Your pooch’s diet defines its overall health and well-being. What it eats contributes to the amount of energy it has throughout the day. As a caregiver, it becomes your responsibility to provide the correct amount of nutrition and nourishment to your fur baby. Understanding the various components of your pet’s diet helps in providing them with the right nourishment.
Although everyone knows dogs need protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals; did you know your canine friend also requires fiber in their diet? Even though fiber is not completely digestible it is an essential part of your pooch’s diet. High-fiber dog food aids in better digestion and bowel movement. Soluble fiber for dogs helps them in absorbing water. This type of fiber then gets fermented in their intestines to release fatty acids for better gut health. Other than soluble fiber, dogs also require insoluble fiber for better water absorption and digestion.
Fiber in dog food helps the dogs digest their food better. Proper digestion equates to better bowel movement and good gut and gastrointestinal health. Your canine friend’s food should contain at least 2-4% fiber to assist their gut health’s growth and development. Besides, fiber for dogs acts as an absorbing substance that collects excess water and acids. Given below are a few other benefits of fiber for dogs.
On average dogs need only 2-4% fiber in their daily diet. Anything beyond this measure can be considered excessive fiber consumption for dogs. While fiber is needed for better gut and gastrointestinal health, too much fiber for dogs can be a topic of concern. Given below are a few issues that may occur because of excessive fiber consumption.
Even if is fiber bad for dogs is a common query, the conclusion is fiber is needed for better digestion and gut health of your pooch. However, excess fiber consumption can lead to certain stomach and gut-related issues, while eating little to no fiber is also not a good choice. Avoiding fiber altogether can lead to the anal gland diseases and gut illness. Hence, as a pet parent, you must ensure your canine friend is provided with the right amount of fiber in their daily diet. Besides fiber dogs also need adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in their diet for consistent growth and development.
Yes, dogs need some amount of fiber in their diet to digest their food and absorb excess water.
On average dogs need to consume at least 2-4% fiber per meal. While their daily fiber consumption should not be anything more than 10%.
As fiber is not completely digestible, consuming too much fiber can lead to diarrhea and gas issues in dogs.
Yes, fiber consumption can increase your pet’s urge to poop or make them poop more as fiber helps in removing excess water, acid, and other undigested components from your pet’s body.
Nutrition is an important part of pet care, and food is one of the basic needs of a dog. So, we cannot go wrong when it comes to feeding our fur babies. And how would anyone mess it up? As humans, we are used to satisfying the nutritional needs of ourselves. How difficult could it possibly be to do the same for a dog? Well, thanks to the endless varieties of dog food available in the market, choosing the right kind of puppy food has become a challenge. But fret not! With this comprehensive feeding guide, you can plan a healthy and balanced diet for your new-born puppy. It also covers questions like what, when, and how often to feed a puppy.
Complete and balanced nutrition is critical for the healthy growth of your puppy. In fact, according to Dr. Saza Curaming, “A puppy grows about 12x faster than a human child. That’s why the first year of a dog’s life is a critical stage and this will dictate its further development. It is at this stage where you must constantly monitor its nutrition and feeding regimen.” So, let’s look at the food guide for the first year of a newborn pup:
As compared to adult dogs, puppies need a higher protein intake. It helps with muscle development and tissue repair. Hence, it is imperative to include protein-rich foods in their diet. While iron helps create red blood cells, calcium strengthens bones and teeth. As your puppy grows, it will start learning new things. And to ensure that your pooch can see and conceive new things, it needs DHA – an omega-3 fatty acid that supports healthy vision and brain development. You must also include prebiotics in its diet as your pet cannot have a healthy gut without it!
Give your dog the food that’s specifically formulated for its breed and age. Since small breed dogs have a tiny mouth, they require smaller kibbles. Moreover, large breed dogs have a slower metabolism; hence, they require fewer calories per kilogram of their bodyweight when compared to a small or medium breed dog.
IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Starter Mother and Baby Dog is loaded with essential nutrients like protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is scientifically formulated to raise your pup’s training potential and brain development. With IAMS™, you make sure that your little pooch receives a balanced and complete meal. This dog food is perfect for newbie mother dogs as well. It ensures production of quality milk for healthy growth of the puppy.
Now that you know the nutritional requirements of a dog, let us check out the food items that are harmful for your pooch:
A fat puppy might not necessarily mean a healthy pet. The way childhood obesity often leads to medical complications in humans, an overweight puppy can also grow up to have health problems. So, make sure you monitor your furry friend’s calorie intake. This includes keeping an eye on the amount of treats you give your pup each day! Remember that treats are not the only way of rewarding a dog. You can make it feel loved and appreciated with praises, pats, and belly rubs as well.