The Importance of Choosing The Right Diet for Your Dog

Choosing the Correct Diet For Your Dog
By Fiona Campbell, Nutrition Expert at Burns Pet Nutrition

Read the label!
This is the best advice when looking for the correct food for your dog.

Firstly you should compare daily feeding costs. A good quality diet without bulking ingredients or cheap fillers will recommend very low feeding amounts. Low feeding amounts mean your dog produces less stools and it is more economical for the owner.

Secondly it is recommended that you look at the ingredient list. Avoid brands which state vague ingredients such as ‘meat and animal derivatives’ and ‘cereals’. These vague ingredient descriptions allow the manufacturer to change the ingredients depending on what items are cheapest each season. A good quality diet will name the ingredients and will keep the recipe the same. This helps to avoid digestive upsets and is better for dogs which suffer from food allergies and intolerances.

Thirdly avoid dog foods which contain coloured pieces. Red, yellow and green colourings may look appealing to the owner but these E numbers can affect dogs the same way as they affect children. Owners should also avoid diets with added sugar (glucose or caramel) and chemical preservatives. Naturally preserved pet foods usually use vitamin E to stop the food going rancid. Other pet foods use chemicals such as BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin which are thought to be detrimental to health. These are often labelled as ‘EC permitted additives’.

And lastly look at the levels of protein and fat (labelled as oil) in the food. Diets which contain high levels of protein and fat may contribute to weight gain and possibly hyperactivity. Too much protein and fat during growth can result in skeletal problems e.g. hip dysplasia especially in larger breeds so more is not necessarily better.

—-

Are you looking for the ideal natural diet for your dog?

High Oats from Burns Pet Nutrition is higher in natural fibre which is recommended for the overweight or diabetic dog.*Available in 2kg, 7.5kg and 15kg.

Find Out More…

—-

Is My Dog Overweight? Diet Advice from Hills Pet Nutrition

It’s Never Too Late To Change The Future For Your Overweight Pet

We hear every day about human obesity but do we realize that pets are becoming overweight as well as their owners? Research shows that nearly 50 per cent of UK pets are obese or overweight and that the life of an overweight pet is shortened by at least two years. In human terms, this means reducing life expectancy by 15 years!

Are all pets in danger of becoming obese?

Scientists think that there are some pets that seem predisposed to obesity by their breed, with the Labrador being a good case in point. But ‘it’s in my genes’ is not always a good defence, as thousands of owners of lean Labradors will testify. Certainly intrinsic factors (those to do with the dog as an individual) can make a difference. The age, reproductive status and gender of a dog can influence how likely they are to become obese. And calories may have to be more carefully controlled in obesity-prone dogs and they need not necessarily be given the opportunity to become obese.

Weight gain could be more of a problem than you think

You may think that your dog or cat gaining a little weight isn’t a serious issue. But even if your pet is as little as 10-20% overweight, they run an increased risk of developing painful conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or arthritis. Overweight dogs and cats are more lethargic and less likely to interact with the outside world. Consider the effects of restricted mobility, pain, lack of external stimulation plus heat stress and it comes as no great surprise to learn that portly pets are also more likely to be bad tempered and even aggressive. That’s no life for a much loved family pet and no fun for the family either.

Weight loss challenge

If you think your pet is at risk of being overweight or obese, the best and first thing to do is to visit your veterinary practice for a weight check, which is often free. Weighing your dog or cat regularly should become a part of regular check-ups. Your vet or vet nurse will help you structure the weight loss programme to help your pet reduce its weight. The weight loss challenge should be made up of a feeding plan, exercise plan and re-check plan.

Feeding plan

Your vet or vet nurse will help you set the target weight for the weight loss challenge. It is normally in the region of 1-2% per week and the use of Pet Weight Record Books is a useful way to evaluate how well your pet has managed to stay on track.

When on the weight loss challenge, watch out your pet does not ‘cheat’ by scavenging or begging for food from other people. By feeding a food that remains nutritionally complete even when calorie intake is reduced and that promotes satiety, your chances of success will definitely increase. Most table scraps are very high in calorie – for instance, feeding your dog a slice of toast is equivalent to a human eating a hamburger. Or, giving your cat a cup of milk is equivalent of a human eating four and a half hamburgers! Therefore, it is recommended to establish a more controlled pattern of feeding your pet when offering food at set meal times.

There are clinically-proven, safe weight loss diets available, like as Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ r/d™, which are formulated to help your pet reach its ideal weight, reduce the risk of disease and make a lifelong improvement to his quality of life. Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d is high in dietary fibre and protein to reduce hunger and discourage begging and supplemented with L-carnitine, a vitamin that helps burn fat and preserve muscles during weight loss. Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d is clinically proven to reduce fat by 22% in just 8 weeks. Easy and effective weight loss – your dog is guaranteed to lose weight in just 8 weeks, or we give you your money back.

