Proper nutrition for dogs. Natural feeding dog diet

If a dog appears in the house, you are responsible for its life and health. And this health largely depends on nutrition. Preparing the right diet for an animal is the key to its normal functioning, long life and absence of problems with the body. After all, the dog must receive with food the entire complex of minerals and vitamins that it needs.

Dry food is a real godsend for owners. With its help, a person no longer needs to worry about the proper nutrition of the dog. Many dry foods are labeled “complete.” This means that such food can completely replace other types of food, without compromising the dog’s health. But how to feed an animal correctly so that it feels good?

Benefits of dry food

Why has dry food become an integral part of our lives and the lives of our pets? Why has dry food become so popular that today it is bought for almost every domestic dog?

Dry food has many benefits. Firstly, it is a balanced diet that can satisfy the dog’s need for all the necessary vitamins and microelements. The owner does not need to worry about what else the animal may need - everything is in one package. Secondly, dry food is convenient for the owner - pour it into a bowl and there are no problems. No need to waste time on cooking, heating, cooling. Dry food does not require special storage conditions. This convenience makes it easier to keep a dog in the family, which is a definite plus.

If necessary, you can buy dry food for a dog that is at a certain point in its life. If a bitch is pregnant or feeding puppies with milk, she needs more nutrients, which is taken into account in a special series of dry food for pregnant and lactating women. There is also a line of food for dogs that are sick, active, allergic or obese. This allows you to adjust the animal’s nutrition at different periods of its life.

There is another advantage of dry food - the financial side of the issue. Yes, many people don’t bother and feed the dog from the common table - they don’t spend a lot of money on it. However, the dog will not last long on such a diet. For normal functioning, he needs vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, meat, fish every day. Dry food is much more profitable than preparing a natural, complete meal for your dog every day.

Dry food is small pieces of food that vary in calorie content, quality and taste. When choosing a brand of dry food, pay attention to its class. Premium dry food usually contains absolutely all the minerals and vitamins that an animal needs. However, in order for the dog to assimilate them all, the animal must be fed dry food according to the rules.

First you need to choose food. If you constantly feed your dog the same food, do not change its type. There is a misconception that says that you need to add variety to your diet and change the brand of food. This is wrong. If your pet is completely satisfied with his food, his coat is silky, and he feels good, do not change the type of food.
You can buy food in bulk only in large veterinary stores, which have a high turnover. If a large bag of food was opened more than a week ago, you should not take such a treat.
Don't buy pet food that is too cheap. Often they do not contain the stated vitamins and microelements. In addition, they need to be supplemented with complementary foods - other necessary minerals. Cheap food often does more harm than good.
If the dog eats only dry food, there should always be a bowl of fresh water within its visibility range. Since the food swells in the animal’s stomach, this can cause thirst; in this case, the dog drinks water in excess.
You need to feed your dog dry food strictly on a schedule. Give your pet food at the same time, preferably twice a day. The serving size should also be the same.
Some dogs enjoy crunching dry food and then washing it down with water. This is correct, since solid food relieves the animal of tartar. If your dog does not like to chew crackers, the food can be soaked - it swells beautifully, becomes soft and appetizing. Some gourmets prefer to eat food only in wet form. For soaking, you can use not only water, but also kefir, yogurt, etc.
Dry food should be stored in a kitchen drawer in a well-closed bag. Be careful and close the package tightly to prevent cockroaches and other living creatures from getting inside. In addition, if the package is left open, the contents quickly deteriorate, become rancid and lose their beneficial properties. Often the owner does not even suspect that the pet continues to eat spoiled food.

These are the basic rules that must be followed when feeding an animal with dry food.

Is it possible to feed a dog exclusively dry food?

Not only is it possible, but it is necessary! When developing the composition for future dry food, manufacturers expect that the dog will eat this product constantly. But many owners do this - they feed the dog regular food, and give food only as a treat or reward. This is fundamentally wrong. If you are going to feed your pet dry food, everything else should be removed from his diet.

