Choosing the right food for your dog can be pretty overwhelming. With so many options available, how do you know you are choosing the right one? Luckily, this short guide is here to help. Below – are four tip tips that you should follow when selecting food for your beloved pup.
Understand Their Nutritional Needs
Every dog owner should take time to understand their pet’s nutritional needs. You want to choose a food that they will enjoy. However, you also want it to be balanced. Ideally, you will pick a food that has a healthy mix of amino acids, fatty acids, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. You may be surprised to know that your dog needs 22 amino acids alone to aid its survival. Ten of which – cannot be produced by your dog naturally. Therefore, they need to be in dog food. Take a look at the list of 10 amino acids your dog needs by conducting some online research. Look out for them when selecting dog food in the future.
Consider getting multivitamin dog chews.
Prioritize Protein
Protein is vital for your dog’s diet. Therefore, you should always look for foods high in protein as it offers many benefits. It supports the immune system functions – and muscle, hair, and nail growth. Typically, when looking for dog food, the protein will be listed first in the name. Take a look at these Taste Toppers from Applaws as an example. Their range helps you add protein to every bowl. Choose from chicken, beef, or lamb. They can be an excellent way to improve the taste of dry food, making mealtimes a lot more enjoyable for your dog.
Take Their Age Into Consideration
Don’t be too trusting of foods that claim they are suitable for all life stages. Think about your own nutritional needs. As we grow older, our nutritional requirements change, and the same goes for our dogs. During the early stage of our dogs’ lives, they need food to help them grow. Therefore, protein should be a priority. However, older dogs can become less active. In this case, you would need to feed them less. If you are worried that you are not feeding your dog enough, seek help from an expert at your local pet food store. You can also consult with your vet.
Learn What Foods You Should Avoid
As well as knowing what to include in your dog’s diet, it would help if you educated yourself on the foods to avoid. Certain foods can make your dog very ill. For example, chocolate can cause extreme reactions like seizures. Familiarize yourself with the list of human foods that are bad for dogs. Some of them may even surprise you. If your dog has a habit of waiting at your feet while you are eating your dinner, be careful that food doesn’t fall off your plate. You should also avoid leaving plates of food that are within reach. It doesn’t take long for an excitable dog to jump up and grab whatever food is on the plate.
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