All canines need a reasonable eating routine to keep them cheerful and sound. Find our recommendation to keep them cheerful and sound.
All canines need a reasonable eating routine to keep them cheerful and sound. Each canine is an individual so the ideal eating regimen will rely upon their age, size, action levels, and what they like!
Address your vet for help choosing the right eating regimen for your canine. Here is our recommendation to kick you off.
What type of food should I feed my dog?
There are heaps of kinds of canine food available, including total dry weight control plans, wet food regardless of bread roll blenders, and new canine food. So it very well may be hard to tell what is ideal to take care of your canine!
By and large, a decent complete food ought to give every one of the fundamental supplements to your canine. Dry food can likewise be great for your canine’s teeth.
It’s challenging to give your canine all that they need with a natively constructed or crude food diet – so we suggest purchasing business canine food, as opposed to making your own. In the event that you choose to provide your canine with this kind of food, consistently look for veterinary exhortation first.
The food you need will depend on your dog’s life stage
Most food varieties are currently accessible to suit the different life stages: pup, grown-up and senior. These have been planned cautiously to match the requirements of canines at various ages, so ensure you purchase the right one for your canine. As your canine ages, progress to the following food step by step.
Little dogs can continue on toward grown-up food whenever they’ve quit developing – when this is will differ contingent upon their size and breed. Check the food producer’s direction and address your vet to choose the right timing for your canine.
How to change your dog’s food
It’s important your dog’s diet is consistent, as sudden changes could cause an upset stomach.
If you want or need to introduce a new diet, do this over the course of a few days to a week. Start by replacing a small amount of your dog’s current food with their new food, and gradually increase the proportion of new food.
How much should I feed my dog?
Check the food packet for a guide to work out the right amount of food for your dog. But be aware that these are only guidelines, and you may need to adjust according to your dog’s individual needs.
How much food your dog needs will depend on their activity levels and metabolism, so you’ll need to monitor their weight and body condition. Here’s a useful guide to maintaining a healthy body condition.
Be careful not to overfeed your dog. Obesity increases your dog’s risk of arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. If you think your dog may be overweight, your vet will be able to help you with a feeding and exercise plan.
If you’re not sure what a healthy weight is for your dog, or how much to feed them, speak to your vet.
How to perform a health check on your dog
Discover how to give your dog a regular home health check that will alert you to any issues as soon as possible.
How often should I feed my dog?
The food packet will help you work out the right daily amount, which you should then divide across the number of meals to give your dog.
Puppies should be fed small, frequent meals throughout the day. These can be reduced as your puppy gets older. Here’s a rough guide:
- Under 12 weeks, a puppy would usually have four meals a day
- From about 12 weeks old they will have three meals a day
- From 6 months of age, they can move to two meals a day.
For advice on reducing your puppy’s meals, speak to your vet.
Should I leave food out for my dog?
For most dogs, it is not a good idea to leave food out all day, as it could spoil. Adult dogs should normally be fed twice a day. If you’re concerned your dog is not eating at mealtimes, speak to your vet.
Your dog should always have access to fresh water so always leave their water bowl out. Check and refill it regularly.
Treats
Treats can be used as a great training reward to teach your dog new things. Training with rewards is all about teaching your dog that good things happen when they make a good choice.
When your dog gets a reward, they will associate this with whatever they’ve just done, and they will be more likely to do the same thing again next time.
Here are our top tips for treats:
- Always give your dog treats in moderation. Monitor the number of treats you give your dog and reduce their usual food portions if needed. As a general rule, no more than 10 per cent of your dog’s diet should be made up of treats.
- There are a wide variety of treats you can buy for your dog. Be aware that these can vary in quality and could contain a lot of sugar, milk products and fat, so always check the ingredients.
- Treats that dogs especially love (something soft and smelly like cheese, sausage or chicken) can be used as the ‘gold star’ reward when your dog gets something spot on. You can also use these to keep your dog’s focus and attention in environments where there are more distractions. These can be chopped into small pea-sized pieces for training.
- Your dog can safely eat lots of fruits and vegetables, including carrots, broccoli and strawberries. These can be a good alternative to bought treats as they are lower in calories. Try your dog with a few different options to see what they like, but be careful not to give them anything that could be dangerous – check our list of toxic foods.
- Avoid feeding your dog table scraps as treats. Many human foods can cause digestive upsets and some are even toxic, such as onions and garlic. Human food can also contribute to obesity and unbalance your dog’s diet. Feeding your dog a slice of toast is equivalent to a human eating a portion of chips!
Speak to your vet for more advice on the best way to include treats in your dog’s diet. Most dogs enjoy food as a reward but all dogs are different so they will naturally find different things rewarding. Toys and your attention can also be excellent rewards.