Introduction

The right amount of nutritious food is a necessity for every dog’s health. Food provides dogs with the fuel to grow, maintain a healthy body, fight infection and reproduce. Plenty of fresh water is also equally important for a dog's body.

The right diet contains balanced proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. High-quality dog foods offered by reputable companies also meet these needs, or a healthy diet can also be prepared at home, with help from a veterinarian. The correct proportion of each key ingredient and the amount to be fed depends on every individual dog. Determine whether the dog is young or old, thin or fat, active or sedentary. Check to see whether the dog spends most of its time indoors or outdoors, in a hot climate or a cold one. Furthermore, determine whether the dog is a working one or a pregnant . Each of these different cases presents its own nutritional needs.

Every dog in the household should have a separate food dish and access to fresh and clean water. The dishes and the utensils used to prepare food should be kept clean at all times. In order to achieve best results, a regular feeding schedule should be maintained.

Puppies need more calories and essential nutrients as compared to adult dogs. Food quality is just as important as quantity, especially just after weaning –when the puppy is at about five to seven weeks old. Eggs, meat, milk and cottage cheese are appropriate puppy foods because they are palatable, digestible and contain plenty of high-quality protein. Foods with a very high fibre content are less desirable during the period of rapid growth. If a commercial dog food is offered, it should be formulated for puppies, or an adult food should be supplemented with the high-protein foods. Be careful to consult your veterinarian on this issue to ensure that the diet remains a balanced one.

Most young puppies are fed thrice a day, although some breeders prefer four times daily for the first month and followed up by three times thereafter. When a puppy reaches four to six months of age, two meals a day will be sufficient.

Perfect healthy dogs occasionally skip a meal or eat less than normal. Unless the dog is showing signs of illness or its appetite does not pick up again soon, there is no need for any alarm. Be careful to avoid overfeeding young dogs as by doing so, it may lead to a variety of medical problems. A puppy should be weighed weekly, and the growth rate should be compared with published charts for that particular breed. An average growth rate is preferable to a maximum one. Exercise is also important and necessary at this time. Small breeds often approach maturity at seven to ten months, whereby their total nutrient requirements gradually decrease. Larger dogs mature at a slower pace.

Always remember to provide fresh drinking water, even if your dog’s food seems very wet. Between meals, snacks should always be avoided, except during occasional treats to be used as rewards for good behaviour.

Caloric Requirements

The following chart is a general guide to the caloric requirements for an average adult dog. Your dog may need more or less food, depending on the size, activity level, temperament and metabolism. For example, a dog that works hard or spends a lot of time outside in a cold climate requires more energy from food than one that is basically sedentary or spends most of the time in a temperature-controlled apartment.

There are three types of commercial dog foods: dry, semimoist and canned. Assuming they are manufactured by reputable companies, all these food contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Therefore, the selection of any diet should depend on the nature of the dog, the performance desired by its owner and the overall care of the dog.

The adequacy of a particular diet may be judged by observing the dog. First, determine whether the dog’s stools are very watery, foamy, pale or coloured like the food. All these factors indicate poor digestion of food. On the other hand, stools that are small, dark and dense suggest good digestion of food. Next, look at the dog’s coat. The proper diet helps it stay pliant, glossy and clean-looking. Physical fitness is another important assessment, especially when deciding how much to feed. Reach over and run your hands along the dog’s sides. If your dog is overweight, which does not take place commonly in dogs, you will not be able to feel the ribs.

Pregnant And Lactating Bitches

A should be in prime condition before she is being bred. Pregnancy is not the right time to start rebuilding depleted body reserves, which may sometimes result in whelping complications. Any that is part of a breeding programme should be fed with a complete and balanced diet that is slightly above her usual maintenance intake.

After the breeding has taken place, return to her usual amount and type of food consumed by the . A in good condition should continue into pregnancy with the same caloric intake that she had during adult maintenance. Her food intake should be increased only when her body weight increases, which begins about the last five weeks before whelping. Daily food intake should be increased gradually, so that during the time of whelping she may be consuming thirty-five to fifty percent more than usual.

If you have been feeding your a well balanced and high quality diet, there is no need to add anything during her pregnancy. However, some breeders advocate supplementation with a protein source such as evaporated milk, eggs, meat or liver. These supplements should never represent more than ten percent of the small, frequent meals to spare her the discomfort that larger meals can cause to dogs especially small ones.

Some bitches consume very little food for the first day or two after whelping. Then their appetite and need for all nutrients rises sharply and peaks in about three weeks. During this entire period, adequate calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D must be fed to avoid the onset of eclampsia. Optimal amounts of these nutrients are already present in a high-quality diet, so further supplementation should be necessary. Eclampsia causes nervousness, whimpering, unsteady gait and spasms. Although it maybe a serious case, it can be readily cured with prompt veterinary treatment from a veterinarian.

After whelping, the ideally should be about the same weight as when she was bred, but not more than five to ten percent heavier. For three weeks after whelping, she will need two or three times more food than her normal maintenance diet in order to help her provide nourishing milk to her puppies. This food should be divided into about three or four meals. The composition of the food should be the same as it was during the last third of her pregnancy; remember that only the amount per day should be changed.

