult-to-treat diseases, you need to do it right from the very beginning.

What are the requirements for proper feeding?

The animal needs to be fed 2-3 times a day. Portions should be small to avoid stomach distension.
Fresh water must always be available. It doesn’t matter what kind of food she is fed, dry or home-cooked porridge.
The animal must be fed from a stand. The animal's neck should be almost horizontal.

If food is prepared at home? Food should be varied. Don't give it. Don't feed it with scraps from the human table, this food is not good for her and can even cause illness. Mineral and vitamin supplements should be included in the diet. The food itself should be moderately warm, preferably 30-40°C, or room temperature.

How to feed a dog correctly and what should not be given to it as food?

About the bones

As for bones, this is something you should not feed your dog. They are poorly digested by the dog's stomach. Their sharp fragments can puncture the stomach or intestines, causing peritonitis and death of the animal. The bones are given to animals with strong teeth, raw, previously scalded with boiling water, and large (so that she cannot chew and swallow them). This is done so that while gnawing bones, the dog cleans its teeth. Bones made from natural sinew, which can be purchased at a pet store, are ideal. Puppies can be given large ones without restrictions. As soon as they can chew them, the bones will need to be replaced with artificial ones. You should never give chicken. Their fragments are deadly to the dog.

And everything else you need to feed your dog

Porridge should make up a third of all food. Rice and rolled oats are best. Pearl barley and millet are completely indigestible by a dog’s stomach. Vegetables and fruits added to porridge should make up a quarter of the diet. These are zucchini and pumpkin, carrots, apples, cabbage is possible, but provided that it is well tolerated. It's better to give milk instead dairy products. And, of course, vitamins, mineral supplements, as well as one teaspoon vegetable oil You can always add it to your daily meal.

Proper nutrition is a guarantee of health and harmonious development dogs. Therefore, the question of what and how to feed a dog at home is important for every animal owner. The diet depends on the breed and age of the dog, so it is necessary to create a special menu for each dog.

A dog is a predator by nature, so its nutrition should be organized as comfortably as possible for the digestive system of this type of animal. Regardless of the breed, dogs love the meat that suits them best due to genetics. Therefore, the animal’s diet should mainly consist of animal feed that is not thermally processed.

It is worth remembering that dogs have poor control over their own satiety. This is especially true for artificially bred breeds prone to obesity. Mongrels rarely suffer from obesity, since by nature they are closer to their wild ancestors.

The chosen diet should not be changed suddenly. The animal gets used to a certain type of food, since its body begins to produce the enzymes and microorganisms necessary for digestion. If the menu changes suddenly, digestion fails and the dog begins to have health problems.

Preference should be given to natural food. A complete switch to dry and canned food will negatively affect your pet's health.

Despite calls from manufacturers claiming the benefits and safety of dry food, you should not completely switch your dog to eating them. Dry and canned food is an excellent solution when traveling or in case of long absences of the owner. But veterinarians do not recommend feeding them to your dog all the time. Using natural products , no need to get carried away with cereals, flour products, sweets. plant products Fast carbohydrates

, contained in such products, disrupt the dog’s intestinal microflora. But this does not mean that carbohydrates should be completely excluded from a dog’s diet. Cereals should not be excluded from the dog’s menu, because in nature predators receive this type of product along with the contents of the prey’s stomach. Therefore, excluding cereals from an animal’s diet would be a big mistake.

Natural dog menu A dog’s natural menu should include everything necessary for normal operation

body elements: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements. At the same time, food should be of high quality and fresh, without preservatives and unnecessary dyes, with minimal heat treatment.

If you feed your dog natural food, then it must be thermally processed.

The ratio of products to provide all the necessary components should consist of:
Meat products (beef, poultry, offal) - one third.
Cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet) – one third.
Vegetables (carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin) - one third.
Fruits are added to food in small portions.

To improve digestion, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to cooked food daily. Important.

Meat can be alternated with fish, but always sea fish, without bones, entrails and heads.

Cereals are boiled in water according to the same rules as when preparing them for humans. At the end of cooking, about 10 minutes, add meat or fish to the porridge. Vegetables are given to dogs chopped raw, washed with boiling water and cut into large pieces.

