Mary Allen
The same applies to four-legged friends as to two-legged friends: healthy dog nutrition is the most important basis for long and healthy life. Still, the dialogue surrounding the right food can be very intimidating.
It’s no secret that nutrition has a major impact on health. It’s no different with dogs. New dog owners in particular are often unsure which food they should buy, what is behind terms such as BARF, and which additives are really good for the health of the four-legged friend. The market is huge and the needs are different depending on the breed. Nevertheless, you can confidently stick to a few basic rules.
Always Fresh Water
Every dog should have access to fresh drinking water at all times. No matter whether young dogs, adult dogs, or senior dogs – the thirst should be quenched at any time. Therefore, please also refrain from the modern bad habit of taking away the drinking water from young puppies before bedtime to “make it easier” for them to sleep through the night. Young dogs in particular can dehydrate quickly – not to mention the emotional stress of feeling thirsty. Better go out at night with the bundle of fur a few nights longer. Then the puppy will soon be able to calm down and sleep through the night stress-free.
Get to Know Your Four-Legged Friend
Before actual products and diet plans are selected, you should first find out about the needs of the respective dog breed and get to know your four-legged friend. It is worth talking to the breeder, the animal shelter, or the veterinarian in advance about which food the dog breed tolerates well and what needs there are to be considered for the individual animal. They can give valuable tips and also point out what you should pay particular attention to. In addition to a healthy diet, other factors such as regular feeding times and lengths of walks or sports sessions adapted to the dog are also necessary to keep it fit and happy.
If the dog eats too little or not at all, an illness is not always to blame. Because it may also be due to the wrong food or intolerance that the bowl is hardly touched. Changing their usual food can lead to sudden diarrhea, especially in young dogs. Therefore, the new food should only be gradually added to the usual food in small amounts. Older dogs, on the other hand, may have problems with foods that are difficult to digest, such as bones or gristly meat. In any case, the droppings of your four-legged friend provide the best information about the health of the dog.
Devil is in the Details – or the Synopsis
If you trust the advertising or the packaging for dog food, all suppliers only want the best for the dog. It is a big challenge for dog owners, especially at the beginning, to find out and correctly interpret the ingredients between all the advertising.
The declaration, which provides information about the ingredients of the dog food, can help here. The more open the declaration, the more trustworthy the product. For example, if a manufacturer only states “cereals” or “animal by-products” in the table of contents, this is not very informative. The information about the quantities included is also helpful. With closed declarations, you can see online which exact ingredients are contained in which amounts in the feed. A little internet research pays off in most cases. If you are still unsure after your research, it is worth asking the manufacturer. If the dog refuses to provide information, this dog food is not recommended.
Also: High-quality food is not necessarily the most expensive dog food. Don’t be fooled by prices or pretty packaging and trust the declaration alone.
BARF & Meat Juice Cooking
The so-called BARFen is a common term for many dog owners, even if it is not feasible for everyone. BARFing relies on a mostly meat-based diet made from raw ingredients. The aim is to orientate oneself on what and how animals eat when they live in the wild. For this, however, you need the appropriate prior knowledge to feed your four-legged friend healthily and without any deficiency symptoms. Veterinarians and specialist staff can also help here. In any case, professional advice should be given before the diet is changed. Another healthy alternative, which is very close to BARFing, is what is known as meat juice cooking, in which raw meat is cooked into dog food.
Additives to the Classic Diet for Dogs
Our four-legged friends get everything that healthy dogs need if they are fed properly. However, as with us humans, sometimes deficiency symptoms can occur that cannot be compensated for by nutrition alone. For such cases, there are now supplementary feeds for dogs. These include, for example, the addition of salmon oil to ensure a nice, shiny coat. For (older) dogs with minor joint problems, enriching the feed with devil’s claw or green-lipped mussel extract can help. The examples are endless, but in the end, it is up to the veterinarian to decide what supplements are appropriate for the individual dog.
Even tricks that have nothing to do with nutrition can improve the health of your four-legged friend and increase their well-being, for example, natural fur care with coconut oil or the use of care products and remedies with herbal ingredients.
Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
It’s a persistent myth that there’s no way dogs can be vegan or vegetarian. It is possible to get all the important ingredients from fruit, vegetables, or grains. However, this is only an option if you know your four-legged friend extremely well and are very knowledgeable about the nutrients in the meat-free alternatives. In addition, there should never be too much grain in the feed. For a long time, it was said that dogs should ideally be fed a gluten-free diet. But we now know that small amounts of grain are quite digestible, provided there are no allergies or intolerances. However, dogs are naturally carnivores, which is why a change in diet to vegan,
Because with a vegan or vegetarian diet, there is a great risk of not being able to meet all the natural needs of the dog, which is a carnivore by nature. Because the dog should also accept the change of food with joy and appetite. Otherwise not only his physical well-being is at stake, but also his mental one. If you’re emotionally overwhelmed by feeding meat to a carnivore, you’re probably doing a lot better with a herbivore as a pet.
These Foods are Taboo!
Finally, an overview of the foods and ingredients that are taboo for all dogs and which should be avoided at all costs in the diet, whether it consists of processed food or raw food, as they can be unhealthy or even dangerous. These foods should also be avoided as small snacks or treats, as some (such as chocolate) can be toxic to dogs even in small amounts.
- chocolate or cocoa
- grapes and raisins
- raw potatoes
- stone fruit pits
- sugar
- onions and garlic
- avocados
- poultry bones (danger of breakage due to hollow bones!)
- raw pork (bacterial contamination)
- seasoned foods
Movement is the Be-All
Dogs love to exercise. And with good reason, as it keeps them fit, healthy and happy. You should be able to exercise at least two to three times a day, preferably in the fresh air. How long you walk your dog or let your dog romp and play freely in designated areas depends on its breed and personality. However, the rule of thumb for the duration of a walk is that small breeds and young dogs need about 15 to 30 minutes of exercise several times a day. The more freedom and nature you have with you, the better. The practical thing: exercise in nature also makes us happy and healthy.
Regular Check-Ups at the Vet
Admittedly, a visit to the vet is unlikely to make either a dog or its owner happy. Nevertheless, regular medical checks are necessary to keep the four-legged friend healthy and alert in the long term. This is the only way that hidden diseases or diseases with few symptoms can be discovered and treated early and problems of all kinds can be dealt with in a professional and animal-friendly manner. Here it is important to have a competent and empathetic veterinarian who you trust and who will treat your dog with care and knowledge. So the beloved four-legged friend can lead a long, happy life.