Remembering the Basics for Feeding Your Dog is Important
When you own a dog, proper feeding habits should begin during the stage of puppyhood and last all throughout the life of your pet. The overall condition of your dog’s health is in your hands and it’s just one of the responsibilities of being a good pet owner.
It is necessary for puppies and adult dogs alike to get an adequate amount of vitamins and nutrients from the food they are eating. This will help a great deal in making certain they stay healthy enough to fight off illnesses. A healthy diet will also keep their organs and immune system functioning as it should.
Once you start feeding a dog a certain type of food, it is important that you never change their food overnight, as this is a process that will take some time. Their digestive system is much different than that of a human, making it hard for them to tolerate changes in their diet.
For this reason, it is best to stick to one certain type of food. If their body is receiving an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals needed for good health, they will continue to be happy when it is time for his feeding.
Common Types of Dog Food
Most every pet owner is familiar with the three basic kinds of dog food that exist. These are the traditional dry dog food varieties, semi-moist dog food, and dog food that come in a can. Allergies rarely become a problem for pet owners, and the digestive system of most all dogs can easily tolerate one of these three choices.
The first step to make when deciding on the right dog food for your pet is reading the ingredients label supplied on the packaging. One of the main ingredients that should be listed at the top is whole meat. You should also be able to find meal or meat by-products listed at the top as well.
Those that list whole grains, vegetables, or both, are even better choices. The reason these ingredients will need to be listed at the top is because on all labels the highest percentage of ingredients contained are those that are listed first.
Most people will agree that the best choice in dog foods are those that are dry and of high-quality. One of the biggest reasons for this is because dry foods have the ability to keep your dog’s teeth much healthier and cleaner than semi-moist or moist foods.
Reading the feeding requirements on dog food labels is also important. This will list helpful information in regards to the amount of food certain breeds of dogs should have. If you have a puppy, it will need to eat as much as two or three times a day.
After a dog has reached one year they are considered to be an adult and will generally only need about one or two feedings each day. If the feeding label does not provide enough information about how much your specific breed of dog should eat, you’ll find there’s a ton of helpful information on the Internet.