If you feed your dog food and supplement it with meat, there may be an excess of protein in the body, which leads to various problems in the functioning of the kidneys. If you give your dog dry food and supplement it with fish, this leads to an excess of phosphorus. If there is a lot of phosphorus in the body, the dog will suffer from urolithiasis, the bones will become loose and brittle, and anemia will appear. When feeding porridge, there will be an excess of carbohydrates, which leads to excess weight and related problems.

In addition, with a mixed diet, a dog’s stomach has to constantly adapt to either dry food or regular human food. Frequent changes can lead to gastritis.

The exception to the rule is small pieces of treats that can be used as rewards during training. You can pamper your dog with pieces of cheese, dried fruits, crackers or boiled meat.

All these arguments suggest that you can feed your dog only dry food, and it will not need additional nutrition. But how much food does a dog need to keep him from overeating and feeling good?

Puppies tend to eat more often, but in small portions. If you are giving dry food to a small puppy for the first time, you should introduce it gradually, starting with a teaspoon per day. If the dog does not have an allergy (which can be manifested by redness of the skin, itching, anxiety), you can increase the dose of dry food gradually to the age norm. Give your dog only food that is appropriate for his age. After all, babies need different vitamins and microelements than adult dogs.

In general, each package indicates the amount of dry food that a dog needs per day. Puppies up to two months of age eat 5-6 times a day. At three months, the number of feedings is reduced to 4 times. At six months the dog eats 3 times a day, and after a year it is transferred to two meals a day. You need to feed your dog at the same time, preferably at regular intervals, that is, at 8 am and 8 pm. The amount of dry food per day is calculated based on the pet’s weight. If a dog weighs less than 2 kilograms, the amount of its food should not exceed 60 grams of food per day. A 5-kilogram dog is given 90 grams of food, a 10-kilogram dog is given 160 grams. If a dog weighs 20 kg, it needs 300 grams of dry food per day, and if a giant weighs 40 kg, it needs almost half a kilo of food.

This is the norm for active dogs who actively play, jump and run for more than an hour a day. For couch potatoes, the amount of food needs to be reduced by 20-30%, otherwise they will begin to gain excess weight. Also, the dog’s diet should be reduced by a third if it is elderly. But if the dog works, feeds milk or is pregnant, its diet, on the contrary, increases by a third.

Types of feed

Just like food for humans can be of high quality or not, dog food is also divided into classes.

Economy class. Such food is not very high in calories and requires a larger volume so that the dog receives enough nutrition. Economy class food is made from low quality products, essentially waste. If you give your dog such food, take care of additional vitamin and mineral complexes, since economy-class food does not meet the dog’s daily nutritional needs.
Premium class. The calorie content of such a product is 300-350 calories per 100 grams of product. This food is made from offal, contains a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins, and does not require additional enrichment.
Super premium. This is a high quality product that contains all the vitamins necessary for a dog’s body. This is a balanced diet that can become a complete diet for constant feeding.
Holistic class. This dog food is made from high-quality products and has high nutritional value. Designed for show dogs, pets that are in the rehabilitation period after illness, as well as for pregnant and lactating bitches.

If you only want to feed your dog dry food, choose at least a premium brand. Otherwise, the dog may develop health problems over time.

Separately, I would like to say about fresh food, which is also available for sale. Most manufacturers have in their product line wet food in the form of canned food with pieces of natural meat. It can be given to your dog as an additional source of protein, in the form of a treat. Contrary to popular belief, wet food is not a replacement for dry food and does not contain the full range of beneficial ingredients. However, this food is great for older dogs with bad teeth or gastrointestinal problems.

Dry dog food is a real breakthrough in veterinary medicine. The presence of dry food makes life much easier for both the dog and its owner. If you constantly feed your dog dry food, it gets sick less, its teeth remain strong for many years, and its fur shines. If you decide to have a pet in your home, take care of its diet and do not rely on your own strength. It is quite difficult to choose a balanced diet from natural products - this can only be done with the help of a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the dog. Take care of your pet's health, feed him dry food!

Video: how to feed your dog dry food

The topic is quite broad and requires the disclosure of many questions, but it would be useful to study general information about natural products that are safe for dogs.

After all, many people, especially novice dog breeders, have no idea what they can feed their dog and what foods are dangerous to the health of their four-legged pets. There is a certain fairly wide range of natural products that should make up a balanced diet. Most products are affordable.

