Do You Know The Knowledge of Dog Nutrition？
Posted on 16. Apr, 2012 by admin in Canine Health
Do You Know The Knowledge of Dog Nutrition？
Article by Megan
Thank you for reading my article “Do You Know The Knowledge of Dog Nutrition”. You can find more articles in Pets Club, and we’re glad to see you give us some suggestions.
Do you choose a correct dog food for your pets? Do you know the difference between puppy nutrition and adult dog nutrition? Let’s learn more about the dog food, and give your babies a right diet.
Puppy Nutrition
Puppies are rapidly growing their first few months of life and will continue to grow for 12 to 24 months, depending on the breed. Puppy food is nutritionally balanced to provide the extra nutrition and energy puppies need. In the first few months of your puppy’s life, he goes through many changes such as bone and joint development, cognitive development and brain growth, muscle development, internal organ growth and immune system development. To meet these requirements, puppies need much more protein than adult dogs. Puppy food is formulated to include a higher protein count, but the quality of the protein is also important. Make sure the first three ingredients of the food you buy are protein sources, not “meat by-products” or any type of grain such as corn, wheat or white rice.
Adult Dog Nutrition
Adult dogs have stopped growing and developing. Thus, they need fewer calories and a more balanced diet for maintaining healthy bones, muscles and internal organs rather than creating them. They no longer need the extra nutrition to support growth, but rather a balanced nutrition to keep them healthy and at a stable weight. Puppies require 25 percent protein and 17 percent fat content in their food. Adult dogs require 18 percent protein and 9-15 percent fat, more if your dog participates in dog sports.
When to Switch to Adult Dog Food
Once your puppy reaches a certain size and weight, it’s time to switch to adult dog food. How do you know when it’s time? Make the switch from puppy to adult dog food when your dog is approaching adult height for his breed. Smaller breed dogs grow faster and may be ready to switch to adult food after 1 year. Medium sized dogs-20 to 50 pound adults-might be ready at 14 months. Breeds that are bigger than 50 pounds might need up to 2 years of puppy food. Dogs characterized as small 0-30lbs (0-13.6kg) to medium 30-80Ibs (13.6-36.3kg) dogs typically switch to adult food after one year. Large dogs 80+ lbs (36.3kg) should wait longer, until about 18 months. Very large breeds (over 100 lbs/45.4kg) need the extra nutrition in puppy food for nearly two years. You can refer to the guide above or ask your veterinarian directly. It takes less nutrition to maintain an adult dog’s body than a puppy’s fast-growing one. Introducing your dog to adult dog food should be done gradually, over a period of seven to ten days. To begin, mix equal amounts of new and current food in your dog’s bowl. Each day, simply increase the amount of adult food while decreasing the amount of puppy food. But make sure to keep an adequate supply of puppy food on hand during his transition. Some dogs can react sensitively to the change. Loose stools or intestinal distress will be your sign to slow the transition down.
Thank you for reading my article “Do You Know The Knowledge of Dog Nutrition”. You can find more articles in Pets Club, and we’re glad to see you give us some suggestions.
Thank you for reading my article “Do You Know The Knowledge of Dog Nutrition？”. You can find more articles in Pets Club, and we’re glad to see you give us some suggestions.
DogHealthAdviser.com – What is the “best dog food?” What do you need to know about dog nutrition? In this segment, The Dog Health Adviser discusses dog nutrition and his recommendations for the best dog foods. To see the Dog Health Adviser’s recommended products, visit doghealthadviser.com
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