There's an old adage that you are what you eat. Nutrition can impact pretty much every aspect of our pet's health from the heart to their development in their musculoskeletal system to their weight, energy, coat, and all those different factors are impacted.
Can all dogs eat the same food?
It is very crucial to pick a good diet for your pet. There's not really a one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet or knowing what exactly is best. A lot of it is trial and error. Many things impact that, like your budget, what the dog likes to eat and is willing to eat, as well as just how your dog handles it. Normally, dogs should only poop about twice a day and shouldn't experience any vomiting or diarrhea on a diet that works well for them.
How does a dog's diet need to change throughout their life?
Their diet will need to be adjusted as they change through different periods in their life. Growth has different nutritional needs compared to more of a maintenance phase, while a senior dog actually demands more protein, assuming there are no other medical concerns. Just like with people, every dog needs fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Every dog food should meet what's called AAFCO standards to verify that they meet those minimum requirements. Some signs that your dog's nutritional needs aren't being met are dull hair coat, lethargy, lack of energy, just general unthriftiness, or sometimes recurrent digestive symptoms.
Generally, they don't need additional vitamins or minerals, but sometimes supplements are recommended like omega-3 fatty acids, different herbals, or joint supplements. All that's going to depend on a conversation with your veterinarian to determine what is needed for them at this stage in life. You're really looking for the AAFCO seal of approval to verify that the nutritional needs are met for long-term feeding.
Is grain-free diet bad for dogs?
That's actually a misnomer. Grain-free is bad for your dogs and can lead to heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy and subsequent heart failure. You do want to have a diet that is grain-inclusive. It is very rare to have a dog that has celiac disease.
Is it safe to feed dogs recycled food?
Not necessarily. It's a way of recycling the food and ensuring that food doesn't go to waste. While it's a bit of a turnoff, it's not dangerous.
Are raw food diets safe for dogs?
Most raw food diets are generally okay for dogs to consume. However, there are risks associated with it like bacterial overload and illness, intestinal parasites. It's more of an issue for the pet owners, to be perfectly honest, where if there's any immunosuppressed individuals in the home, i.e., going through chemotherapy, infants, elderly, that's when we really get concerned because you can have bacterial transfer over from the food to those individuals that are more susceptible to illness.
What is better for my dog: fresh food or conventional diets?
Honestly, it depends who you ask. If you got 20 different vets in a room, you would get several different answers. There certainly are some veterinarians who prefer fresh foods for various reasons, while others stick to the more conventional diets, and there's not really a right or wrong answer to that.
How often should I feed my dog?
Generally, we feed our dogs twice a day. Sometimes younger puppies will be fed three times a day during their initial growth spurt.
How can I determine whether my dog is overweight or underweight?
To determine whether your dog is too thick or too thin, i.e., how much you should be feeding them, a veterinarian should do what's called a body condition score. The way I think about it is by often comparing them to horses. If you have a horse that is what we call a four out of nine, that's generally related to a racehorse physique—a lean, healthy body weight. Five out of nine is what we think of for most horses in a stable. Six is when they're a little too chunky, and it's what I relate to dadbod status. You would really want to try and get your pet between a four and a five. If you have questions about that, you should contact your vet.
How to avoid overfeeding my dog?
You just want to not overfeed and ensure they don't get excess calorie intake, in addition to ensuring they get worked out routinely. It's just like with people—calories in and calories out. Avoid high-fat treats like ice cream, bacon, sausage. Generally, just try and stick to the dog food.
When do dogs need prescription diets?
Pets can need prescription diets for various reasons: urinary crystals, stones, kidney disease, food allergies. It's really going to depend on any underlying medical illness. If you have any concerns about their diet and see whether a prescription diet is helpful, you should contact your veterinarian.
How much of my dog's diet should be treats?
You don't want to exceed 10% of their calorie intake in treats. It's important to be careful with that and make sure they're not too fatty. Additionally, if your pet requires any prescription diets, it's important to ensure there's no interference with the treats you select.
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