Giving dairy products to dogs should be done with caution. Dairy and fermented milk products are introduced into the dog's diet with caution.

, since many animals react to them with intestinal upset. You can give your dog boiled eggs twice a week.

Not allowed for dogs following products:

Mutton;
Pork and lard;
Oats and barley;
Peas;
Pasta and bread;
Salt;
Sugar and candy;
Spices.

Attention. The dog should not be given bones, especially tube feet and chicken feet, as they can get stuck in the throat or injure the esophagus.

Features of using dry food

If you decide to feed your pet dry food, it is best to opt for super premium food.

High-quality dry food is quite suitable for feeding dogs, but their choice must be approached with all responsibility.

High-quality premium food contains a sufficient amount of all the elements a dog needs. When choosing food, you need to take into account the age, size, and physiological characteristics of the animal.

There are three types of feed:

Everyday – constitutes the main diet of a dog in normal condition.
Medicinal is a special food intended for feeding a dog during illness. Before using it, you should consult your veterinarian.
Special - food for solving certain problems. For example, light, for the prevention of obesity. Special group constitute feed for sterilized animals.

High-quality food contains a balanced amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates. The composition includes meat - 30-50%, plant components, vitamins and minerals, natural preservatives.

You should refuse food that contains by-products, skins and feathers, dyes and preservatives, sugar, and starch. This composition usually has cheap food

. Such components can cause allergies, metabolic disorders, and diseases of the excretory systems. The advantages of dry food are its balanced composition, low time spent on food preparation, easy determination of quantity, necessary for a dog

for one appointment.

Cheap dry dog food can be bad for your pet's health.

But dry food also has its downsides:
Cheap options are extremely dangerous for the dog, and not everyone can afford expensive food.
The taste and composition of the food must be selected for each dog, otherwise the dog may simply refuse to eat the option offered to it.

To improve digestion, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to cooked food daily. When organizing feeding with dry formulas, you should not violate the amount recommended by the manufacturers. Dry ingredients in a dog's stomach swell, and if you exceed the norm, gluttony occurs. When organizing nutrition for young and old dogs, it is necessary to choose food intended specifically for these categories of animals.

Features of organizing dog nutrition at home

An adult dog is fed twice a day, and puppies 3-4 times.

During feeding important point is not only what to feed the dog, but also how to do it. Exist general rules organization of feeding for dogs of all breeds and ages:

Feeding is carried out after a walk to avoid such an unpleasant phenomenon as volvulus.
After feeding, the dog should be at rest for at least 1-2 hours. During this time, you cannot play with it or engage it in physical exercise.
You cannot give your dog food from the owner’s table, no matter how much the dog asks for it. A harmless piece of bread or sausage can introduce an animal to diseases such as pancreatitis, enteritis, and gastroenteritis. You can please your pet with special treats sold in pet stores. These are all kinds of cookies, tails, ears and other special products that will please your pet and will not harm his health.
Feeding is carried out twice a day. For puppies, the number of feedings is 3-4 times a day. In this case, portions are divided into several meals.
The amount of feed depends on the size and physiological characteristics dogs. The volumes depend on the living conditions of the animal, its physical activity, age, health status. Different dogs You need a completely different amount of energy, therefore, the size of the portions depends on this. The main criterion in determining the serving size is the weight of the animal. The daily portion should be 4-7% of the dog’s weight and divided into two doses.
If you miss one of the daily feedings, you cannot increase the portion and give the entire amount of food at one time. The dog will overeat and will develop indigestion.
If there is food left in the bowl after feeding, do not leave it until next appointment food. The bowl with the remaining food should be removed after 20-25 minutes. Food constantly remaining in the bowl indicates that the portions are too large. In this case, the amount of food should be reduced. But it also happens that the dog eats everything, and then sniffs around the house for something edible, or begins to beg for food from the table. This means that the dog is not getting enough to eat and the portion size needs to be increased.
Dogs eat quickly and do not feel full immediately, but after some time. You should not feed your pet until he refuses to eat, this leads to overeating. In any case, the portion should be standardized.