Safe and healthy natural products for dogs

The basis of a dog's diet should be meat, which is given in pieces of such a size that it is convenient for the animal to absorb food, chewing the pieces without swallowing them immediately. Minced meat or scrape can only be given to puppies up to a certain age. You can feed your dog beef, lamb, horse meat, venison, rabbit, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and goose. It is permissible to alternate meat with offal, which includes heart, kidneys, tripe, udder).

Brewer's yeast(not baking) improve carbohydrate metabolism and have a beneficial effect on the skin and coat of the animal. A small amount of brewer's yeast is sprinkled on food. Some pets like the taste of yeast.

It is not recommended to give bread products to animals, but occasionally you can feed your dog brown bread crackers. Crackers as a treat or reward have a place in the animal’s diet.

Treats in the form of nuts can be given occasionally in small quantities. But remember that some nuts are toxic to animals even in small quantities. Fresh pine nuts, pecans, cashews, coconut, almonds, chestnuts, and Brazil nuts are safe.

Honey, as a nutritional supplement rich in vitamins and minerals, can be fed to a dog in small quantities if there is no allergy.

It is important not to choose the cheapest products from the list and feed your pet exclusively with them. From food, pets receive all the substances necessary for normal development, health and energy replenishment. A diet consisting of a limited set of foods that are not rich in vitamins and minerals cannot be balanced.

But, of course, everyone decides on their own how to feed the dog: some cook porridge in meat broth, while others consider the broth to be harmful; someone feeds their pets exclusively boiled meat, although it is known that raw meat is healthier; someone feeds boiled chicken bones to their pets without fear that they may cause the death of the animal. There are only recommendations for feeding animals, which no one obliges you to follow, but no explanation is needed to understand that dogs should eat healthy and wholesome food.

Proper feeding is the source of your pet's longevity!

Like any owner of a miniature dog, you want your pet to grow up healthy and full of energy. And in order for your Chihuahua or Toy Terrier to feel good, you need to feed him balanced diet, providing all the needs of a growing and developing organism. What to feed - dry food or home-made food - is up to you: there is no unanimity among experts on this issue. Each method has its pros and cons, but we will talk about them later. In this article we will tell you about the rules that must be followed when feeding your pet homemade food. What should a small dog's table be like? Let's find out...

Regularity of feeding

The regularity of feeding a Chihuahua or Russian Toy directly depends on the age of the dog. Veterinarians are unanimous in their opinion that it is best to feed a small dog puppy according to the following scheme:

1-2 months - 6 times a day;
2-3 months - 5 times a day;
3-4 months - 4 times a day;
4-10 months - 3 times a day;
10-18 months - 2 times a day.

From one and a half years old, a small dog can be fed once a day. However, this should not be done if your pet has problems with the gastrointestinal tract or liver. An acceptable option is the one where the dog has two feedings per day.

Volume of one serving

The amount of food eaten by a small dog is selected strictly individually, depending on the needs of the dog’s body. It is considered unacceptable to overfeed a dog, which leads to obesity and problems with the gastrointestinal tract, lungs and heart, and underfeeding, which can cause dystrophy and disorder of the nervous system.

If you watch your Chihuahua or Toy Terrier carefully, you will notice that the small dog's sides become slightly enlarged after eating. Keep an eye on this indicator. Normally, a dog’s sides should neither stick out much nor be sunken.

What can you feed a chihuahua and toy terrier?

Let's talk about such an important topic as the diet of your small dog. First of all, I would like to note that you can start feeding your dog from three weeks of age. The first foods introduced into a dog’s diet are porridge and cottage cheese. From the age of 1 month, meat is gradually introduced into the dog’s diet.

When choosing a diet for a Chihuahua and Russian Toy Terrier, you should remember that the dog, no matter how large or small it is, is a wolf, so the basis of your pet’s diet should be protein food in an amount of at least 2/3 of the total diet . Protein foods include meat, offal, fish, poultry, cottage cheese, kefir, milk, eggs. Some veterinarians and experienced dog breeders recommend giving all these products exclusively in raw form. However, there is an alternative opinion on this matter. Opponents of raw food eating claim that raw foods (meat, fish, poultry, offal) may contain helminths or their larvae, which causes significant harm to the animal’s body.

