How to feed a small dog
Many people know how to feed a dog, but did you know that most dog foods that you find in the supermarket are not the best for your dog's health.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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The most important part of feeding a small dog is recognizing their unique feeding habits. Most small dog's have sensitive stomachs or special nutritional requirements. Before picking a dog food consider the loyalties your vetenarian may have to a brand or a sponsor before blindly accepting their suggestion. Many veterinarians have great recommendations, but some will consistently recommend a brand due to sponsorship. If your dog has a special condition or health issue that requires them to eat a special diet be sure to follow those suggestions by your vetanarian. You will also need to consult with your doctor about the dietary needs of dogs in general. A good portion of dogs diets need to be protein.
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While selecting a dog food you must first look at the ingredients list on the packaging. The foods listed on any dog food product will list ingredients by concentration. Higher concentrations of an ingredient will prefix lower concentrations. The best dog foods have SEVERAL meat products (not meat substitutes) as the first ingredients and are not loaded full of grain or meat by products. Sometimes you will find meat as the top ingredient, but if all the rest of the ingredients are by products or fillers it is still very hard for a dog to digest.
General rule of thumb, if the first 4 ingredients you wouldn't put in anyone's meal don't give it to a dog.
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Before switching any dog's diet consider a probiotic, and slowly mixing a new food before completly switching a dogs diet. Dog's do not handle varied and complex diets and you can tell by examining their excrement and behaviour that quickly switching a dogs diet will have difficult and often unhealthy results.
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Older dogs have significantly different needs then younger and middle aged dogs. Puppies for example need higher amounts of fat then a middle aged dog needs. Small dogs need smaller bite sizes, and need smaller portions given to them then larger dogs.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not over feed a dog, it can easily cause bloat in some dogs. Bloat has a high percentage of mortality in dogs.
Older dogs can benefit from certain supplements, but keep in mind some suppliements can be tough on their stomach.
Some of the best dog foods are considered all-natural, or homemade. Look for recipes that contain meat products that are not fried and discuss your plans with a vetenarian before attempting a holistic menu for your beloved pet.
Some of the worst dog foods can be found in a supermarket, go to a large dog store that carries natural dog foods like Canidae, Naturals Mircale, Innova, Evo, and so on...
NEVER give your dog foods that are on this list: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1661&articleid=1030
