One of the prevalent questions brought to veterinarians by dog owners is how to provide the best diet for their pet dogs. Although different breeds of dogs have different needs, the foundation of their nutritional needs is more or less similar. To provide a well-balanced diet to dogs, you need to have an in-depth understanding of their nutritional needs.
Developed through years and years of biological evolution, the diet of dogs is interesting and diverse. Getting aware of what type of nutrient they need, which is the best pet food in Lebanon that you can provide them with, how to quantify their diet, and how frequently to feed them are some of the most important concerns that you need to clear up for addressing their diet issues.
What Kind of Nutrition Do Dogs Need?
Dogs need a healthy balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water in their diet to thrive and live optimally. When there is a deficiency in any of these nutrients, you will notice them being inactive and lethargic, while an overdose of any of these nutrients can lead to toxicity in them. So, maintaining equilibrium is the perfect balance chord that you need to strike while figuring out their diet.
Ideally, you should provide them with the top-quality food that you can afford. However, please keep in mind the fact that expensive food doesn't always equate to nutritious food. You should always check the list of ingredients if you are buying packaged food for your pet dog.
Even if the percentage of a specific nutrient, for instance, protein is the same, you still need to scan through what kind of protein is included in the food to ensure it is easily digestible to the specific breed your pet dog belongs to.
Another aspect to keep in mind in this regard is that the ingredients are always sorted in increasing order of their percentage. So, the ingredients that are mentioned on the top have higher quantity than the ones that are mentioned below. Therefore, if you see most of the top ingredients are preservatives and artificial items, then you simply need to avoid them.
You should try and buy food products that have a higher percentage of natural, whole-food ingredients. They will be easily digestible and also carry minimal risk to the health of your dog.
How Often to Feed Your Pet Dog?
Dogs were primitive hunters back in the day, which explains their specialized gastrointestinal and digestive system which allows them to consume a large meal and slowly digest it over the next few days without feeling the need to eat anything new. However, over centuries of living with humans, the biological evolution of dogs has enabled them to adapt to a more pragmatic lifestyle.
Usually, feeding a dog once or twice a day is advised. Please make sure that if you are dividing the meal of your dog into two or three parts as part of lunch and dinner or breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then you are portioning it equally. Give adequate rest to your dog after each meal and ensure that it does not engage in any vigorous activity.
This is an extremely subjective matter and mostly depends on how habitual you make your pet dog. The number of meals you provide your pet dog with is what they will get comfortable with but try to keep it not more than three meals per day.
Which is the Best Food for Your Pet Dog?
A balanced diet is what you need to provide your pet dog with. Include carrots, apples, green beans, and bananas, dairy products along with cooked tuna, shrimp, and salmon in their diet. You can also feed them turkey, pork, and beef as long as you cook them properly without any spice and seasonings.
Avoid providing raw meat to them since it can lead to various parasitical and bacterial infections. In the same breath, don't feed them the same food you cook for your own dinner since dogs can't digest the spices, salt, and seasonings we are used to consuming.
When it comes to an ideal source of protein, chicken can be a great source for them. This is because chicken is rich in lean protein and is an excellent source of selenium, phosphorous, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin B6, all of which are essential to the health of your pet dog.
Make sure the chicken is cooked and if you are buying purchased chicken food from the market, then opt for Chicken Pot for dogs since it has a perfect blend of all the best portions of chicken, veggies, healthy oil, and minerals.
It contains chicken leg quarters, hearts, gizzards, and livers, with healthy vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin. It also has white rice, beef fat, sunflower oil, fish oil, flax seeds, iodized salt, copper gluconate, kelp extract, selenium amino acid chelate, and zinc citrate, among others.
Final Thoughts
Whenever you are introducing a new food to your pet dog, please go slow and look out for signs of allergic reactions such as itchiness, vomiting, and drowsiness, among others. Different dogs react differently to different foods. So, be cautious and if you notice any abnormalities, immediately get in touch with your veterinarian and get adequate consultation and treatment.