Let's take a closer look at the foods that should be in the diet of your Toy or Chihuahua.

Meat. The meat is given either in the form of pieces or planed. It is not advisable to give minced meat to a small dog: it is poorly digestible. For a small dog, the pieces of meat should be finely chopped. Eating fatty meat is unacceptable. Meat broth can be one of the options for diversifying your pet's diet. At the same time, it is not recommended to cook broth with bones: very frequent use of such broths leads to digestive problems in Chihuahuas and toy terriers. The ideal option is a broth based on cartilage, which contains a lot of collagen, which has a beneficial effect on the growth of bones and ligaments of a small dog. How much meat should a Chihuahua and Toy Terrier have in their diet? From ¼ to ½ of the weight of the entire diet. It should be borne in mind that a young growing body needs more meat than an old and sedentary dog.
Offal. The liver and heart are the most useful by-products. The liver contains a large amount of vitamins A and D. The offal is thoroughly boiled and given no more than 1-2 times a week, but in a volume 1.5 times greater than the volume of meat.
Fish. Small dogs, like the Chihuahua or Russian Toy Terrier, are given only sea fish - cod, hake, pollock. Containing a small amount of fat, they include the necessary amount of healthy fatty acids, as well as iodine and phosphorus necessary for the body. Fish should be offered no more than 1-2 times a week.
Dairy products. Should be included in the dog's diet in the form of kefir and cottage cheese. It is not recommended to offer milk to small dogs older than 2 months: upon reaching this age, milk begins to be poorly absorbed by the body and does more harm than good. As for eggs, they are introduced into the diet raw and no more than 1-2 times a week.
Cereals. Contain fiber necessary for intestinal function. Rice, rolled oats, and buckwheat are preferred in the diet. But millet and pearl barley are poorly absorbed by the body of a chihuahua and toy terrier, so it is better to avoid their use. Cereals should make up 1/3 of a small dog's diet.
Vegetables and fruits. Compared to other products, they are less absorbed. As for vegetables, a small dog can consume carrots, which are an essential source of vitamin A. Carrots are given raw, thoroughly grated. It is best offered in combination with vegetable oil, since the vitamins contained in vegetables and fruits are best absorbed on an oil basis. You can also offer your Chihuahua and Toy Terrier cabbage, but not the stalk, because they contain the main nitrates that may have been added to the cabbage. But it’s better not to introduce potatoes into your dog’s diet. In addition to the danger of poisoning with solanine contained in some tubers, potatoes interfere with the absorption of B vitamins. Cauliflower, zucchini, and tomatoes can also be introduced into the diet of a small dog. It is permissible to eat an apple as a fruit. Vegetables and fruits can make up ¼ -1/3 of the diet.

Here are the main foods that should be included in your small dog's diet.

What should you not give to Toys and Chihuahuas?

What should you never feed your pet if you want it to have health and longevity? Here is an approximate list of foods that should be excluded from the diet of a small dog:

Bones. Forget about the existence of bones. Sharp bone fragments can pierce or injure a dog’s stomach, get stuck in the throat, and damage the health and life of your pet.
Pork. Its meat is extremely fatty, and this will place a huge burden on the liver of a small dog.
Raw river fish. As a rule, it is affected by helminths. In addition, river fish contains a large number of bones, so its consumption is generally undesirable for small dogs.
Peas, beans, legumes. They create problems with the removal of gases from the intestines.
Alcohol. In addition to all the harm that alcohol causes to the body of a small dog, and which we already know enough, keep in mind that alcohol is not broken down in the dog’s body and is highly addictive.
Sweet. Causes watery eyes in small dogs.
Salty. Firstly, it puts an enormous strain on the kidneys, and secondly, it causes salt deposition and an increase in blood pressure. There is no need to add additional salt to the food you prepare for your Chihuahua and Toy Terrier. It contains a sufficient amount of salts necessary for the body. This also includes the ban on spices.
Fried, fatty. Causes stress on the liver.
Pasta, white bread. They contain a large amount of “simple” carbohydrates, which contribute to the accumulation of fat mass.
Sausage and frankfurters. They put a lot of stress on the liver.

