Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Dog Food & Supplements: An In Depth Look At Nutrition For Your Pet (6)

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Dog Food & Supplements

Pet food manufacturers have made it quite easy for the average dog owner to feed their pets without having to be an expert nutritionist. All of the work has been done by the modern manufacturer.

Since it isn’t possible for manufacturers to list all of the nutrients in dog food and their required percentages as published by the NRC (National Research Council) on their labels, the terms “complete diet”, “nutritionally complete”, “balanced”, and “balanced diet” are used.

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This tells the consumer that the dog food inside the can, bag or box, contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats the average dog needs to satisfy his daily requirements.

The nutritional requirement for puppies, however, is somewhat different than that required for adult dogs. The diet of the adult dog is usually referred to as a “maintenance diet” where a puppy diet is referred to as a “growth diet”.

In 1974 a regulation went into effect that required all dog food manufacturers to specify on their labels whether the product is complete and balanced for the adult dog (maintenance), complete and balanced for puppies (growth), or complete and balanced for growth and maintenance both. Since all manufactures comply with this regulation, the only thing left to the consumers is to read the label on the dog food.

Among the varieties of canned, bagged, or semi-moist dog foods, there are certain drawbacks, as well as advantages. This is true even though they are nutritionally identical if advertised as “complete” and/or “balanced”.

Because canned dog food may contain up to 78% moisture, a dog necessarily has to eat a larger quantity of a canned product to get the same volume of food that he would get if fed a dry product. It takes three pounds of commercially prepared canned dog food to be equivalent to one pound of dry food.

But manufactures do not fill a can two-thirds of the way with water, then top it off with a little dab of dog food. The moisture content inside the can is there by the very nature of the ingredients. For example, when a human buys a thick juicy steak, he’s buying well over fifty percent moisture. The butcher didn’t inject that moisture into the steak with a hypodermic needle.

The moisture content in canned dog food serves a definite and useful purpose, both in processing and in the dog’s digestive system. The drawback to the consumer insofar as canned dog food is concerned, is usually one of economics. It can be very expensive due to the large quantities of canned dog food most normal to large sized dogs will need to eat to get in their daily caloric and nutritional needs.

Special Diets For Dogs: Your Veterinarian Has Something Very Important To Tell You

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Special diets for dogs are not only prescribed by veterinarians for the obese animal, but also for various health reasons.

For example, if your dog suffers from congestive heart failure, due to heartworm or other heart diseases, your veterinarian may want to put him on a low-sodium diet, along with the proper medications, which combined, may literally save your pet’s life. There used to be an old saying: “You are what you eat,” but your dog has no choice, “He is what you feed him” and his welfare is always in your hands.

A veterinarian once told me that over half of mature dogs alive have kidney disease. Your pet’s doctor may suggest that he be given a special diet that will not put a strain on his kidneys. This will often correct many problems and keep an animal from becoming seriously ill. All of the prescribed dietary foods must be given according to your veterinarian’s strict instructions.

What About The Puppy & The Pregnant Dog, Do They Need Diet Food?

This too is a question which must be left up to your veterinarian. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t, depending upon the physical condition of the animal. Physical and mental stress is sometimes a determining factor in the prescribing of a diet program for puppies or the mother dog.

Diarrhea & Loose Stools

If your dog has diarrhea, he may need a bland diet. The intestinal tract of a dog is similar to that of a human and when it is irritated, a change of food can sometimes correct the problem.

Allergies & Skin Problems

Does your dog have an allergy or dermatosis? It may be that he is being fed the wrong food. Many times the well-meaning dog owner will spray, bathe, or put ointments on their pet, when what the dog really needs is a special diet food. Your veterinarian is the person who can determine the cause of your dog’s itch, so don’t try to diagnose it yourself.

Take Responsibility For Your Dog

Animal nutrition has made giant strides during the past 30 years. Today it is said that most dogs who are fed regular commercial dog food have a better diet than an American child. However, I’m sure this is a debatable statement and a hot topic. But the day is long past when we threw the family dog a bone from the table and expected him to grow just fine on any scraps left over.

Whenever your dog is not eating properly or is overweight, consult your veterinarian. He may suggest that you put your dog on a diet and if he does, be sure to stick with it. Try not to overfeed your pet. If he gets more calories than his body size needs, based on how much he weighs and physical activity, you may become a fat pup. Our pets have a way of becoming part of the family circle, but we must remember that their dietary needs are not the same as that of the rest of the family.

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