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The appearance of a new pet in the house is not just great joy, a sea of love and affection. It is also a colossal responsibility that falls on the shoulders of some family members. A dog needs the same thorough care as a child, especially in the first months of a pet's life. The puppy needs to be accustomed to a new life, to show the permissible limits of his behavior, to punish in time for disobedience and pranks. If you properly educate a dog, you can raise a smart and adequate animal that behaves well at home and on the street, in the presence of its and other people. In addition to the skills of training and socialization, the dog needs care. It is important to provide the pet with its berth, it is necessary to take care of the hair, teeth and ears of the animal, regularly go to the veterinarian and receive vaccinations in a timely manner. A fundamental aspect in dog health is nutrition. Indeed, in many ways, the dog’s body depends on vitamins and trace elements that are consumed with food. What to feed the animal so that it is fun, healthy and physically strong, we will try to understand this article.
Dry food or natural food?
This is one of the most important issues that confronts owners of different breeds. Dry food and natural food have many advantages and disadvantages. Dry food is the easiest way to feed the animal, you do not have to calculate the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates needed by the pet. Dry food is ideal for busy owners who do not have time to prepare food for their dog. However, you should be aware that if you decide to feed your dog dry food, it must be high quality food. That is, it is important to buy premium dry feed, taking into account the breed, temperament and weight of the animal. In such feeds, the diet is completely balanced, saturated with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The disadvantage of dry food can be called its cost, especially if you keep a large breed dog. In this case, a serious part of the family budget can go to feed the dog. And if there are several dogs? In this case, sooner or later, the owners begin to think about the feasibility of switching to natural food.
Natural Food Feeding Principles
As a rule, dry food is more suitable for dogs of small breeds, since they eat little, but they get a weight spectrum of necessary vitamins. It will be difficult to feed small pets that are quite moody in food. But large dogs that need a large amount of food, it is better to adhere to a natural diet, but this should be done correctly.
- You can’t feed the dog what you cook for yourself, and moreover, you can’t give the dog only leftovers from the “human” table. This is fundamentally wrong. For the dog should be cooked separately.
- It is important to calculate the amount of food a dog should consume. At a time, the entire portion should be eaten. If the dog does not eat food immediately, leaves excess in the bowl, then the portion needs to be slightly reduced.
- Do not mix dry food with natural food, this is fraught with a malfunction in the metabolic processes of the body.
- You can not spoil the dog with sweets, pastries or cakes. All this is of little use to the pet's body.
- Both when feeding with dry food, and with a natural diet, the dog should have free access to fresh drinking water. Normally, a dog consumes about 50 ml of water per day per kilogram of live weight. These indicators increase at high air temperatures, puppies and pregnant bitches drink more.Sometimes excessive thirst can be a serious and dangerous symptom, with which you need to urgently see a doctor.
- If you feed your dog with natural food, be sure to give your pet vitamin complexes twice a year that will help make up for the lack of essential substances.
- Meat and offal should not be mixed with dairy products, in particular, with dairy products. Iron, which is found in meat and calcium, which is present in milk, are antagonists; they interfere with each other's assimilation. They should be given to the dog at different meals.
- Meat, as well as offal, can be given to the dog raw. And in order to protect the pet from possible parasites, the product is pre-frozen - at critically low temperatures not a single larva will survive.
- Vegetables and fruits can be given both raw and cooked. They are usually grated or cut into small pieces.
- Food should be freshly prepared, food can only be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days.
Sometimes the owners have to go on vacation or a long business trip, as a result of which the dog is transferred to the care of other people. Naturally, the temporary owner will not bother, it is easier for him to feed the animal with dry food. To avoid troubles, you should transfer the dog to a dry diet in advance, sequentially, stretching this period for 8-10 days, gradually replacing natural food with dry food. At the same time, probiotics should be given to the dog, which will relieve possible problems with the intestines.
How to feed a dog with natural food?
To provide the pet with the necessary amount of all trace elements, it is necessary to observe the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The basis of animal nutrition is proteins, which make up almost half of the total diet. Valuable sources of protein are meat, bones, cartilage, offal, dairy products, and eggs. Protein is not able to accumulate in the body, so it must be present in the dog’s diet daily. Eggs at the same time can cause allergies, so they should be given to the dog no more than twice a week. Be sure to boil in order to exclude infection with salmonellosis. Weakened puppies, dogs after surgery, bitches during pregnancy are recommended to give quail eggs - they are very useful for the dog's body. Be sure to feed the dog meat or offal, you can raw, except for pork. To avoid infection with false pork rabies, pork should be boiled. Give the dog only soft bones that are not stuck in the form of fragments in the digestive tract, this is fraught with trauma to the mucous membranes.
Cooking soups and cereals for a dog is not difficult. You can buy meat, offal, chicken or a soup set. Boil it all in water, pull out and sort out the bones so that sharp, hard and dangerous parts are not caught in the dog’s food.In the same broth should be added cereal or a set of several cereals. Raw and chopped vegetables and fruits are added to the prepared soup or porridge. This is a wonderful, healthy and healthy diet for dogs of any breed. Adult dogs should be fed twice a day, puppies more often.
The need for food may vary depending on the condition of the dog and the environment. In the hot season, pets tend to eat less, as with illness. If the dog lives on the street, if she has active physical training, if we are talking about the future mother, then the amount of food consumed should be increased by 15-20%. Food for the dog should not be salted or pepper. And try to cook a variety of dishes for the animal - she, just like you, wants to try something new and tasty. Remember that the nutrition of a dog is the basis of its health and longevity.
Video: how to properly feed your dog with natural food
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