Basic rules that must be followed when feeding chihuahuas and toy terriers with homemade food.

A small dog should be fed only freshly prepared, high-quality food.
You cannot feed your dog from the common table. The food you eat does not suit your Chihuahua or Toy Terrier either in terms of the amount of salt, or in terms of fat content and spice.
If you decide to switch your dog to ready-made industrial food, the transition should occur gradually. Please keep in mind that it is not recommended to mix homemade food and food with each other, nor is it recommended to mix food from different companies.
Never leave uneaten food in the feeder. It can turn sour, which will cause poisoning in the dog, and in addition, it will accustom the small dog to irregular and disordered eating.
After your small dog has eaten, give him time to rest. You should not immediately go for a walk or engage in outdoor and active games.
The dog's main drink should be fresh water. Keep in mind that small dogs require more fluid than large dogs.
The food of Chihuahuas and Toy Terriers must be balanced, that is, it must contain all the necessary proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the required volumes and proportions.
In the autumn-winter-spring period, add special vitamins and microelements to your diet in the form of tablets and powders. After all, homemade food, unlike industrial food, is not saturated with all the necessary substances.
Be sure to monitor your small dog's weight and health. After all, poor nutrition will affect your appearance and well-being.

Conclusion

The phrase “we are what we eat” fully applies to small dogs. Remember that how well your Chihuahua or Russian Toy eats determines its longevity and well-being. Your pet's diet should be well balanced and varied.

With proper nutrition, your dog will feel great and will repay you with loyalty and love that will last for many years thanks to your efforts and efforts. Be healthy!

A diet based on natural food can be called more balanced, varied and nutritious. Still, no matter what the food was, even the most famous brand, “premium” or “elite” class, despite the balance and percentage of necessary substances, all industrial feeds contain preservatives, dyes, food additives, salt, harmful to the animal’s body, flavorings. If you think logically, all these not very useful additives ensure long-term storage of feed. Of course, by choosing natural feeding for dogs, you will not only need to purchase high-quality and varied products, but also spend time on preparation. But you are not indifferent to the fate of your pet, are you?

Natural dog diet

Representatives of the canine family, including your pet, belong to the family of carnivores, so when choosing how to feed a puppy or an adult dog, it is immediately worth noting that the basis of the animal’s diet should be meat products. There is no single diet for all dogs, but let’s look at what should definitely be included in your pet’s “menu”. As already noted in previous sections, the diet and the number of feedings depend on the breed, the general physiological state of the dog, and the level of activity. The main rule is that the dog’s diet must correspond to energy costs, since otherwise it is possible that metabolic processes will be disrupted and the functioning of the organs of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems (obesity, diabetes mellitus) may occur.

Meat for dogs

Meat and meat products are the main source of protein for animals, so 70-80% of the daily diet should consist of meat products. For meat, dogs are given horse meat, beef, veal, poultry (chicken, turkey), meat by-products (liver, chicken offal, tripe, spleen, liver). It is recommended to give by-products no more than two to three times a week. Since the nutritional value of organ meats is lower, they should be given twice as much as one serving of meat. It is preferable to serve meat raw, cut into portions. Before feeding, you need to pour boiling water over the meat. You can also give boiled meat and minced meat, but only in smaller quantities.

A fairly useful product in the diet of puppies and adult dogs is fresh blood of slaughtered animals, since it contains about 22% easily digestible proteins. In addition, the blood contains a large number of essential amino acids. blood obtained within a few hours after the slaughter of animals is allowed to be given fresh, if after 6-10 hours the blood must be boiled before giving to the dog. It is important to maintain a strict dosage of blood and give it no more than twice a month, so as not to lead to protein poisoning. Pork, pork bones or long bones should never be given to dogs.

Can dogs fish?

Fish is given to dogs from four to five months of age, only boiled, preferably fatty varieties, after removing the seeds. Choose only ocean or sea fish to feed. Under no circumstances should you give your pet fish with bones, raw fish products, smoked fish, and especially raw river fish, which may be infected with dangerous helminths. You can feed your dog halibut, pelengas, trout, navaga, sea bass, bream, pollock, pike perch, and shrimp meat. Seaweed is very useful, since it contains a large amount of iron, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Tip: do not mix fish and meat in one serving. It is best to properly combine these foods in your diet. Eating fish too often can lead to the breakdown of B vitamins in the dog’s body, which in turn negatively affects the animal’s health.

