The ABC of dog feeding

Dog feeding plays perhaps the main role in the proper raising of a healthy dog with a good exterior.

Dogs have a high speed of food passage through the digestive tract: the first remnants of the eaten food can be excreted as early as 8 hours after eating, complete digestion occurs in 30 hours. Compared to cats, dogs have a more developed intestine (6 times the length of the body, while cats have 3-4 times). The stomach capacity of an average-sized dog is 2.0-2.5 liters. A puppy at the age of one month is fed 5-6 times a day, from 4 to 6 months - 4 times, from 6 months to a year - 3 times a day, after a year - 2 times a day. Free access to food is permissible for weakened, puppy and lactating animals, as well as during the recovery period after illness. In exceptional cases, a single feeding of adult dogs (over 3 years old) kept at home is allowed.

An abrupt change of food is stressful for the animal, so you should switch from one food to another gradually over 3-4 weeks. For the enzyme system to work better, feed should be fed at the same time.

Industrial dry dog food is homogeneous in composition and excludes the possibility of selective nutrition. This ensures that a given amount of nutrients enters the animal's body. Dry food contains less than 15% moisture, so it retains its nutritional properties for a long time. Since they contain practically no water, bacteria and pathogenic fungi do not develop in them.

An adult dog should consume 80-88 kcal of metabolic energy, 4.0-4.5 g of protein, 1.5-2.5 g of fat and 10-15 g of carbohydrates per day per 1 kg of weight. The consumption of dry matter per 1 kg of live weight on average in an adult animal or puppy should be 24 g. The cocker spaniel consumes about 800 kcal, the collie - 1150 kcal.

The energy content in economy class food (per 100 g) is 250-300 kcal, premium - 300-350 kcal, super-premium - 350-450 kcal. Animal feed manufacturers create products based on special standards and diets, including those recommended by the American Feed Control Association, which determines the minimums and maximums of certain components in feed.

The basis of the dog's diet is food of protein origin. All ingredients contained in the food are indicated depending on their percentage. Sources of protein (flour from chicken, fish, etc.) should be in the first place. Some protein ingredients in dry food are digested better than in raw form. A chicken egg contains 58% protein. The protein of raw eggs is digested by 50-60%, heat-treated eggs - by 88-90%. The most valuable component in the feed is flour from poultry and beef. One of the valuable ingredients is also fish meal, which can successfully replace up to 50% of the need for proteins of animal origin. Sources of protein of vegetable origin are soybean meal, soybean flour, corn, wheat. Feeds containing a large number of components of animal origin are distinguished by high digestibility - over 80%.

Grain components of the feed undergo special processing during the manufacturing process, thanks to which they are absorbed 20% better. For the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, a certain amount of fiber is necessary. Manufacturers successfully use the fiber of beets and carrots, grain shells, and some plants.

Fats in the dog's diet should be at least 5-10% of dry matter, fat can cover 20-25% of the animal's energy needs. Moreover, vegetable fats in the diet should be no more than 30% (the remaining 70% are animal fats). If the food is too fatty, it leads to obesity, dullness of the coat, and impaired reproduction. Rancid food, as well as food containing little fat, with long-term consumption, causes dry skin, dandruff, dermatitis, disorders of most organs and systems.

The amount of feed consumed depends on the breed, age, physiological state of the animal, and its individual characteristics. Therefore, the dog may consume a little less or a little more than the dose recommended by the food manufacturers. The owner should make sure that the dog consumes enough clean water, prevent the pet from suddenly gaining or losing weight. A sharp weight gain or loss of 10% within a month is a reason to consult a veterinarian.

To understand if a new food is suitable for your dog, you need to wait for a while. First, the work of the gastrointestinal tract normalizes, after about a month, the appearance of the skin and coat, individual blood indicators improve, after 2-6 months, the work of the reproductive and cardiovascular systems improves.

References The ABC of Dog Feeding - ZooMedVet.