FEEDING YOUR DOG PROPERLY

An appropriate diet has a decisive impact on the health of your dog. There are, however, a few things to consider regarding its everyday feeding. Here, we will provide you with a few tips on how to feed your dog properly.

A dog’s energy requirements depend, among other things, on its age, size, whether it lives indoors or outdoors, and its level of activity. An agile dog has higher energy requirements than a calmer dog. The best way to determine the correct amount of food is to follow the feeding recommendation on the dog food packaging. This does, however, only represent an average recommended amount. Each dog has to be assessed individually with regard to its life circumstances. 

How often should you feed your dog?
Everyone knows that after a particularly opulent meal you feel full and sluggish. Dogs are no different, which is why feeding just once a day is not recommended. It is better to feed your dog two or three times throughout the day. This allows the food to be digested as effectively as possible.

With large dogs, if the portions are too big, there is a risk of, among other things, bloating of the stomach (gastric torsion). After feeding, the dog should have a rest period of one to two hours.

Some dogs are rather easy-going when it comes to feeding times. Here, it is not necessary to ensure that the food is in the bowl at exactly the same time every day. But there are also dogs that can hardly wait to be fed. One reason for this can be irregular feeding times. For impatient dogs, it can be advisable, for example, to always feed them at the same time in the early morning and late afternoon. In this way, the dog can adjust to these times. While it is eating, you should disturb your dog as little as possible. If you have several dogs, they should have different feeding places.

Getting used to new pet food
Some illnesses require switching to a special dietary pet food. It is best to introduce the changeover as subtly and carefully as possible: A small amount of the new food should be well mixed with the previous food. The proportion should then be gradually increased until finally only the new food is in the bowl. 

Excessive cravings may well be caused by mistakes in feeding, such as food with poor digestibility. The dog then tries to compensate for the deficiencies in the diet by increasing its food intake. High-quality dog food is well balanced and contains easily digestible raw materials that ensure that the dog is provided with optimum nutrition. There are nevertheless illnesses that can lead to cravings. Diseases of the pancreas for example, can prevent the food from being sufficiently broken down and digested. If feeding your dog with a high-quality complete food – this includes all wet and dry dog food from animonda – does not bring about an improvement, you should take it to the vet.