Dairy and fermented milk products

The dog's diet must include dairy and fermented milk products - sour cream, kefir, whey, skim milk, natural yoghurts, yogurt, cottage cheese. Milk is given mainly to puppies and only if it does not cause stomach upset in babies. As dogs grow older, the number of enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown and absorption of milk proteins decreases. Yogurts are natural, without fruit or other fillers.

Vegetable fats in the diet of dogs

The source of fats are vegetable oils, butter, rendered beef fat, which also need to be occasionally introduced into the animal’s diet. Butter contains vitamins A and E, a large amount of polyunsaturated fats, which are necessary for animal fur and the cardiovascular system. The intake of fats from food must be strictly controlled, since their excess can lead to obesity and digestive disorders.

Also, the diet of dogs of any age should include eggs (boiled and raw). They are given as an additive to dairy and meat products or added to porridge. Adult dogs can be given one raw or two boiled eggs per week. It is best to give dogs only the yolk, since protein is less easily absorbed by the animal’s body and can affect the natural molting process. You can pamper your pets with an omelet cooked in milk or water.

Plant food

Your pet's diet must include plant foods, which are a source of energy, vitamins and fiber. Adult dogs need 40-45 g of fiber per day for the normal functioning of the digestive system. Dogs are given vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds. Vegetables are fed raw, finely chopped, grated, boiled or stewed. vegetables can be stewed in water or weak meat broth. For better absorption of nutrients, raw vegetables can be given in the form of vegetable salads seasoned with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Boiled vegetables are added to porridge or meat products. You should also add fresh herbs to your food - celery, lettuce, parsley, dill, young nettle and dandelion leaves. In winter, it is very useful to add chopped garlic to the food. This supplement helps strengthen the immune system and is an effective anthelmintic. It is useful to feed peeled pumpkin seeds and add pumpkin pulp to porridge. Many dogs are very fond of fruits and berries (strawberries, cherries, cherry plums, apples, pears, watermelon, grapes, melon), so you should not deprive your pets of these tasty and healthy treats, but only after 2 months of age.

Grains in your pet's diet

The source of carbohydrates are cereals, cereals, rye and wheat bread. Among the cereals, dogs can be given wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina, rice, and buckwheat. Pearl barley, millet, and barley are less easily absorbed by the dog's body. Porridges are cooked in milk, meat, vegetable broth or water, and it is very important that the cereals are well boiled. It is best to cook a mix of two or three grains for your pets. Fresh bread of any kind, and especially baked goods for dogs, is prohibited, as it contains a large amount of gluten, which slows down the digestion process. Once a week, wheat or rye bread can be given with food, after soaking it in water or milk. As a treat, puppies and adult dogs can be given dried rye or whole grain bread or bread biscuits.

Despite the fact that now in the assortment of any pet store you can find dry and canned pet food for every taste and budget, many owners, for various reasons, prefer natural feeding of dogs. It is to these owners that the article by Vladimir Nikiforovich Mitin, which was published in the January 1992 issue of the journal Science and Life, is addressed. In this article, he talks in detail about which natural products should be given to dogs and which ones should not be given under any circumstances and why, how to process the products and what to combine them with.

What is most important in this article is that Vladimir Nikiforovich gives a clear justification for each recommendation, which ultimately leads the owner to understand the basic principles of the gastrointestinal tract of pets. And this, in turn, helps to avoid health problems. After all, in order for our pets to live a full and happy life, it is not enough to just love them. To know, understand and be able to help is what is required from a true owner and friend.

It would seem that feeding a dog is not difficult. Any food on the owner’s plate that exudes an appetizing aroma will please the four-legged friend. Of course, he cannot savor the food and will not experience any special taste. But his sense of smell will tell him that a fried piece of meat smells more appetizing than a raw one. The question is, will such food be healthy? The resistance of the liver and kidneys to harmful influences in dogs is much lower than in humans. Therefore, all spicy seasonings, sauces, pickles, smoked meats, confectionery and flour products are harmful to the dog and can lead to metabolic disorders, obesity, shortness of breath, and various diseases of the internal organs. Even if a dog occupies the same place in your life as your closest family members, this does not make it a person and you cannot feed it everything that you eat yourself.

