Canine nutrition is something that really frustrates me because it doesn’t have to be complicated.
As an owner you don’t have to know the single amount of every vitamin and mineral the dog needs (yes it’s great if you do), but what you should know as a bare minimum is how to notice what food is suiting your dog and what isn’t. You should also know what is suitable for your breed, and what issues they are prone to.
So yes again I’m going to talk about Dalmatians but that’s because they’re the breed I have. So Dalmatians are purine intolerant, and unfortunately purines are in everything. This means we have to ensure they are fed low levels of purines or it can cause bladder stones which essentially can be fatal.
As a Dalmatian owner it is my responsibility to research the diet and know that they’re not allowed to have any offal, any yeast or any oily fish as a basic rule. From here we just have to choose a food that is lower in purines.
But as for a normal dog owner, it doesn’t matter whether we feed raw, wet or kibble as long as it is suitable for our dog AND a good quality food. I still see so many people feeding Bakers dog food and not realising the monstrosity of it. It’s like feeding your child McDonald’s for every meal everyday. It’s just not on.
Ideally if you’re feeding kibble you need to find a kibble with 50% fresh meat. Meat meal means that all the parts of the animal has been ground up into a powder and put into the food. So for a Dalmatian owner we don’t know what’s in this and it could be offal. Again I try to avoid meat derivatives, as this tends to be all the gnarly bits that wouldn’t be fit for human consumption.
So many foods are full of fillers like potato and rice when really that’s not fully dog suitable, but manufacturers do it to bulk out the weight of their food but still be able to charge the same cost.
Also don’t be fooled by companies who use pictures or advertisements including your dog breeds, it does not mean that food is suitable for your breed. Too many advertisements including Dalmatians when the food is purely not suitable.
With all dog food and supplements the blanket rule is if your dog itches/farts/ has runny or soft poo while consuming the food then something in it is not suitable for them. They won’t get over it or get used to it. It simple isn’t suitable.
Remember that our dogs food can affect their health and welfare when it comes to it, and can really affect their behaviour. So make sure you choose wisely
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