Feeding errors

They give the dog an unlimited amount of food, believing that the animal will determine how much it needs to eat. Many animals, like people, are prone to overeating. Therefore, increasing the amount of food will lead to obesity in the dog and indigestion.
Combine natural food with dry food. This cannot be done, since digestion is adjusted to certain type food. Constant shift the menu negatively affects the dog’s intestines and leads to a deterioration in its health.
They strive to constantly include something new in the dog’s diet. A dog does not need variety; it must consume a strictly balanced composition of foods so that the body works correctly, without failures.
The dog is fed exclusively meat products. Lack of fiber in food leads to a decrease in the animal's immunity and permanent digestive upset.
They forget to provide for the dog clean water, believing that it is enough for her to drink once or twice a day. Lack of fluid leads to dehydration of the animal's body.

Don't forget that your dog should always have fresh water in his bowl.

It is better to place the bowl at chest level so that the dog does not bend over while eating. In this regard, special stands available for sale are convenient. They allow you to adjust the height of the bowl to suit the height of the animal.

You should not mix dairy and meat products in one meal. It is better to give meat in the evening, and dairy products in the morning.

To improve digestion, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to cooked food daily. Often the owner feeds the dog natural products, but if there is not enough time, sometimes he tries to give it dry food. This should not be done under any circumstances. A dog's stomach, which is not adapted to dry food, will not accept food, and the dog will begin to have problems.

Nutritional characteristics of some dog breeds

All dog breeds are divided depending on the size of the animal:

The smallest ones are up to 5 kg.
Small – up to 10 kg.
Medium – up to 20 kg.
Large – up to 30 kg.
Powerful - more than 32 kg.

Miniature breeds the most capricious in nutrition.

Deciding on the choice of dry food depending on size is quite simple, since food manufacturers take this factor into account and develop a special line of food for certain breeds. The situation is more complicated with organization natural nutrition dogs of different breeds.

Miniature breeds are the pickiest when it comes to food. For them it is necessary to choose lean meat, it is better chicken breast or veal. Mash or chop the vegetables in a blender before serving. Small dogs are fed 3-4 times a day in small portions.

Medium breed dogs can eat meat raw and lightly boiled; vegetables need to be cut into small pieces.

Large dogs need increased content protein, so the amount meat products should prevail in their diet. Sometimes it is allowed to replace meat with offal. Vegetables for large dogs are cut into large pieces. Feed in winter large dogs A small amount of fat may be added.

Let us consider in detail the nutritional features of some breeds

Husky. A sled dog, quite active, with well-developed muscles. The first place in her diet should be meat (70% of the total food) to provide the body with protein. Don't give husky bones. Feeding with cartilage, which contains collagen, is allowed. 10% of the diet should consist of rice and buckwheat porridge. To get calcium into the body, huskies are given cottage cheese, fermented milk products, and pieces of cheese.

In a Husky's diet, 70% should be meat.

Chihuahua. Digestive system This breed is quite gentle, so I require all products for its nutrition. preliminary preparation. Meat, cereals and vegetables must be boiled and chopped. The ratio of meat, cereals and vegetables in the Chihuahua's diet should be in the ratio 30X30X40. These dogs should not be given bones and cartilage, raw meat, fried or spicy foods. Forbidden for this breed are onions, which cause anemia, beans, which lead to intestinal spasms, and sweets, which contribute to obesity.

Chicken should not be given to dachshunds, as it is an allergen for them.

Dachshund. One third of a dachshund's diet should consist of lean meat. However, this breed should not be given chicken, as it is an allergen for dachshunds. Meat can sometimes be replaced sea fish without bones. 40% of a dachshund's diet should be cereals, everything except semolina, which can lead to obesity. Fruits and vegetables are also given raw, chopped on a grater.

Cur. Outbred dogs, unlike gentle purebred dogs, are distinguished by excellent digestion and strong immunity. Therefore, with the organization of their meals special problems does not arise, since mongrels can successfully live even by eating bread soaked in meat broth. But to maintain the health of a mongrel at home, you still need to adhere to certain recommendations.

