FEEDING MANAGEMENT OF DOG
Chamarthi Jyothi, Anchal Keshri, Sunil nayak, Ankhur khare, Rahul Sharma, Nirmala muvel, Shanu Singour, Reshu Mishra, Shivansh Tiwari
Feeding of dog with balanced diet is vital to their overall health and wellbeing. Feed your dog according to his age, condition, and activity. Feeding and watering vessels should be clean. Don’t follow adlibitum feeding in puppies because it causes stomach discomfort and juvenile obesity.
Here is general timeline for what puppy needs at each stage of his life.
1-6 weeks–
Puppies can get enough nutrients from milk during first three to four weeks of life. For the first few days after whelping care should be taken to check that all puppies large and small, get equal chance to get milk from mother. Orphan puppies should be artificially fed from first day of life. Feeding of pups with two teaspoons of milk for every two hours interval during first week followed by three hours interval during second week and four hours interval during third and fourth week. Start feeding semisolid food and small amount of solid food after four weeks so that puppies become habituated. Usually, six feedings a day is recommended.
6-12 weeks–
Usually, a four feedings per day is recommended. At 6 weeks of age a growing pup require about three times the calorie requirement compared to the adult. They need larger quantities of food because they grow rapidly and feed your puppy often because they have limited space in their tiny stomachs. Feeding rice in early puppyhood gives it a pot‑bellied appearance and hence it is advisable to commence feeding rice after three months of age.
3-6 months–
Growing dogs are fed diets composed of cereals, pulses, meat and other animal foods, vegetables, and fruits. Decrease the feedings from four to three per day. If pup’s body type hasn’t matured yet, we can continue four feedings per day.
6-12 months–
By six months of age the need for food is decreased because puppies are about 75% of their adult size and can be fed two to three meals a day. Most of the dogs become adult by one year. Adult dogs should be fed one or two times daily, one meal being a light one and other the main feed. As dog reach old stage set the frequency of feeding of your doggy according to state of health and particular need. As older dogs are more suffer from health problems consult veterinarian to formulate diets according to their clinical picture.
How to feed your puppy the right amount?
Making sure of feeding the right amount of healthy, wholesome food from an early age helps them to prevent obesity and protect from other health problems. General rule of thumb is to feed your puppy 20g per 1kg of body weight per day. So, if you have a puppy weighing 10kg, they will need 200g per day. For specific nutrient requirements consult veterinarian. Bones should be given to all dogs, not merely as playthings, but as a part of regular diet. The act of crunching and gnawing of a bone includes a copious flow of saliva which helps in digestion besides keeping the teeth clean and sharp.
Feed your pet on a schedule
Dogs are creatures of habit they’re used to having similar schedules every day. Feeding schedule allows to control pet’s calorie and nutritional intake every day without over feeding and under feeding. It is essential that changes to the dog feeding schedule occur progressively as their digestive system needs to accustom gradually. Avoid change of food suddenly. Change the food gradually by offering mixture of both old and new food and gradually withdraw the old food until the new one is left.
Homemade diets
A homemade diet should contain appropriate balance of protein, carbohydrate, fibre, and fat. Vitamins, minerals, and amino acid supplements must be added in the preparation of diet to make balanced diet. These supplements are available commercially.
Rusk, fresh bread, good quality biscuits, egg soup, porridge (wheat flour, oats, ragi soybeans cook it in milk) may be fed in early puppyhood. Prepare diet with 30% meat (chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef) and rest with cereals, vegetables like carrots and beet roots, milk, eggs, bread. Chopping the food and light cooking makes it more palatable and digestible. Avoid masala and excess salt in the diet.
Human foods to avoid feeding dogs
While we consider dogs as a part of our family, feeding them the same food we eat can cause harm to them. Dogs are not used to eating the oily, fatty foods that we do, and they can get diarrhoea and upset stomachs from them. The foods should be avoided to feed your dog are onion and garlic, grapes and raisins, chocolate, Caffeine, avocado, artificial sweetener(xylitol), alcohol, Apple, Apricot, Cherry and Plum Seeds/Pits, tobacco, spicy food.
Feed your doggy with balanced diet according to his age and condition for the health and wellbeing of him. Give vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement along with home made diet. Give treats to your dog as it develops bond between you and your furry buddy.
