What do dogs eat?
If you have ever had a dog as a pet, you will surely know what its
basic needs are, including its food. Dogs need to include proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates, water and vitamins in different proportions in their diet for
proper growth and maintenance of their metabolism. An excess or deficiency
of these nutrients can cause health problems for the animal, therefore, we
must know very well everything that we feed it.
If you have never had a dog at home before and want to know what a dog's
diet is based on, don't hesitate to read this vet.alnwaeer.com article.
Next, we explain in detail what dogs eat .
You may also be interested in: What do puppy dogs eat?
Index
nutritional needs of dogs
What do dogs eat?
How to feed a dog?
What do wild dogs eat?
Forbidden dog food
Nutritional needs of dogs
A dog's diet should include different ingredients such as protein, grains,
fruits, vegetables, and fatty acids. In addition, the use of preservatives
or colorants should be avoided as much as possible, as these additives can
cause health problems. The percentage that is needed of each nutrient is
different, as we will see below:
Proteins
it is the main ingredient in a dog's diet, so we will always find it in
greater proportion. It can be protein from chicken, beef, salmon, etc.
However, it is not always correct to administer very high amounts of
protein to the animal, since in the long term it can cause kidney
problems. In homemade diets, it should not be less than 70% of the total.
In feed, the percentage of protein should be around 50%.
Cereals
the main cereal that is usually included in dog feed or homemade
diets is rice, since it is easy to digest and causes fewer allergies or
intolerances than other ingredients. It must be found in less quantity
than proteins. It should not exceed 10% of the total.
Fruits and vegetables
they provide a large amount of carbohydrates and favor the function
of the intestinal tract, since they provide the necessary fiber. In this
way, the dog's diet can include apples, pears, carrots, spinach, etc.,
always in the right measure (around 10-15% of the total daily diet).
Fatty acids
they are provided by oils and fats, which offer the animal a better
functioning of the immune system, a correct regulation of inflammatory
processes and a good repair of blood vessels, among others.
Vitamins
within this group we can find vitamin C, D, B3, B6 or B12, all of which
are necessary for numerous functions such as the formation and development
of animal tissues. Its requirements are low but essential, with minimum
levels found at 0.3% of the daily diet. Vitamins are essential nutrients,
since the dog's body cannot synthesize them by itself and must obtain them
from food. However, the administration of large amounts of vitamins can
cause hypervitaminosis, resulting in being very toxic for the animal.
Minerals
their requirements are not very high either (3% of the diet), but
they are very important for the body because their main functions are to
form part of the cellular structure and help regulate the acid-base
balance. They are also very important to build bone structures, in the
case of phosphorus and calcium. Unlike the consumption of vitamins, an
excess of minerals does not usually cause toxicity since the body
eliminates them in most cases.
What do dogs eat?
Currently, dog food is very varied and there are several diets that we
can follow. In general, we find three ways to feed our dogs: with feed,
through a homemade diet or a mixed diet.
feed
A dog can be fed correctly with good commercial feed suitable for its
needs. In this way, in the market we can find feed for puppies, pregnant
bitches, neutered dogs, geriatric dogs or dogs with some pathology. All
of them will vary in terms of their composition, since the needs are not
the same as those of a young and healthy dog. Thus, a feed for puppies
will include a higher percentage of proteins because these are necessary
for their correct growth. Similarly, a feed for nursing homes will
provide fewer calories because the energy needs of older dogs decrease
considerably.
However, we should always look at the composition of the feed on the label
itself to make sure that we are offering the best to our furry. In the
market we can find low-end, mid-range or high-end feed . The low-end ones
differ from the high-end ones in that the latter, in addition to having a
higher price in the market, always have a fixed composition, that is,
their ingredients do not vary depending on their cost and they are of
higher quality. , which is beneficial for the animal because a constant
change of ingredients or a sudden change of commercial brand could cause
intestinal problems. This does not remove the possibility of changing from
time to time the products that we offer you, as long as it is
progressive.so that the animal gradually gets used to new ingredients and
enjoys a more varied diet. The advantage of feeding your dog with feed is
the comfort of the process, since giving it the right amount is enough to
meet all the nutritional needs of the animal.
Now, if you ask yourself what is the most suitable feed, the answer is one
that is made with natural ingredients, suitable for human consumption and
whose composition is consistent with the percentages mentioned above.
