Can I feed my dog Royal Canin every day
Should I feed my dog homemade dog food?
Once your pets nutritional requirements are determined and you are given a custom formulated diet by a veterinary nutritionist, you will need to invest in specialized equipment. This can include, but is not limited to, a high-end meat grinder, cleavers, knives, shears, bowls, scales, containers, gloves, and cutting boards. Strict hygiene standards must also be met throughout the preparation process to avoid bacterial contamination prior to cooking.
Selecting the right ingredients to provide each nutrient can be difficult, too. Your veterinary nutritionist will select specific ingredients so your dog gets each nutrient in the proper amount. Some ingredients that seem nutritious to us can be toxic for your dog. Onions, for example, are a great source of vitamins and potassium, both of which are important nutrients families for pets, but are in fact toxic to dogs in any form.
Even with safe ingredients for dogs, those who are not used to making pet food are likely to find it difficult to balance the right nutrients in the right quantities, and there is a risk of overfeeding or malnutrition if not done correctly.
Although it may be easy to find homemade pet food recipes, its important to consider that, even with the right equipment and safe, nutritious ingredients, it can still be very difficult to create a complete and balanced diet from home. Before committing to making your own pet food, you should consult a veterinary nutritionist, who will have the scientific and nutritional knowledge to fully support your dogs health and wellbeing through homemade diets.
Dogs arent like humans
When considering homemade food, its worth remembering that dogs are very different to humans, both nutritionally and in terms of our eating habits.
Taste is less important for dogs than it is for humans. We have 9,000 taste buds while dogs have 1,700, so their sense of taste is less developed.2
As humans, we chew and savor our food, but dogs bite and tear, meaning they chew less and eat faster. Food spends less time on their palatte.
Unlike humans, dogs do not require a varied diet. In fact, changing a dog's diet too quickly can cause them to experience an upset stomach. If you ever have to transition your pet onto a new diet, it's important to do so slowly and in phases. Read our guide to find out more.
What matters most to a dog is the combined aroma, texture, and temperature of their food and the regularity and routine of eating. The appearance, color, and variety of food are unimportant to them, and theres actually a risk of digestive problems if you change their diet too often.
Should I feed my dog homemade dog food?
Once your pets nutritional requirements have been determined and a formulated diet has been provided by a veterinary nutritionist, you will need to invest in specific equipment. This can include, but is not limited to, a high-end meat grinder, cleavers, knives, shears, bowls, scales, containers, gloves and chopping boards. To avoid bacterial contamination, strict hygiene standards must also be met throughout the preparation process.
Selecting the right ingredients to provide each nutrient can be difficult too. Your veterinary nutritionist will select specific ingredients so your dog gets the correct amount of each nutrient. Some ingredients that are nutritious for humans can be toxic for your dog. Onions, for example, are a great source of vitamins and potassium, both of which are important nutrient families for pets, but are, in fact, toxic to dogs in any form.
Even with safe ingredients for dogs, people who are not used to making pet food are likely to find it difficult to extract the right nutrients in the right quantities, and there is a risk of overfeeding or malnutrition if not done correctly.
Although it may be easy to find homemade pet food recipes, its important to consider that, even with the right equipment and safe, nutritious ingredients, it can still be very difficult to create a complete and balanced diet at home. Before committing to making your own pet food, you should consult a veterinary nutritionist, who will have the scientific and nutritional knowledge to fully support your dogs health and wellbeing through homemade diets.
Dogs arent like humans
When considering homemade food, its worth remembering that dogs are very different to humans, both nutritionally and in terms of our eating habits.
Taste is less important for dogs than it is for humans. Humans have around 9,000 taste buds, but dogs only have around 1,700, so their sense of taste is less developed.2
Humans chew and savour their food, but dogs bite and tear. This means they chew less and eat faster. Food spends less time on their palate.
Unlike humans, dogs do not require a varied diet. In fact, changing a dog's diet too quickly can cause an upset stomach. If you ever have to transition your pet onto a new diet, it's important to do so slowly and with a phased approach.Read our guide to find out more.
What matters most to a dog is the combination of the aroma, texture and temperature of their food, and the regularity and routine of eating. The appearance, colour and variety of food are unimportant to them, and theres actually a risk of digestive problems if you change their diet too often.
How often to feed a puppy
At each stage in a puppys physical development, the food they eat will influence how strong, healthy and happy they become as an adult dog. It might feel complicated to know exactly where, when and how to feed your puppy, but heres some simple advice to help you give them the best start possible.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Dogs in general can have sensitive digestive systems that dont respond well to being overloaded by too much, or completely new, food. When youre feeding your puppy, its better to split their food portion for the day into smaller, frequent meals to avoid any pressure on their digestion. Heres a simple guide:
- Weaning (all sizes): four meals a day
- Up to four months (small breeds) or up to six months (large breeds): three meals a day
- Four to 10 months (small breeds) or six to 12 months (large breeds): two meals a day
How much should I feed my puppy?
The amount you give your puppy each mealtime will vary depending on their breed and their size category: x-small, small, medium, large or giant. Look at the manufacturers instructions on the puppy food as a guideline, and ask your vet for help if youre not completely sure.
Dont worry too much if your puppy doesnt eat all of the food you put down at mealtimes; their appetite will naturally vary and by having regular meals they will be able to satisfy their hunger next time.
Due to the rapid phases of growth puppies experience, they need a food which has higher energy-density than an adult dog. However, puppies dont know how to regulate their food intake, so its essential to maintain portion control and avoid weight gain. This is particularly important for large breed dogs, as over-feeding can encourage them to grow too quickly and result in skeletal problems.