Exercise plan

Of course, prevention is better than cure, so be sure to establish good exercise routines. A great way to get overweight pets mobile again is to make exercising them interesting to their owners. That is why Hill’s has partnered with UK tourism boards to find the Top 21 Dog Walks across the UK. Check the winning walks as well as all the nominated ones at www.21topdogwalks.co.uk. The walks are graded according to their suitability for overweight dogs or those with mobility problems – starting with ‘green’ walks that are largely on flat, even ground and of short duration, culminating in ‘red’ walks that include hills or rough terrain.

Helping you to succeed

Your vet or vet nurse will develop for you a re-check plan which will help you see the progress your pet is making in the weight loss challenge. As a reminder of your pet’s regular weigh-ins, you can use stickers from your Pet Weight Record Book and place them into your calendar. You can also track your pet’s weight loss online, get advice and tips on feeding and exercise as well as money off coupons your pet’s weight loss diet when you register your pet at www.hillsweightloss.co.uk.

So, if you are worried about your pet’s weight, talk to your vet or vet nurse. And remember, it is never too late to change the future of your overweight pet.

Best Diet For Working Dogs

Nutrition For Active Dogs - Proper Nutrition For Your Working Dog

Dogs that lead a very active lifestyle demand a more comprehensive diet than average dogs require. Examples of these hard-working dogs are those that participate in agility competitions as well as those that team up with law enforcement on a search-and-rescue mission.

These dogs require nutritional needs that are different from an average household pet. Most of these sporting and working dogs participate in intermediate activities as well. These are activities that require low to moderate duration and intensity. Examples include: Competition or agility, service, search and rescue, tracking or hunting, police or guarding, detection, and even managing livestock.

Essential Nutrients For Your Busy Canine Athlete

Because your dog is always on the go, you need to provide him with larger doses of food and certain types of nutrients. This is especially important in times when they are most active. A typical working dog would need about 2 – 5  times more calories than a sedentary dog.  These extra calories are converted into energy that helps our canine athletes perform better.

Below are four key nutrients for busy dogs.

1. Carbohydrate: Once your dog reaches adulthood, he has no need for carbohydrates in his diet, although he is able to absorb this nutrient if eaten. Less carbohydrates in the adult dog’s diet creates better performance. Therefore, minimum amount of carbohydrates is required for the working dog or any dog that participates in any kind of activity that lasts for more than two minutes.

2. Protein: Protein contains amino acids, which are the building blocks for hormones, tissues, and enzymes. This nutrient provides energy and helps develop muscle mass for extra size and strength. Keep in mind, however, that too much protein in your dog’s diet can lead to excessive protein breakdown. A busy dog should have a diet that includes high-quality protein, enough to provide for muscle and structural repair.

3. Fats: The main source of energy for intermediate athletic dogs comes from fats. This nutrient contains about twice as much energy as carbohydrates and protein provides. Adding more fat to your dog’s diet is the best way to increase his energy and strength. A diet high in fat is more appealing to your dog while at the same time providing him with better endurance. Therefore, it is very important to supply him with adequate amount of essential fatty acids along with saturated and unsaturated fats.

4. Water: A hard-working dog normally loses more water during laborious activity so it is very important to provide him with an ample supply of water to keep him hydrated. This is even more important when your dog is under extreme temperatures (both hot and cold weather).

Fasting For Dogs - Is it Healthy?

How Fasting Can Clean Your Dog’s System From Years Of Poor Diet

If you’re one of the millions of dog owners who occassionally allow your pet to induldge in the delightful scraps from your own less than perfect diet such cheap hamburgers, hot dogs, cold cuts, semi moist sugar-preserved dog foods - or any foods containing nitrates, nitrites, aldehydes, and other assorted harmful additives - the particular pancreatic enzymes that are needed to digest the proteins in your dog’s system become depleted quite rapidly. So could your porky pet benefit from a short fast?

Meats that have been thoroughly cooked rarely contain enough live enzymes to be of any value to the dog’s digestive system.

Without enough pancreatic enzymes to digest the protein, the food begins to putrefy and can lead to pancreatitis and toxemia. We can give more food but it is not being utilized. If the body can’t use the nutrients, this is tantamount to not having them.

The body begins to feed upon itself in order to sustain life, and the animal loses weight and muscle tone in spite of the quantity of food provided. In the case of malignant tumors, the body feeds the tumor while starving itself, so the tumor grows to robust proportions while the body shrivels like a dehydrated prune.