Homemade food
Another option is to give homemade and varied food to the dogs, although
in these cases we must be more careful since we must always know what
percentage of nutrients we are offering so that the animal does not have
a deficiency or excess of these. Among the advantages of offering
homemade food we find a greater palatability of the food and greater
control of what our dog eats. Going deeper into the homemade diet, you
have surely heard of the BARF diet , which is based on offering the dog
a combination of raw foods(meaty bones, different varieties of meat,
fish, organ meats, fruits and vegetables) since these are the
ingredients that you would eat in the wild, providing you with some
benefits such as the following:
- Produce less bulky stools
- Provide shine and thickness to the coat
- Reduces tartar on teeth
- Nutrients are not lost when cooking food
- Reduce water consumption
However, as a disadvantage, we must mention that, if we do not know the
origin of the food or it has not been previously frozen, we could run
the risk of offering the animal products in poor condition, with
bacteria or worms. For this reason, it is always preferable to freeze
when in doubt or semi-cook the product before giving it, that is, cook
it on the outside but keep it raw on the inside.
Mixed feeding
Also noteworthy is the option of offering a mixed diet, combining the
commercial feed with the homemade diet so that the dog does not get
tired of always eating the same thing and enjoys the food more. This
type of diet should not be made by mixing the feed with homemade food
because these products have different digestive processes and could
cause intestinal problems. For this reason, it is best to offer feed on
some days and homemade food on other days. Thus, it will not be
necessary to cook every day and the animal will still be able to enjoy
the advantages of the natural diet.
What dog food to choose?
Now, among the different options, what to feed a dog? The answer lies in
the needs of the animal and in our own economic situation. A natural
diet will always be more beneficial, however, it can also be more
expensive if, for example, we live with a giant breed dog. So, a mixed
diet is a good option for those people who want to feed their dogs with
homemade food but do not have enough time or cannot buy so many
ingredients, since we also find many quality feeds, made with natural
ingredients and whose cost it is not excessively high.
However, we should always consult our veterinarian first about the
advantages and disadvantages of the different types of diet and which
one is best suited to the needs of our dog.
How to feed a dog?
There are two methods to feed our dog: rationed or ad libitum . The
first method is always recommended because it is easier to control the
amount of food we give the dog. However, if we leave the food bowl
always full ( ad libitum ) for when the dog wants to serve himself,
there is a possibility that he will be constantly eating if he is a dog
obsessed with food or with a lot of anxiety, which will cause him to
win. a lot of weight. In this way, although there may be exceptions on
many occasions, it is preferable to give the rationed food in 2 or 3
daily meals to a healthy animal.
Obesity problems in dogs
Food is very important for dogs since the appearance of numerous
diseases depends on it, including obesity, as we have just commented.
Feeding excessively or incorrectly can cause these types of problems
that, although they seem insignificant, can affect the life expectancy
of the dog. In addition, there are other factors that can influence the
appearance of obesity, such as castration. Therefore, we have to
complement exercise with a good diet .
An animal is considered obese when its ribs cannot be easily palpated or
when its weight is greater than 15% of its optimal weight, often causing
heart and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis , etc. The consequences
of obesity in dogs can be devastating, so a correct diet is essential to
avoid them.
What do wild dogs eat?
Dogs that lack owners and live in nature as in their origins, consume
fruits , meat, viscera and bones of other animals they hunt (reptiles,
birds, rabbits, hares and other mammals). As they are not domesticated,
their instinct leads them to consume any food available in nature, which
is why, on certain occasions, there have been cases of attacks on
humans. In fact, they have large canines with which they can easily tear
apart their prey.
Due to the fact that there are many domestic dogs today, many people
wonder what dogs eat and how they live in the wild to offer their
companion a diet that is as similar as possible to their nature.
However, as we have just discussed, wild dogs hunt for food and eat
absolutely everything they need from their prey, generally starting with
the viscera. At home, we cannot and it is not correct to offer live
animals to our dogs to hunt. If you want to give your dog the most
natural diet possible, then you should consider the possibility of
setting up a BARF diet.
You will see that in the diet of wild dogs we have not mentioned fruits,
vegetables or cereals. Do not consume these ingredients? So why do we
include them in the section dedicated to explaining what domestic dogs
eat? Very simple, they do eat these ingredients when feeding on the
viscera of their prey. In general, the prey of dogs are herbivorous
animals that eat these foods and, therefore, are found in their
digestive tract. In the wild, a dog will eat between 10 and 20% of
fruits, vegetables and grains through the stomach of the animals that he
hunts. This percentage in the diet of domestic dogs is the same because
it aims to adapt as much as possible to the nutritional needs of the dog
as a species.
Forbidden dog food
Now that you know what dogs can eat, you should also know that there are
some foods that are toxic for our dogs and that we should avoid giving
them to them. Among them we can highlight the following:
- Chocolate : contains a substance called theobromine that is toxic to the animal, causing heart, nervous system and kidney problems, among others. Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of this substance, so just 100 grams of this food can kill a Yorkshire terrier.
- Coffee and tea : they contain methylxanthines , a substance with a stimulating effect that can cause tachycardia and other problems similar to those produced by chocolate.
- Onions and garlic : they contain thiosulfate , which is harmful to dogs, as they cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms and anemia due to the destruction of red blood cells, as long as they are administered in inadequate quantities
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