Top 5 Nutrition Tips for Dogs

When you get a puppy or dog, you will suddenly find total strangers walking up to you and lecturing you about how and what to feed your canine companion. This happened to me as a first-time puppy owner when I was living in England. Now that I and my grown-up puppy live in America, I still get total strangers lecturing me about what to feed my dog. I had people telling me what my puppy should eat, how much and how often.

If this happens to you, just nod politely at the stranger and go on following the tips from your veterinarian, your breeder or your animal rescue center. But for the average, healthy dog, the top five nutrition tips are the same.

5. Give Small Treats

Dogs are excited by the whole ritual of getting a treat that they do not care how large the treat is. Treats should not make up most of a dog's diet. When they do get treats, say as reward in clicker training, these treats can be as small as possible. For a Labrador retriever, the pieces can be as small as the pink part of your thumbnail. Dogs with very small mouths can take smaller pieces.

4. No Free Choice Feeding

Free choice feeding is a method used by cat owners. A bowl of dry food is left out all day and all night so the cat eats whenever he feels like it. This method works well for cats and their temperamental appetites, but is not recommended for healthy dogs and puppies. Dogs will stuff themselves until they puke - and then they'll eat the puke. Unless your veterinarian recommends free feeding, never leave a bowl of kibble out all day long. Remove any uneaten kibble ten minutes after placing the bowl down.

3. No Sudden Diet Changes

Any new foods need to be slowly introduced to a dog, or they may suffer gastrointestinal upsets such as vomiting and diarrhea, notes "ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs" (Chronicle Books; 1999.) Even changing over to a new brand of kibble should be done gradually over the course of 7 to 10 days.

2. Feed More Than Once Per Day

My dogs do best on two meals per day, plus a few small treats here and there. Sometimes, they may skip breakfast, but they have yet to skip dinner because that's the meal where they get a bit of canned food added to their kibble. Neither of my dogs are prone to bloat or hypoglycemia. Dogs that are need to be fed at least twice a day for the rest of their lives.

1. No Added Supplements

Healthy dogs and puppies will not need nutritional supplements or vitamins, according to "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" (Howell Book House; 2007.) Supplements are not only expensive, but they may do more harm than good. Supplements '" even vitamins '" should only be given as instructed by a veterinarian to treat a specific medical condition. For example, your vet may recommend adding chondroitan sulfate for an arthritic dog. But there is no need to give it while the dog has full mobility.

References

"Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook." Debra M. Eldredge, DVM, et al. Howell Book House; 2007.

"ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs." Sheldon L. Gerstenfled, VMD. Chronicle Books; 1999.

Author's personal experience