How Much & How Often To Feed A Puppy
At each stage in a puppys physical development, the food they eat will influence how strong, healthy and happy they become as an adult dog. It might feel complicated to know exactly where, when and how to feed your puppy, but heres some simple advice to help you give them the best start possible.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Dogs in general can have sensitive digestive systems that dont respond well to being overloaded by too much, or completely new, food. When youre feeding your puppy, its better to split their food portion for the day into smaller, frequent meals to avoid any pressure on their digestion. Heres a simple guide:
- Weaning (all sizes): four meals a day
- Up to four months (small breeds) or up to six months (large breeds): three meals a day
- Four to 10 months (small breeds) or six to 12 months (large breeds): two meals a day
How much should I feed my puppy?
The amount you give your puppy each mealtime will vary depending on their breed and their size category: x-small, small, medium, large or giant. Look at the manufacturers instructions on the puppy food as a guideline, and ask your vet for help if youre not completely sure.
Dont worry too much if your puppy doesnt eat all of the food you put down at mealtimes; their appetite will naturally vary and by having regular meals they will be able to satisfy their hunger next time.
Due to the rapid phases of growth puppies experience, they need a food which has higher energy-density than an adult dog. However, puppies dont know how to regulate their food intake, so its essential to maintain portion control and avoid weight gain. This is particularly important for large breed dogs, as over-feeding can encourage them to grow too quickly and result in skeletal problems.
Healthy portions are smaller than you think
A healthy weight is maintained by achieving the right balance between energy intake and energy output. So the correct portion size for your dog can be different from any other dog, even if it is the same breed.
The starting point is to follow the feeding guide given by the food you have selected with your veterinarian which is most relevant to your dog. However, a number of factors may also need to be taken into consideration when determining the portion size, recommended feeding quantities for cats are often just guidelines.
First, consider the size of your dog. A small breed such as a Chihuahua will require a very different amount of calories from a St.Bernard. Try to choose a product which is designed for your breed or size of dog.
Next, think about their activity levels; are they a working dog or do they spend most time indoors with short walks during the day? If you have any concerns about what quantities to feed your dog, please contact your local veterinarian for specific advice.
How often to feed a puppy
At each stage in a puppys physical development, the food they eat will influence how strong, healthy and happy they become as an adult dog. It might feel complicated to know exactly where, when and how to feed your puppy, but heres some simple advice to help you give them the best start possible.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Dogs in general can have sensitive digestive systems that dont respond well to being overloaded by too much, or completely new, food. When youre feeding your puppy, its better to split their food portion for the day into smaller, frequent meals to avoid any pressure on their digestion. Heres a simple guide:
- Weaning (all sizes): four meals a day
- Up to four months (small breeds) or up to six months (large breeds): three meals a day
- Four to 10 months (small breeds) or six to 12 months (large breeds): two meals a day
How much should I feed my puppy?
The amount you give your puppy each mealtime will vary depending on their breed and their size category: x-small, small, medium, large or giant. Look at the manufacturers instructions on the puppy food as a guideline, and ask your vet for help if youre not completely sure.
Dont worry too much if your puppy doesnt eat all of the food you put down at mealtimes; their appetite will naturally vary and by having regular meals they will be able to satisfy their hunger next time.
Due to the rapid phases of growth puppies experience, they need a food which has higher energy-density than an adult dog. However, puppies dont know how to regulate their food intake, so its essential to maintain portion control and avoid weight gain. This is particularly important for large breed dogs, as over-feeding can encourage them to grow too quickly and result in skeletal problems.
Mixed feeding your dog
Is it better to use wet dog food or dry food? Or maybe prepare your dog food yourself? These are very often asked questions new pet owners ask their vets. Proper nutrition for dogs is the key to their healthy development. So it can be a daunting task to decide whats best to feed them.
Types of dog food
The most important ingredient that differentiates wet and dry dog food is the water content. In dry foods, the moisture content is around 8%, while in wet foods, this is usually around 75%. This means that the content of nutrients, and hence metabolic energy, is definitely higher in dry foods than in wet foods.
100 grams of dry dog food contains about 370 kcal. The same amount of wet food contains "only" 100 kcal. The differences are therefore significant. This also adds to the amount of food your dog eats. To cover your daily energy needs by feeding your dog only with dry food, you need to feed it about 3-4 times less than if we fed your dog only with wet food.
Wet dog food may have more stimuli affecting your dog's sense of taste. Dry dog food is more difficult to chew, which can be a problem for some animals. There are dogs that are particularly picky, so will only play with dry food instead of actually eating it. This may be due to the difficulty in chewing on hard kibbles. The dog can then treat them as a toy, not food.
Mix feeding - combining wet and dry food
Both types of feed have their pros and cons, which is why pet owners are increasingly choosing to combine them. This is a good solution that can bring many benefits.
Combining wet and dry food brings a number of benefits. When it is necessary to switch a pet to a wet diet, the body will be prepared for such a change. This change can be carried out efficiently, quickly, and most importantly, without any unpleasant consequences.
There is no need to mix the dry food and the wet food in the one bowl when you feed your dog. In fact, you don't even need to serve them at the same time. One of the benefits of dry food is it doesn't spoil easily or leave a strong smell, which makes it perfect to leave out during the day if your dog likes to snack rather than gobble their food down. Then you can serve them their wet food in the evenings.
There are, however, two important points to keep in mind.