Nursing puppies should be allowed to eat a little of their mother’s food, as long as it has been well soaked or moistened, soon after they have normal sight and locomotion. As weaning progresses, start limiting the ’s food intake so that she will have fewer problems at time of complete weaning. On the first day of complete weaning, do not offer the any amount of food at all, although plenty of water should always be available. On the second day, feed one-fourth of her normal maintenance diet; on the third day one-half; on the fourth day three-quarters, and then return completely to the diet she was fed before breeding. By doing so, it will help in the decrease of milk production and the prevention of mammary gland problems.

Finally, even if you have followed the recommended feeding practices during pregnancy and lactation, the body reserves of many bitches become depleted during lacation. Therefore, carefully observe the and be sure that she is being fed with a high-quality diet, one that is easily digested and contains essential nutrients, until she has reached the same body condition and nutritional status that she had been enjoying before breeding.

Hand Feeding Newborn Puppies

Newborn puppies must be hand fed if their mother is either unable or
unwilling to nurse them. Cow’s milk is a poor substitute for ’s milk, which is more concentrated and has twice the level of protein, almost double the calories and more than twice the calcium and phosporus content. For feeding puppies, a commercial puppy formula is recommended; carefully follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the feeding process.

On the average, the following guidelines will indicate how many calories a newborn puppy is required per day. A puppy may require one-quarter more or less than these guidelines, depending upon its individual needs.

First Week: 60 to 70 calories per pound of body weight, per day.
Second Week: 70 to 80 calories per pound of body weight, per day.
Third  Week: 80 to 90 calories per pound of body weight, per day.
Fourth Week: 90-plus calories per pound of body weight, per day.

As an example, let us take into consideration of an average-sized, seven-day-old, 10-ounce puppy. This puppy would need sixty calories times two-thirds of a pound, which is equivalent to forty calories a day. If the commercial puppy formula supplies thirty calories per ounce, the puppy would need approximately 1.5 ounces of formula per day. Always remember that puppies grow at a very rapid rate, so make sure you weigh them every day before you start calculating how much to feed them.

You may need to start with slightly less formula at each feeding and gradually increase the amount as the puppy responds favourably to each feeding and gradually increase the amount as the puppy responds favourably to hand feeding. When steady weight develops, immediately reduce the puppy's intake to half the amount previously fed, then gradually increase it again to the recommended level. Diarrhoea in newborn puppies can be very dangerous, so it is always wise to consult a veterinarian for advice and queries.

Never prepare more formula than is required for any one day, because milk is a wonderful medium for bacterial growth. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain clean and sanitary conditions at all times. Divide the formula into the correct proportions for each feeding and keep it refrigerated. Before feeding, warm the formula to about one hundred degrees Farenheit or near body temperature. Using a bottle and nipple, hold the bottle at an angle to prevent the release of air bubbles. The hole in the nipple can be enlarged slightly with a hot needle to let the milk ooze out slowly when the bottle is inverted. The puppy should vigorously, but it should not be nursed too rapidly. Consult a veterinarian immediately for help if the puppies are not nursing well. During unforeseen circumstances, you may need to resort to tube feeding, which is best taught by a health professional.

Older Dogs

The activity level and metabolism rate slow down in older dogs, thus
diminishing the amount of calories required for maintenance. To avoid obesity, the dog must therefore eat one-quarter to one-third less food. Older dogs still have the usual demands for essential nutrients. However, a more nutritious diet may be required for the dog. Since the digestive process and food absorption may take a longer time, you may need to feed smaller and more frequent meals.

Many older dogs suffer from kidney disease or other medical problems that respond to specialised diets. Check with your veterinarian to have a deeper understanding about diets that are tailored to meet the needs of older dogs.

Common Errors

Nutritional deficiencies are unusual in dogs today with special thanks
to the availability of many palatable and nutritionally sound commercial dog foods. Those rare instances of nutritional deficiency often result from misconceptions about feeding (e.g. offering an all-meat diet) or oversupplementing a diet that is already well balanced. A common mistake is to add extra fats to increase the energy intake or to improve palatability.
Too much fat will mean caloric needs are met before a dog has eaten enough protein, minerals and vitamins that is necessary for good health.
Another common source of difficulty is oversupplementation with additional vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and Vitamin D, during periods of growth and reproduction. An excess of minerals and vitamins, or imbalances among them, may cause problems that are more complex and difficult to diagnose or treat as compared to simple deficiencies.

Most dogs love to chew on bones. However, some bones can be of a hazard to their health. Turkey, chicken, pork or any bones liable to splinter should not be given to dogs because of the high risk they pose. Their sharp, needle-like pieces can penetrate the mouth, stomach or intestines, thus causing injury or even death in serious cases. Large, hard bones such as knuckle or marrowbones are preferable, but make sure to boil them. Then make sure your dog only chews the bone and not swallow it down
instead.

The Overweight Dog

Consuming too much food and not doing enough exercise translate
into fat thus leading to obesity which is an unhealthy situation in any animal. The first step in reducing your dog's weight is to check with a veterinarian to rule out the particular physical or metabolic problem. The next step is to put the dog on a strict diet which means feeding the dog slightly less than the number of calories it needs for daily maintenance (and no treats or table scraps is allowed) and increasing exercising activities. Special foods are available for this purpose; always check with your veterinarian for more guidance. Weight loss should proceed in a slow and steady manner. To keep track of your dog's weight, stand on the bathroom scale with the dog in your arms, then weigh yourself alone and calculate the difference.