|
Many dogs have become victims of well-meaning owners who are
unintentionally feeding them to death. Dogs have changed along with
us and adapted easily to an ever increasing variety of urban living
environments. Gone lengthy bush walks and hunting expeditions --
dogs have taken our lifestyle changes in stride.
As pet dogs adjust to the more increasingly sedentary urban
lifestyle something as routine as going up a flight of stairs
becomes a struggle, but bless their little hearts, their tails never
stop wagging.
Therefore, it is up to us, as responsible dog owners, to be in
control of the food our dogs consume on a daily basis. For starters,
-
Make sure the type of kibble you have chosen has good nutritional
content.
-
Be aware of what you are feeding your dog by taking time to read
all the ingredients on the label.
-
A good quality dog food will have a protein source within the
first 3 ingredients.
-
Regardless of the type of protein used, it should be labeled as a
“meal”: chicken meal, lamb meal, or fish meal.
As well, the protein should never come from any animal by-products,
as these are all the left over scraps of animal parts not fit for
human consumption.
Another thing to note is what “filler” or binding agent is used in
the kibble. If rice (preferably brown) or oatmeal is used in the
food, it will have a much higher nutritional value than if it
contains corn, wheat, or soy. Not only that, wheat and soy are
ingredients that are notorious for causing dogs to develop food
allergies.
To keep it simple, when assessing the rest of the ingredients, just
ask yourself this: Would I be okay with that in my food? If the
answer is no, consider switching your dog to another brand of
kibble. Remember, what goes in must come out, and if your dog is fed
poor quality food, its health will suffer as a result.
In terms of deciding how much food to give your dog, first determine
whether your dog is overweight or not. Compare your dog to the chart
below, then use your hands to feel for body condition.
The dog on the left is fit, the dog in the middle is fat, and the
dog on the right is obese. When you run your hand along your dog’s
side, you should be able to easily feel each of its ribs and the
spaces between them. There should also be an obvious indentation
where the ribs end and the waist begins.
If your dog does not look or feel like the dog on the left, your dog
needs to start losing weight.
If your dog is active and in good shape, you can follow the feeding
guidelines printed on the bag of kibble.
If you switch brands, compare the protein and fat percentages of the
new food with the old one. If they are higher in the new food,
slightly reduce the amount of kibble per meal to account for the
increase in calories. If your dog is overweight, feed the dog 2/3 to
1/2 of the food’s recommended amount.
Within reason and noting that dogs may not tolerate excessive
carbohydrates, you can add some bulk to the meal by mixing the
reduced portion of kibble with some cooked brown rice (and a little
chicken stock for flavour), cooked veggies finely diced or shredded,
low fat plain yogurt, or low fat cottage cheese.
If you feed your dog more than 2 or 3 biscuits in a day, then reduce
the amount of food in his or her main meal. A healthier alternative
to commercially produced dog biscuits is a beef soup bone, a chicken
neck, or a piece of kangaroo tail. It takes dogs longer to consume
these meaty treats, they aid in cleaning dogs’ teeth, and they are
full of vitamins and minerals.
Here are a couple of tips for dealing with raw meat:
-
Both chicken necks and beef soup bones can be purchased for
relatively cheap from your local supermarket or butcher.
-
it is easier to portion out the chicken necks before freezing
them.
-
scoop out some of the marrow from the soup bones, as it is quite
rich and too much of it can cause runny stool in dogs with
sensitive stomachs.
-
You can get roo tail from some select pet stores and butchers. It
is great for dogs that are allergic to chicken and beef.
-
If you are not comfortable handling raw bloody meat, freeze
everything before giving it to your dog. The bones take him or her
longer to eat and while there is less mess it still might be an
outdoor activity
No matter what you feed your dog, he or she needs daily exercise.
You can feed your dog the best quality food but without physical
activity he or she will remain unhealthy.
Besides the obvious physical benefits of keeping your dog active,
there is also a behavioural benefits: an energetic dog that receives
at least 30 minutes of fast-paced exercise per day is less likely to
develop problem behaviours. A more laid-back dog will be happy at a
walking pace, but will still need at least 30 minutes of daily
exercise. This is an opportunity to show gratitude for your dog,
after leaving him or her at home alone all day -- and preferable
than stuffing him or her full of treats.
Your dog will be much happier and healthier for it, and so will you.
|
