How Often to Feed your Dog?

So you have a dog who’s so loving and seems to be always waiting for you, with imploring eyes, to hand out treats? Hold off on the doggie treats with lots of additives, sugar and calories. Occasional healthy treats are good for your pup. The peanut butter cookies you saw at the natural pet food store may be a safe and healthy choice, and so are the bite-sized chicken- or fish-flavored dog treats carried by online organic dog bakeries, but take note that treats should supplement, not make up more than 10 percent of your pup’s total food intake. As for the daily meals of your pooch, too much of an unhealthy thing can be a dangerous thing. Dog food that can be categorized as `unhealthy’ include  low quality chow that’s cheap but has contaminated ingredients. Your safest bets will be premium quality natural brands or gourmet meals for canines in various life stages. Now if you’re unsure about how much is too much, a veterinarian or canine health tips online may shed light on the matter. Feed to suit the age, breed/type, and health conditions of your dog. Most pet owners give two measured meals a day.

Note that if you have a puppy, you’d need to feed the cute little pooch dog food that’ll give around a hundred calories each day for every pound of body weight. Older, brawnier dogs can get by with less than 100 calories. Don’t think, however, that you can just throw your big adult canine in the dog house in your yard with just table scraps everyday and forget about the pooch. Even the most excellent and fiercest guard dogs require ample sustenance. If there are pet owners who tend to neglect their dogs, there are those who pamper their pooches to the point of overfeeding them.  Your loving, gentle, and wonderful canine friend should get the right serving of fine quality dog food with human grade ingredients with high quality protein and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Adult dogs may be fed a delicious natural dog chow brand complete with chicken, turkey, barley, carrots, peas, potatoes, and apples. Some canned dog foods are formulated for puppies requiring lots of high quality proteins mixed with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. If you have a pregnant dog, you need to feed her appropriately, with a veterinarian’s guidance. When your dog’s expecting, she’ll need to eat more than usual, but be sure you give dog food that’s nutritious and safe. Provide fresh water at all times, too. An overweight pooch may seem so cute, but if you overdo things and keep overfeeding, you will — in effect — cut short the dog’s life span. When buying pet food, read the product labels and check if there are vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. If you intend to switch your pup from home prepared dry chow to natural whole food like chicken chunks on brown rice with sweet potato, seafood, and soy beans in lobster consommé, do so gradually.  Add half the contents of the natural pet food in can with the usual dry food in the morning, then add the remaining contents to the dry food in the evening.