Nutritional facts for your dog

by Ruwini Jayawardana

The diets of home-mixed meat and biscuits have long gone. Nutrition has become a complex subject. Do you believe that you are giving your dog a balanced diet? Do you feed him with home prepared meals or are you a person who lavishes him with tinned food and dog biscuits and goodies taken from the nearest super market.

Whichever category you may belong to think again. There are a few facts for you to decide and change your feeding techniques.

Dogs are carnivores. Their digestive system is designed to cope with a meat diet. The dog's teeth are adapted to tear food into swallowable-sized chunks rather than to grind the food and their stomach can digest the food in this state.

Dogs have evolved from animals that lived in a diet of other animals. However meat was not always available to them. Thus the dog is able to digest and survive on a diet that is mostly vegetable such as rice and wheat.

A complete absence of meat is likely to lead to nutritional deficiencies so make sure that your dog has a sufficient quantity of meat with his meals every day. Including fish in the daily diet is also very good for your pet's health.

Food for both man and animals are taken as a source of supplying energy. The animal's body derived heat, materials for growth and repair and substances to support its activities through the energy supplied through food.

For dogs this involves a satisfactory mixture of the major nutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins - in proportions similar to those required for a healthy human diet. They must also have a sufficient intake of the minor nutrients - vitamins and minerals - in proportions that do differ significantly from the needs of humans.

Dog food may be divided into several broad categories. Complete dry food is becoming popular among dog lovers because they require minimal preparation. Most of these foods can be poured into a bowl and given to the dog.

Only slightly more demanding is food which requires hot water to be poured in to moisten the feed.

Semi - moist food are not intended to provide a balanced diet on their own. Too much of these modern type of food can be harmful to the dog's health. It is best o limit this type of food and give your pet balanced home prepared meals as much as possible.

Handy tips related to nourishment

If a dog is hungry and healthy, he will eat. If he is healthy but won't eat, he is not hungry. So take the food away and let him miss a meal.

Canned food must be used within 24 hours of opening and kept refrigerated. Cover open cans with plastic lids and reserve an opener and a fork for dog food.

Each dog should have a bowl of its own. Do not feed dogs in turn in the same bowl or do not let them share a bowl.

Read the labels of dog food carefully before buying. Take special note of expiry dates.

Do not change the labels of the dog food you are using often. This may confuse the dog as the taste differs. Find out which type is most suitable for your pet and stick to it.

Heavy feeding bowls make eating easier as they do not skid all over the floor.

Dogs love bones but vets do not advise owners to give them bones because of the risks of bowel stoppages or choking. Very large bones minimize such risks.

Never give a dog a chop bone. Give the dog a large thigh bone of a bull. Keep sever of these bones handy and keep them in a refrigerator. Before giving the bone to the dog boil it and let him chew and play with it. Exchange the bones every day. Chewing is good for the dog's teeth.