Meat and fish are given to the mongrel raw. You can add pieces of meat to porridge from any cereal boiled until half cooked. You can also add small pieces of lightly boiled vegetables there. Fermented milk products and cottage cheese should not be mixed with porridge and meat; it is better to give them separately.

Features of the diet of dogs of different ages

IN different periods dogs need development different quantity nutrients, therefore, the diet for young and old animals has some features:

Nutrition for puppies and young dogs should be saturated with fats and glucose, which are abundant in mother's milk. In addition, the baby’s stomach is unable to digest rough food, so all ingredients for its nutrition should be lightly boiled and well chopped. The diet should be varied so that the puppy’s body adapts to different foods.

WITH early age You need to study your pet’s taste preferences. If the puppy does not eat fish well, but enjoys eating cottage cheese, you can increase the amount in the diet. Puppy 2-3 one month old fed 5-6 times a day, from 4 to 6 months the number of feedings is reduced to 4 times, from 6 months to 10 - 3 times. Then they switch to two meals a day.

The diet of puppies and young dogs should include more foods with fats and glucose.

For puppies up to 3 months of age, the basis of nutrition is dairy products: cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir. Porridge should be cooked with low-fat milk. Some vegetables are added to the porridge. Just don’t mix different vegetables at once; you need to add one type of vegetable for each feeding.

Cereals for porridges can be mixed. They can be cooked in meat or bone broth. Before adding grains, all bones from the broth must be removed so that the puppy does not choke. If your puppy likes to chew bones, it is better to buy him special artificial ones in the store.

Feeding a young dog should be accompanied by educational measures. They should not be allowed to beg or hang around in the kitchen while cooking. From an early age, the dog must learn to eat in certain place and at certain hours.

Food for old dog should be as fortified as possible, and during cooking it should be grated with the addition of water.

Feeding an old dog. Different breeds Dogs age at different ages, but for all, their nutritional patterns must change. The diet should be as fortified as possible to support the animal’s aging body. At the same time, it is advisable to reduce the caloric content of food, since the dog becomes less active and its metabolism decreases. Excess calories will lead to obesity and even greater stress on the body, in particular on the joints.

It is impossible to change the diet suddenly, as an old animal is sensitive to changes and will be in a state of stress. Calorie content is reduced by reducing the fat content of meat and gradually reducing portion sizes.

Food for an old dog must be pureed and big amount water. Grinding of food is necessary because the dog is losing teeth. With age, a dog begins to drink less water, so it should receive the main amount of liquid from food. This technique is necessary to prevent dehydration of the animal’s body and to normalize stool, since old dogs are prone to constipation.

An old dog’s diet needs to reduce the amount of meat and fish; animal fats need to be replaced with vegetable fats. The basis of the dog’s menu should be vegetables and low-fat fermented milk products. The frequency of feedings should be increased to 3-4 times a day, since an old dog’s appetite is reduced and it can eat much less food at one time.

An old dog needs to be put on a salt-free diet, as it begins to have problems with the excretory system, and there is a risk of kidney stones.

You need to feed the dog correctly, and not the way the owners like it. A person who has tamed an animal must take care of its health. The dog cannot influence his diet and is forced to eat what is given to him, which means that he needs to be fed the right and healthy foods.

A lot depends on the proper nutrition of a pet - the shine of the coat, correct stance, health and activity of the pet. Therefore, every person who has decided to get a puppy needs to know how to feed a dog correctly, and what rules should be followed? Currently compiled general recommendations and rules about what to feed adult dog and the puppy, so as not to harm their health and maintain general state pet. Many owners believe that they need to feed their dog only dry food, since it contains a large number of vitamins and useful components. However, this is not true - feeding an adult dog requires a balanced diet, since dry food can lead to serious problems with digestion. What can you feed your dog, regardless of its age and breed?

Feeding a dog: fundamental rules

Before buying a puppy, you need to find out in advance what is best to feed your dog - for this, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the nuances of keeping and feeding your pet, so as not to encounter an unpleasant situation later. Nutrition is important for any dog, no matter where you get it - whether you buy it from a breeder or adopt it from a shelter.