If you suspect ill health in your pet, don’t stuff him with food, hoping that he will regain strength.

You will actually be further depleting his impaired vitality. Withholding food for a day or so will cause a revitalization of the body, because the body will have a chance to fight the impairment without the continuing added burden of processing food. This applies whether the food is wholesome or second-rate, but even more strongly when it is of poor quality.

Then the digestive organs are not working in the processing of food, they have an opportunity to apply themselves to the digestion of debris in the body.

Fasting is nature’s most perfect medicine, since the body works to rid itself of the debris, or harmful toxic matter, first, thereby effecting a most marvelous housecleaning of cells.

Cells drowning in toxic waste have no room to absorb nutrients. They must first rid themselves of this obstructing waste.

The process by which the body feeds upon and digests the debris is called autolysis. Some types of tumors or cysts can enjoy resorption into the body through this gradual, natural purification process.

If you have an older dog, the chances are that through years of dietary indiscretions, his enzymes have become somewhat depleted. Whatever sturdy stock remains can be reinforced by adding pancreatic enzymes to the diet.

This will serve to bolster the forces of protein, fat, and carbohydrate digestion, and you will be augmenting the metabolization of your animal’s food. Pancreatic enzymes can help turn the tide of sluggish digestion, enabling the digestive process to perform with much increased efficiency.

This will provide a most harmonious relationship within the digestive tract. The surplus enzymes can now effect a cleansing process by breaking up the toxic debris stored throughout the body.

Are Carbohydrates Hindering Your Dog’s Weight Loss?

There is a significant difference between humans and dogs in their need for carbohydrates and in their ability to digest them. The digestive tract of a human is longer than that of a dog, and the formation of jaws and teeth is entirely different. A dog’s digestion starts in the stomach. Dogs’ teeth - all 42 of them - are built to tear flesh apart. Dogs gulp their food as fast as they can, which then reaches the stomach with no digestion having taken place.

Human digestion starts in the mouth. A human chews food with 32 teeth, which have flat surfaces for grinding and breaking down food. Enzymes contained in the saliva contribute to this breakdown of the food, which is being digested before it reaches the stomach.

Carbohydrates come in two forms, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates come from grains such as wheat, corn, rice, oats, soy and millet. They break down into starches and sugar when properly cooked. Complex carbohydrates come in the form of various fibers such as brans, hulls and peanut shells from the outside of plants. A small amount is needed for proper digestion and stool formation. Nutrients are obtained from both sources, but most come from simple carbohydrates.

If carbohydrates are a major part of your dog’s diet, the time and energy needed for digestion increase, the dog performs less well, large amounts of stool are produced, and a protein deficiency disease may develop. Dogs have evolved as meat eaters and although they need some grains, their health and longevity will be better served on a diet containing more animal protein than protein from grains.

Think about the origin of the dog. It is unrecorded in history that wolves lit fires and cooked grains picked in fields! But there were whole carcasses available that contained everything needed for wolves to survive, including predigested vegetable matter in the intestinal tracts of their prey.

The reason the majority of dry dog foods contain such large amounts of cereal grains is that grains are a cheap source of nutrients. According to the NRC guidelines, “Carbohydrates provide an economical source of energy in the diet of dogs.”

Allergic reactions to grains are common in dogs. The best diet for your dog matches that fed in the breed’s country of origin as the breed developed. Each dog is an individual, and if yours refuses to eat his food, check the grains listed on the package. The dog may balk because of an allergy to one of the grains in the food.

Weight Loss Tips For Dogs (and their people!)

Doga! All the benefits of Yoga, suppleness, flexibility and muscle toning and dogs can join in too. Take your dog with you on that journey for internal peace. You can both hold the ‘mountain’, ‘lotus’ or ‘cobra’ position, but don’t forget to warm up first .

An excellent work out for both human and dog is a good old ‘tug-o-war’. Although usually spontaneous, a five minute session will burn off as many calories as a brisk fifteen minute walk. Use an old rag or t-shirt and go for it. It is best if you crouch down to start with to avoid bending the back improperly. Your dog will love this one, but make sure you win, or you could be saddled with a very cocky young pup!

Short and often beats once a day. Walking the dog should never be a chore. Frequent, shorter walks are often more beneficial to you both than one long stroll a day. Bringing your heart rate up regularly, increases cardio-vascular fitness. A two minute jog completed by a five minute stroll four times a day will get results pretty sharpish.

Make minor diet adjustments. Replacing fizzy drinks with cordial will benefit a weight loss programme. Small changes that do not overhaul your lifestyle are easier to stick to. Changing an overweight dog’s portion size beats re-designing his whole diet plan.

