Satisfying your Dog’s Nutritional Needs

If you’re buying a pet dog and / or puppy for the very first time then congratulations are in order! It is a joyful and enjoyable moment in time for both you and all your family. A new puppy makes a good family animal and a super companion for his or her keeper. They will deliver huge amounts of pleasure to a household and therefore the dependable keeper should offer equally as much back to the pet as they themselves get from it. Irrespective of this being an enjoyable time period you will genuinely try to take the opportunity to consider the new pet’s dietary needs. Giving your puppy the right kinds of food will certainly have a big impact on his overall health, his eyes, skin and coat which means you’ll want to understand it properly.

If your new four-legged friend is actually a little pup you should purchase a quality puppy food. This isn’t a trick – young dogs have different nutritionary needs to more mature dogs, needing increased amounts of protein and fats because of the fact they are extremely active and also growing at a speedy rate. Dry dog food is going to be well suited for your new pet, but if it’s too hard at this early age you can add a little water which can make the food softer. In the beginning, your pup needs between four to six meals on  a daily basis. It reduces to 3 to 4 servings once the pup gets to 3-4 months old. By the time the dog reaches his / her first birthday a couple of dishes on a daily basis should be sufficient.

From twelve months you can also make the switch to a grown-up dry dog food. You can even start to offer treats for instance gnaw sticks and chew bones. However, do not offer left over bone from poultry or lamb. Most of these bones are generally small which means they can choke the dog if he or she swallows it. Buy your doggie snacks from a specialist pet food retailer and avoid anything sugary. Gnaw sticks are generally an important treat as they help to keep the pet’s teeth in very good, clean condition. It’s also advisable to not encourage your dog to consume your food. They will often position themselves with pleading eyes whilst watching you eating your dinner but this kind of behaviour should not be encouraged.

When you are serving a complete dried commercial dog food then you should always give a bowl of fresh, clean water with each meal.

If you’re unsure with regards to the sort of foods your dog should be consuming, or in case he or she looks over weight or underweight then contact your vet who is able to offer advice about serving sizes and protein levels needed by your dog’s particular breed.