Over the course of 10–15 thousand years of domestication by humans, only the psyche and hormonal system of the dog have changed in comparison with the wolf – its distant ancestor. The digestive system was the system of a predator, a meat-eater, and remains so. The dog does not chew, but tears off and swallows large pieces of food. Its developed predatory jaws require active work; they are not intended for semolina porridge and sweets. A dog has different properties for digesting food than a human, so it needs uniform feeding with concentrated food. There should be no soups, chatterboxes, liquid porridges with a displacement of a bucket, even if you have a very large dog.

In nature, carnivorous predators eat their prey entirely - with the skin, with plenty of blood, with the contents of the stomach and intestines, with small and large bones. Feeding dogs only muscle meat is not recommended. Scientists suggested: replacing the missing blood with water and salted herring, bones with bone glue and raw bones, skin and fur of prey with sheep or rabbit skins, and the contents of the stomach and intestines with boiled rice.

Most of all, the dog loves raw meat (excess of it does not lead, as some believe, to poisoning). But, if he really has to, he won’t refuse raw fish. A desirable delicacy is cartilage and tender beef bones. By gnawing them, the dog strengthens its teeth, and most importantly, satisfies the need for mineral salts.

Meat for dogs should not only be lean. Fat is also required. A dog can tolerate up to 15 grams of fat in its diet per kilogram of its weight, and rancid fats do not cause poisoning. It is quite possible to feed dogs pork; there is no need to worry that it may contain worms. Before going on sale, meat undergoes a sanitary and veterinary examination.

If meat is suffocated in a plastic bag, it is just as harmful to a dog as it is to a person. Under anaerobic conditions, toxic substances are formed in it, which can cause poisoning. Therefore, it is better to store meat in the freezer by wrapping it in parchment paper.

Depending on the individual metabolism, a dog needs from 10 to 25 grams of raw meat per 1 kilogram of animal weight every day. Of course, not all owners can feed their four-legged friend enough meat, but we must try to ensure that it still makes up at least 5% of the daily diet.

From the age of one and a half, the dog is considered an adult. If she does not perform special work, such as hunting or guarding, then for small and medium-sized breeds one feeding per day is enough, which usually coincides with lunch, and for large breeds - two or three feedings per day in small portions.

Place raw meat and raw fish (cod, pollock back, hake) cut into pieces in a bowl in the ratio: 2/3 meat - 1/3 fish. As a supplier of carbohydrates and a filler that causes a feeling of fullness, boiled rice mixed with animal fat or vegetable oil can be added to meat and fish. Rice cannot be given separately, without meat and fish, since the dog’s intestines are not designed to digest grains.

So, meat, fish and fatty rice are mixed and placed in a bowl. Add a piece of raw liver, a very small one - from 5 to 15 g, depending on the weight of the dog. The liver contains vitamins A, D, E.

You can also include cottage cheese in your dog’s diet (but only uncooked cheese; cheesecakes or cottage cheese are not absorbed by the body), boiled eggs, and herring. Bone wood glue is useful. It contains a sufficient amount of macro- and microelements and there are no chemical impurities. But in principle, a raw bone with fat replaces it perfectly.

Milk is useful mainly for lactating females and puppies. It is given only fresh or fermented, and in small quantities. Sour milk can cause severe digestive upset, especially in young animals. Prolonged milk feeding leads to fullness and sluggishness of the digestion process.

There should always be fresh water on the floor in a flat bowl, not contaminated with food debris. The food bowl needs to be wide, since the dog opens its mouth wide and draws food into its stomach like a vacuum cleaner.

Large breeds of dogs need at least 600 g of meat, 200 g of dairy products, 300 g of boiled rice or bread, 50 g of fat, 40 g of bone meal per day; For medium breeds this diet should be halved, for small breeds – four times and for dwarf breeds – six times.

In cases where the dog's workload increases, the number of calories can triple, but only from proteins and fats, not carbohydrates.