Attention! Every owner should know that maintaining even the smallest dog breed requires money, so you should not try to feed your pet from your table or give it cheap and often unhealthy food. After all, because of such a negligent attitude, you will have to spend a lot of effort and money on treatment. And if the disease is neglected, the dog will suffer throughout its life.

What is the best food to feed a dog? The following fundamental rules will help answer the question:

It is not recommended to give dogs mixed food, namely natural food along with dry food. As a rule, this causes a deterioration in metabolism and also has a negative effect on the condition of the intestines. Dry food contains many trace elements, minerals and vitamins, so as a result of mixing food, a pet may develop hypervitaminosis.
The amount of food that should be given to dogs per day depends on the breed, energy components and weight of the animal. If this balance is disturbed, it can cause obesity or, conversely, general exhaustion of the body, which will result in the pet being weak and completely lacking strength. The amount of food taken per day should be equal to 3% of the pet’s total weight.
When calculating the optimal energy needs of an animal, you should remember that you cannot give the same food to a guard and service dog and a free-ranging yard dog. Of course, pets who are on duty need to be fed much more balanced, since their body spends much more energy per day.
Older pets should also be fed according to their energy requirements. The only difference is that older animals need to reduce the amount of calories consumed, while proteins and fats should remain at the same level.

The best way to feed big dog? The diet must be varied and carefully selected so that it contains all the beneficial substances.

The feeding scheme for dogs by age is as follows (it takes into account kilocalories, which form the basis of any diet):

dogs whose weight ranges from 45 to 70 kilograms should receive 30-24 kcal/kg of weight per day;
pets weighing from 15 to 30 kilograms should receive 39-33 kcal/kg of weight per day;
small breeds whose weight is 5-10 kilograms should take 52-44 kcal/kg of body weight per day;
miniature animals weighing up to 5 kilograms should receive 65 kcal/kg body weight.

Attention! When thinking about what to feed a large dog, you need to remember that you should not completely ban fatty foods. After all, fats, as well as amino acids, vitamins, proteins and proteins are needed by the body for its normal functioning. At the same time, the optimal amount of fat will not cause health problems and will not lead to obesity.

The key to successful nutrition is careful monitoring of your pet's weight, especially if he has recently undergone surgery, pregnancy or a serious illness. If the dog begins to gain weight, the amount of food needs to be reduced slightly, since obesity is fraught with the development of diseases dangerous to health.

Pets should always have water “within walking distance” so that they can replenish their fluid reserves at any time. It is especially important that it is available to the dog after a walk, in hot weather, and also in low air humidity.

Dehydration is a subtle but very life-threatening threat, especially if owners constantly feed their pets only dry food. If the water in your city or village is dirty or contains a large amount of impurities, it is better to first pass it through a filter and only then water the dogs.

What does a natural and safe menu for dogs look like?

When thinking about what to feed a large or small dog, you need to remember that the food must contain the necessary ingredients. full-fledged work body components. These include:

vitamins;
carbohydrates;
proteins;
fats;
microelements.

A special criterion is that food must be fresh, natural and free of fragrances and dyes. Usually, such low-quality compositions are found in cheap animal feeds, which it is advisable to avoid.

If you feed your pet natural products, they should be thermally processed, but this is not done too intensively - this way you will be able to preserve all the beneficial substances found in the products, and also not reduce their health benefits.

What to feed your dog at home? The ratio of products with which you can provide your pet with everything necessary should be as follows:

meat products (offal, poultry, beef) - should make up 1/3 of the diet;
cereals (buckwheat, rice, rolled oats) - should be 1/3;
vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, cabbage) - should be 1/3;
fruits are added to food in small quantities;
To improve the animal’s digestion, it is recommended to add a spoonful of vegetable oil to the food (this also helps enhance the taste).

Attention! At the owner’s request, the meat alternates with fish, which must be sea fish. Before adding it to the porridge, it must be cut, namely, the head, entrails and bones must be removed.

Feeding an adult dog porridge is the most best option. Cereals for animals should be cooked in the same way as for people - in water, in the same ratio of cereals and water and for the same amount of time. If you are going to serve food soon after cooking, fish, vegetables and meat are added to the porridge 10 minutes before the end of cooking. No need to salt your food!

