Dogs come in many assorted breeds, shapes, and sizes. They
also have different nutritional requirements as they age.
Choosing the right type of dog food for your pet will help
to keep it healthy and happy as it ages. Here are some
guidelines to follow when choosing the proper dog food
for your dog's breed and age.
Puppies
Most dogs are considered puppies from birth to age 12
months. However, large breed dogs (such as Newfoundlanders,
Great Danes, etc.) are considered puppies up to the age
of 18 months. It's important to choose the right puppy
food depending on the size of your dog.
"Normal" puppies require puppy food for the first year.
This type of dog food contains extra protein and fats to
help with muscle and skeletal growth, ensuring optimum
nutrition during this fast growth stage. Large breeds,
on the other hand, require puppy food specifically made
for large breeds. That's because the "large-breed puppy
foods" are designed to help reduce hip and joint diseases
often associated with fast growth in large dogs. Remember...
large breeds should be fed puppy food for 18 months.
Adult Dog Food
Once your dog has reach adult hood (12 months for most dogs,
18 months for large breeds), it's time to switch to Adult
Dog Food. Depending on your dogs size and activity level,
you'll need to choose the proper food to fit your dog's
lifestyle. Adult dog food should contain the proper levels
of protein, fat and carbohydrates that your dog will need to
maintain a healthy life. However, if you dog is very active
and has a lot of high energy, you may want to feed him on
of the high-energy, high performance foods. These contain
extra calories to supplement the calories your very active
dog burns off.
Calorie Reduced Food
Humans aren't the only ones who tend to put on weight.
Dogs who are less active and don't get as much exercise
as they should will also tend to become "heavy". This
can cause stress on your dog's joints and muscles. "Diet"
dog foods are strictly regulated by the industry and must
contain no more than 1409 calories/pound of food. Don't
confuse this with labels that say "reduced calorie" or
"reduced fat". This type of labeling is misleading, as
the dog food may still contain a lot of fat and calories.
Only "lite" foods fall under industry guidelines. Read
your labels carefully.
Senior Dog Food
Once your dog reaches the age of 7 he enters his "senior"
years. At this time, you should probably switch to the
Senior Dog Foods. You will probably notice that your dog
is becoming less active, sleeps more and may have more
stiffness in his joints. Senior Dog food contains reduced
fat, increased fiber levels, and additional Glucosomine,
along with reduced salt and phosphorus levels.
Choose Your Dog Food Brand Carefully
No matter what age your dog is, be sure to take the time
and research the best types of dog foods on the market.
Many cheap commercial dog foods found on grocery store
shelves can actually cause more harm than good over the
years. To help you make a better, informed choice, be sure
to read ingredient labels, compare dog food brands, and do
further research on this important topic. Your dog will
love you for it.