If you feed your dog correctly, it will receive all the vitamins, macro- and microelements it needs. As for pharmacy vitamins, a healthy dog, as a rule, does not need them. Excess vitamin D, phytin, and calcium glycerophosphate in the body can lead to exactly the opposite results.

The dog’s body, as well as the cat’s, synthesizes vitamin C on its own. This is why these animals do not suffer from scurvy.

One fasting day a week, when given some crackers and fresh drinking water, will not harm any adult dog. She will always have a good appetite and will not be picky about food.

Dogs instinctively reject leguminous plants - peas, lentils, beans: their intestines are not equipped to digest these products, they cause fermentation and gases.

Of course, you should not give food that is too hot, sour, fermented or frozen.

Boiled bones are very harmful. During the cooking process, their constituent components are so denatured that the dog is practically unable to digest them. Eating boiled bones leads to the formation of calcareous feces, which are difficult to pass and irritate the walls of the rectum. There are also frequent cases of intestinal puncture by boiled bones. Note, exactly boiled. Raw bones, even tubular ones, almost never damage the intestinal walls. Veterinarians came to this conclusion.

Owners often add eggshells to their dog's food. It has been proven that as a source of minerals, this is, in general, a completely worthless product; no more than 3% of it is absorbed. For the same reason, you should not give your dog chalk.

You need to pay more attention to feeding whelping and lactating females. To build the skeleton and muscles, embryos primarily need proteins and minerals. If in the first three weeks you can stick to your normal diet, then in the future it needs to be doubled before giving birth. The food should be easily digestible and not too bulky. If possible, the meat is not very fatty and high-grade entrails, bones with fat, cottage cheese, cheese, boiled egg. The amount of liquid should also be increased.

In the last third of pregnancy, the daily amount of food is distributed over 3-4 feedings, so as not to overload the digestive organs, which are already cramped.

With the advent of puppies, the need for food in a lactating female increases 4 times, since the body loses up to 70 g of protein per liter with mother's milk. To prevent a rich diet from contributing to relaxation of the stomach walls and the formation of a saggy belly, the dog continues to be fed 4 times a day.

Puppies usually suck mother's milk for up to 1 - 1.5 months. From the 23rd day of life they can already lap milk from a bowl. From about this time, the mother's diet is gradually reduced.

Complementary feeding for puppies begins with a mixture of warm cow's milk and raw egg yolk (one yolk per glass of milk). Dogs have a hard time withstanding changes in feeding, so complementary feeding begins even when the puppies are suckling their mother's milk.

It is criminal to sell puppies up to 6 weeks old, as some owners do, taking 26-day-old babies away from their mothers. In the morning they are still fed by their mother, and in the afternoon they are sold without even starting solid food.

The transition to solid food should also occur when the mother is suckling. Gradually, from the 32nd day (not earlier! since gastric juice for complete digestion begins to be produced precisely by this time), the puppies begin to be given raw meat (first scraped meat, then minced meat, pieces of meat), raw fish. In principle, the dog has no need for vegetables and fruits. But if you give them, it is better in boiled or mashed form.

Food for puppies should be of high quality. Baby food should not be given, as the balance of essential nutrients in it, namely proteins, fats and carbohydrates, is not suitable for dogs. Most of this mixture consists of carbohydrates, and the dog primarily needs proteins and fats.

During the period of rapid growth, puppies should be fed plenty of raw meat, and only raw. Their normal need for nutrition is every 2 to 3 hours.

When changing teeth, puppies desperately need beef bones that they can chew on. They can be given from the 35th day of life. Beware of feeding small and splintering bones to puppies. Puppies that are given bone glue do not chew furniture or search for lime and chalk.

Up to two months, babies are fed 6 times a day at equal intervals (4 times non-meat and 2 times meat food). From two to four months – 5 times a day (the ratio of non-meat and meat foods is 3:2). From four to six – 4 times a day (2:2), from six to nine – 3 times (1:2). And from nine to twelve months - 2 times a day (1:1).

After each feeding, as well as after sleep, puppies should be taken out into the yard. This way they will learn cleanliness.

With good care, dogs live 10–15 years. The most resilient are up to 20 years, which corresponds to 100 human years. But such records are extremely rare.