Dairy products are given to dogs with caution, as they can cause volvulus and other dangerous diseases. To maintain calcium levels, it is recommended to give dogs eggs 2 times a week.

But some cereals should be avoided, as they are not digested by the body or cause serious harm to the digestive organs. These include:

semolina;
corn;
pearl barley

What to feed your dog at home? In addition to porridge, meat and vegetable products, pet food must contain minerals and vitamin complexes. Their type and quantity depend on the breed and weight of the pet. If desired, such complexes can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy or using products that contain large amounts of minerals and vitamins.

Dogs are strictly prohibited from feeding the following foods that can cause serious problems with digestion and the functioning of certain organs. These include:

peas;
mutton;
salo;
pork;
barley;
bread;
oats;
pasta;
spices;
candies;
sugar;
salt.

Attention! Giving dogs long bones and chicken feet is not a good idea, as they can damage the lining of the esophagus or get stuck in the throat.

What can you feed small dogs? Their diet is no different from feeding large breeds. The only difference is that small dogs need to be given high-calorie food, the parameters of which are presented above. Also small breeds you should not give pearl barley, as it causes stagnation and work digestive organs- you only need to cook such porridge large breeds, in whom the functioning of the digestive organs is well formed.

What food can you feed your dog?

When thinking about what food to feed large and small dogs, it is worth noting that it is recommended to choose super premium food. This food contains only natural and healthy supplements, which at frequent use will not harm the health of the animal.

Dry food that is made with high quality is quite affordable and suitable for dogs, but their choice should be approached responsibly.

Premium food that is made with high quality contains a large amount of nutrients and useful elements for the dog, which are necessary for its normal and full development. When thinking about what food to feed your pet, you should also not forget that it is selected based on the following criteria:

size;
age;
breed;
physiological characteristics.

Today there are 3 types of feed, namely:

everyday - its balanced composition allows you to give the dog such food every day, without having a negative effect on the digestive organs;
medicinal - special type food that should be given to the dog during illness (it is advisable to visit a doctor before using such food);
special - food that helps solve many animal health problems (for example, eliminate obesity or normalize blood composition).

What food is best to feed a dog? It must be balanced and of high quality, because they contain the optimal amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates. They also contain 30-50% meat, vitamins, herbal ingredients, minerals and natural preservatives. Thanks to this, it will be possible to maintain the dog’s health, as well as provide the body with useful substances.

Attention! When thinking about what food is best to feed your dog, do not forget that dry food has a negative effect on the pet’s condition if it drinks little water. Therefore, the dog should always have access to liquid, which normalizes digestion and helps to quickly absorb all the beneficial substances in the food.

What to feed an adult dog? If you decide to feed your pet food, you must choose natural food - if such a product contains dyes, sugar, feathers, starch and skin, it should not be given to your pet. Typically, this composition is present in cheap feeds, which means it is better to avoid them. Such components cause deterioration of metabolism, diseases excretory system, and can also be responsible for the development of allergies.

The advantages of feeding pet food include a balanced composition, minimal amount time for cooking, as well as easy selection of the dosage that the dog needs to take throughout the day.

However, such nutrition also has negative qualities. These include:

the taste of the food must be selected based on the animal’s preferences, since he may not like it;
cheap food causes serious harm to health, and not everyone can afford expensive types;
If the dog has started eating one type of food, it can no longer be changed to another, since the pet’s body has already become accustomed to a certain composition, and its sudden replacement can negatively affect the dog’s health.

Attention! When thinking about the best way to feed a large dog, it is worth noting that the amount of food required for a single dose should not be increased. After all, after a dog ingests liquid, it will swell, which will lead the pet to complete absence hunger. If the owners give more food than what the manufacturer requires, this can cause an oversaturation of useful substances, which is unsafe for the animal.

It is especially important to maintain the dose of food for old and small dogs.

What are the features of feeding dogs at home?

Features of proper nutrition include:

It is recommended to feed an adult dog 2 times a day, and puppies - 3-4;
It is better to feed after a walk to avoid volvulus;
after the pet eats, it should be left alone for 1-2 hours;
It is prohibited to give your pet food from the owner's table, since even a small piece of bread can cause serious illnesses, for example, enteritis, pancreatitis or gastroenteritis (if you really want to please the dog, you can buy him a special treat in the store - tails or ears, which certainly will not harm his health).

