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What and how to feed the dog

If a four-legged friend appeared in the house, then the owners should think about a lot - visiting a veterinary clinic, a comfortable bed, a schedule of walking and, of course, about nutrition. If we are talking about ready-made feeds, then in this case it is enough to consult with a veterinarian or breeder about which brand of feed to choose and how to calculate the portion. Much more question arises if you plan to feed the dog with ordinary foods. Let's understand how to feed a dog and how?

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Basic rules for feeding a dog

What and how to feed the dog

To date, many studies have been conducted on the issue of proper nutrition of dogs, but until now, in some matters, specialists cannot agree on a common opinion. But still there are basic rules for feeding pets:

  • Well, when food in moderation. Do not rely only on the appetite of the dog in determining the rate of food. Often they eat much more than they need. Only experience will tell you how much food is required for a pet, so that he is full and does not overeat.
  • The dog takes 20 minutes to saturate. It is strongly recommended to clean the food after 20 minutes after it was placed. It does not pay attention to how much the dog ate, even if it did not touch the food at all. With such feeding, the pet will not have poor-quality, half-day-old food, and he will be accustomed to eat on schedule.
  • Enough two feedings per day. For an adult pet, two meals a day is the norm. Should adhere to a temporary regime and the same portions of food.
  • Food salt is not necessary. All foods contain salt and this amount is enough for a dog.
  • Need a stand for bowls. You can purchase a special stand or make yourself. She will allow to put bowls with food at the level of a breast of an animal that the dog did not bend down. A convenient option - a device on tripods, with which you can adjust the height of the stand.
  • It is necessary to provide the dog with fresh water. This is especially important when feeding a pet with ready-made feeds. A bowl of water is also installed on the stand. Even if the pet has water in the evening, in the morning it is necessary to replace it with fresh water.
  • It is necessary to give preference to more valuable products. For example, it’s not possible to save part of a portion of meat for cereals or vegetables from economy.
  • It is not necessary to offer the pet double rate when skipping feeding. If there was a failure in the mode, then you should not shift the schedule and try to feed the dog more. Portion should be the same.
  • Experimentally it is necessary to determine the required portion. If a pet eats all the food each time and licks the dishes cleanly, it means that it is worth increasing the portion a little. After some time, it will be possible to find out how much food the dog needs so that it is full and does not gain extra kilos. When overeating, the dog will begin to gain excess weight, become less mobile and, naturally, lazy. In this case, the portion of food is reduced, and the duration of walks increases. If the dog has food in the bowl, then you need to make smaller portions.
  • A dog needs a variety in food. If an animal prefers a certain food, this does not mean that it is not necessary to introduce new products. In most cases, dogs are bored with monotony, and this is a great time to try something new.
  • Need to withstand the time between walking and feeding. If the dog has a long walk, training , any other physical activity, then it needs to be given food no later than two hours before the event. After an actively spent time, you need to wait at least an hour, and then feed them, otherwise the dog may feel much worse.

What to feed the dog

What to feed a pet

If we consider the percentage, the diet of a healthy adult dog should look like this:

  • from 30 to 50% - meat and offal;
  • from 25 to 35% - cereals;
  • from 20 to 30% - dairy products;
  • from 10 to 15% - vegetables.

The ideal option is nutrition, which consists mostly of meat and dairy products, and cereals and vegetables have an additional role. In this case, fish and meat in the diet should be at least 50% (more), an average of 35% dairy products, 10-15% of grains and vegetables.

This menu says that keeping a dog is expensive and not everyone can afford it. However, when starting a pet, a person must understand that this animal is not a herbivore and requires feeding with meat.

It is considered optional to give the dog every day milk, you can take a break for a day or two. These products can be replaced by poultry meat, offal, fish.

It is important to observe the following points:

  • Do not give in one feeding dairy products with meat or vegetables.
  • Dairy products are always given separately.
  • Meat can be given alone or mixed with chopped vegetables;
  • Meat products can be given to the dog raw or subjected to heat treatment.
  • Vegetable oil and finely chopped fresh herbs can be added to the meat.

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In what form is it better to give meat

Meat for dogs

There are two opposing opinions about raw meat - some experts argue that it is impossible to give it to a pet in this form in any case, while others, on the contrary, believe that raw meat is a natural food for predators.

There is some truth in both cases - raw meat is perfectly digested by the dog's digestive system, but are pet owners always sure that they are not infected with any microorganisms? If products are bought in specialized stores and undergo special checks, then it is quite possible to pamper them with a four-legged friend.

The meat must be deep-frozen for two to three days, then thawed and only then given to the dog for food. If there is no time to engage in freezing, then you can cook the meat until half cooked in water or with cereal.

When calculating the amount of meat should proceed from the following proportions - 20 grams of food per kilogram of pet's weight. For example, an adult dog breed Spaniel should eat an average of a quarter of a kilogram of meat per day, while a German or East European shepherd needs 700-800 grams. Of course, these are average numbers, and each owner must calculate the norms individually.

Which meat is better to choose

Among the main species dominated beef with low fat content. Then come the rabbit meat, lamb, horse meat. These foods are low in fat and high in calories. It is not recommended to give the pet minced meat and pork.

Offal - liver, heart, lung, stomach, kidneys, etc. - will be perfect for feeding the dog. But then it is necessary to increase their quantity by about a third in order to justify the meat consumed per day.

Poultry meat (chicken, quails, turkey) and their offal (hearts, stomachs, necks, liver, etc.) can be given to dogs, but only if they do not have problems with digestion. However, it is impossible to completely replace meat with offal.

In what form to give the dog fish

Feed the dog with fish is not prohibited, only the rate of the product should be doubled and it is recommended to give it no more than twice a week. It often happens that pets refuse fish. In this case, it can simply be removed from the diet without any consequences. You can also constantly change the types of fish and can be able to find one that will have a pet to taste.

Marine species of fish can be given raw, but if there is a doubt, you can freeze for two or three days. As for the river, it requires a mandatory re-freezing or heat treatment. Whatever the fish, it will have to be pretty tricky, because before giving it to the dog, you need to remove all the bones from it.

From cheap and few problem options, you can choose the bulls. If they like a pet, they can simply boil well and do not touch the bones.

Dairy products in the dog's diet

Dog drinking milk

Very often, dog owners are at a crossroads, as there is a mass of opposing information about what can be given from dairy products and what cannot.

If the pet has a weak digestive system, it is best to abandon fatty foods in favor of those whose fat content does not exceed 5%.

As for fat-free dairy products, it is not the best option for a dog.

Among the most suitable products are the following:

  • kefir;
  • sour milk;
  • yogurts (without sugar and various additives);
  • cottage cheese.

Adult dogs are not recommended to give milk. Honey (0.5 tsp per serving) is perfect as an additive to dairy products, and cottage cheese can be enriched with calcium chloride.

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Cereals are better to boil on the basis of vegetable or meat broth. You can cook meat and offal in the groats. You should not give the dog legumes (peas, beans, lentils), corn, barley, semolina. Well suited buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, wheat and barley.

Observing certain rules and recommendations of experts on feeding your beloved pet, you can be confident in its normal development and absolute health!

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