By following these rules, as well as feeding your dog in a balanced manner, you will be able to maintain its health, and you will also be able to constantly maintain a balance of necessary useful substances in organism.

If a dog appears in the house, you are responsible for its life and health. And this health largely depends on nutrition. Compilation proper diet nutrition for an animal is the key to its normal functioning, long life and absence of problems with the body. After all, the dog must receive with food the entire complex of minerals and vitamins that it needs.

Dry food is a real godsend for owners. With its help, a person no longer needs to worry about proper nutrition dogs. Many dry foods are labeled “complete.” This means that such food can completely replace other types of food, without compromising the dog’s health. But how to feed an animal correctly so that it feels good?

Benefits of dry food

Why has dry food become an integral part of our lives and the lives of our pets? Why has dry food become so popular that today it is bought for almost every domestic dog?

Dry food has many benefits. Firstly, this balanced diet, which can satisfy the dog’s need for all essential vitamins and microelements. The owner does not need to worry about what else the animal may need - everything is in one package. Secondly, dry food is convenient for the owner - pour it into a bowl and there are no problems. No need to waste time on cooking, heating, cooling. No dry food required special conditions storage This convenience makes it easier to keep a dog in the family, which is a definite plus.

If necessary, you can buy dry food for a dog that is at a certain point in its life. If a bitch is pregnant or feeding puppies with milk, she needs more nutrients, which is taken into account in a special series of dry food for pregnant and lactating women. There is also a line of food for dogs that are sick, active, allergic or obese. This allows you to adjust the animal’s nutrition at different periods of its life.

There is another advantage of dry food - the financial side of the issue. Yes, many people don’t bother and feed the dog with common table– it doesn’t cost a lot of money. However, the dog will not last long on such a diet. For normal functioning, he needs vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, meat, fish every day. Dry food is much more profitable than preparing a natural, complete meal for your dog every day.

Dry food is small pieces of food that vary in calorie content, quality and taste. When choosing a brand of dry food, pay attention to its class. Premium dry food usually contains absolutely all the minerals and vitamins that an animal needs. However, in order for the dog to assimilate them all, the animal must be fed dry food according to the rules.

First you need to choose food. If you constantly feed your dog the same food, do not change its type. Exists erroneous opinion, which suggests that you need to add variety to the diet and change the brand of feed. This is wrong. If your pet is completely satisfied with his food, his coat is silky, and he feels good, do not change the type of food.
You can buy food in bulk only in large veterinary stores, which have a high turnover. If a large bag of food was opened more than a week ago, you should not take such a treat.
Don't buy pet food that is too cheap. Often they do not contain the stated vitamins and microelements. In addition, they need to be supplemented with complementary foods - other necessary minerals. Cheap food often does more harm than good.
If the dog eats only dry food, there should always be a bowl of fresh water within its visibility range. Since the food swells in the animal’s stomach, this can cause thirst; in this case, the dog drinks water in excess.
You need to feed your dog dry food strictly on a schedule. Give your pet food at the same time, preferably twice a day. The serving size should also be the same.
Some dogs enjoy crunching dry food and then washing it down with water. This is correct, since solid food relieves the animal of tartar. If your dog does not like to chew crackers, the food can be soaked - it swells beautifully, becomes soft and appetizing. Some gourmets prefer to eat food only in wet form. For soaking, you can use not only water, but also kefir, yogurt, etc.
Dry food should be stored in a kitchen drawer in a well-closed bag. Be careful and close the package tightly to prevent cockroaches and other living creatures from getting inside. In addition, if the package is left open, the contents quickly deteriorate, become rancid and lose their beneficial features. Often the owner does not even suspect that the pet continues to eat spoiled food.

These are the basic rules that must be followed when feeding an animal with dry food.

Is it possible to feed a dog exclusively dry food?

Not only is it possible, but it is necessary! When developing the composition for future dry food, manufacturers expect that the dog will eat this product constantly. But many owners do this - they feed the dog regular food, and give food only as a treat or reward. This is fundamentally wrong. If you are going to feed your pet dry food, everything else should be removed from his diet.

If you feed your dog food and supplement it with meat, there may be an excess of protein in the body, which leads to various problems in the functioning of the kidneys. If you give your dog dry food and supplement it with fish, this leads to an excess of phosphorus. If there is a lot of phosphorus in the body, the dog will suffer from urolithiasis, bones become loose and brittle, anemia appears. When feeding porridge, there will be an excess of carbohydrates, which leads to excess weight and related problems.

In addition, the dog's stomach mixed diet You have to constantly switch between dry food and regular human food. Frequent changes can lead to gastritis.

The exception to the rule is small pieces of treats that can be used as rewards during training. You can pamper your dog with pieces of cheese, dried fruits, crackers or boiled meat.

All these arguments suggest that you can feed your dog only dry food, and it will not need additional nutrition. But how much food does a dog need to keep him from overeating and feeling good?

Puppies tend to eat more often, but in small portions. If this is your first time giving little puppy Dry food should be introduced gradually, starting with a teaspoon per day. If the dog does not have an allergy (which may be manifested by redness of the skin, itching, restlessness), you can increase the dose of dry food gradually to age norm. Give your dog only food that is appropriate for his age. After all, babies need different vitamins and microelements than adult dogs.

In general, each package indicates the amount of dry food that a dog needs per day. Puppies up to two months of age eat 5-6 times a day. At three months, the number of feedings is reduced to 4 times. At six months the dog eats 3 times a day, and after a year it is transferred to two meals a day. You need to feed your dog at the same time, preferably at regular intervals, that is, at 8 am and 8 pm. The amount of dry food per day is calculated based on the pet’s weight. If the dog weighs less than 2 kilograms, the amount of its food should not exceed 60 grams of food per day. A 5-kilogram dog is given 90 grams of food, a 10-kilogram dog is given 160 grams. If a dog weighs 20 kg, it needs 300 grams of dry food per day, and if a giant weighs 40 kg, it needs almost half a kilo of food.

This is the norm for active dogs who play, jump and run for more than an hour a day. For couch potatoes, the amount of food needs to be reduced by 20-30%, otherwise they will begin to gain weight. excess weight. Also, the dog’s diet should be reduced by a third if it is elderly. But if the dog works, feeds milk or is pregnant, its diet, on the contrary, increases by a third.

Types of feed

Just like food for humans can be of high quality or not, dog food is also divided into classes.

Economy class. Such food is not very high in calories and requires a larger volume so that the dog receives enough nutrition. Economy class feed is made from low quality products, essentially waste. If you give your dog such food, take care of additional vitamins and mineral complexes, since economy class food does not replenish daily requirement dogs in nutrition.
Premium class. The calorie content of such a product is 300-350 calories per 100 grams of product. This food is made from offal, contains a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins, and does not require additional enrichment.
Super premium. This is a product High Quality, which contains all the vitamins necessary for the dog’s body. This is a balanced diet that can become a complete diet for constant feeding.
Holistic class. This dog food is made from products high class, the food has great nutritional value. Created for show dogs, pets who are in rehabilitation period after illness, as well as for pregnant and lactating bitches.

If you only want to feed your dog dry food, choose at least a premium brand. Otherwise, the dog may develop health problems over time.

Separately, I would like to say about fresh food, which is also available for sale. Most manufacturers have in their product line wet food in the form of canned food with pieces of natural meat. It can be given to your dog as an additional source of protein, in the form of a treat. Contrary to popular belief, wet food is not a replacement for dry food and does not contain the full range of beneficial ingredients. However, this food is great for older dogs with bad teeth or problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dry dog food is a real breakthrough in veterinary medicine. The presence of dry food makes life much easier for both the dog and its owner. If you feed your dog dry food all the time, he will get sick less and his teeth will remain strong. long years, and the fur shines. If you decide to have a pet in your home, take care of its diet and do not rely on your own strength. It is quite difficult to choose a balanced diet from natural products - this can only be done with the help of a doctor, given individual characteristics dogs. Take care of your pet's health, feed him dry food!