What’s the Deal With Lifestage Dog Foods?

Nutritional Nirvana or Masterful Marketing?

It is a simple fact that what you put into your dog is reflected in how they look, act and feel. Getting the right balance of nutrients is not entirely simple and depends on a seemingly endless amount of variables such as breed, activity level, age and medical condition. Life stage foods are quite a modern phenomenon, developed to offer a more tailored approach to feeding your dog.

The theory behind life stage foods is that they go much further than simply satisfying the nutritional needs of a dog in a particular age group. So do they really work or are they a marketing gimmick? Are you ignoring life stage foods to the detriment of your dog’s health?

What are canine life stages? For the purposes of pet foods, life stages are split into three groups, and then divided again to make allowances for breed size and activity level. Whether you plan to feed your dog a natural diet or follow the advice of pet food manufacturers to the letter, you need to be aware of how different life stages effect the nutritional requirements of your dog.

The nutritional needs of dogs may also change with changes in lifestyle or function. If energy needs decrease in a dog but energy intake does not decrease accordingly, the dog is at risk of becoming overweight and developing health problems. By providing a diet that conforms closely to the requirements of the pet, it is possible to improve health and performance.

Diet Calculator: Whichever breed, age, size of dog you have, our diet calculator should help you see if you are giving your dog the right balance of nutrition.

Puppies: The fact that puppies are always growing is the main consideration when feeding. The need for protein, calcium and energy is at it’s highest at this stage in the dog’s life. Since puppies have smaller stomachs, the nutritional quality of their food needs to satisfy the requirements of a growing dog, but be delivered in a smaller quantity. Claire Robinson-Davies explained why the nutritional requirements for a puppy depend on the breed as well as the age.

“Large breeds grow at a slower rate, so less energy in the form of protein and fat is needed to support the slower growth rate, whilst still enabling the dog to reach its full growth potential. Conversely small breeds grow at a faster rate and hence need increased fat and protein levels to support this . Some small breed puppy formulas also contain increased levels of B vitamins to support their high-energy metabolism.”

We can send you regular dog weight and diet advice direct to your in-box. Simply sign up for our free newsletter service using the subscription box on the right hand side of this page.

Dog Weight Loss: Puppies

As a responsible pet owner, you need to be aware of your dog’s growth progress, from puppyhood to adulthood, to make sure that he stays in the best shape for the rest of his life. One of the things that you should do is to keep a weekly record of his weight until he reaches his 1st birthday. This is important in order to determine whether or not you have to modify his diet.

A chubby puppy may look cute and cuddly, but he is at great risk of developing joint problems or a bone disease. On the other hand, a puppy who is not eating his required daily meal may be experiencing an illness by type of food he is eating. If you have a large-breed puppy, he should be at least 2 years old before you can see a dramatic growth in his size.

Determining The Size Of Your Puppy

Obese puppies lead to obese dogs. The best way to find out if your puppy is overweight or underweight is to feel his ribs. The correct way to do this is to position your puppy on the table. Place one hand on his right shoulder and the other on his left shoulder.

Next, feel his ribs by applying a gentle press using the palm of your hand. You should be able to feel his ribs with just a little bit of fat and muscle. If you are having difficulty locating his ribs, then your puppy may need to shed some pounds. On the other hand, if you have no trouble finding every single rib in his body, you may have to add a little bit more calorie to his diet.

Check With Your Veterinarian

If your puppy needs to lose some weight, the best way to handle the situation is to make an appointment with your vet. Your vet will give you specific instructions that you must implement on a day-to-day basis. Your puppy will probably be given a special diet designed specifically for weight loss, one that is going to satisfy his appetite and contain required nutrients that his body needs while helping him lose weight at the same time.  Your vet may also recommend regular exercise to help those extra calories. These include walking, occasional running, and lots of playing.

Why Older Dogs Are Prone to Weight Gain?

Obesity is a very big problem in our society, and this problem goes for dogs as well. All dogs are susceptible to gaining weight as they become less active in old age. But some breeds have been reported to be more likely to become obese than others as they watch the birthdays fly by. West Highland white terriers, beagles, cocker spaniels, collies. cairn terriers, and retrievers are breeds that are noted for obesity in old age.

Older dogs are about twice as likely to be overweight as younger dogs, probably because of genetic factors as well as people feeding them high-calorie treats from the table. Also, smaller dogs can run around the house for exercise, but larger dogs need to be taken out. Because most dogs depend on people to take them out, it doesn’t always get done.

As adult dogs become elderly, a number of factors limit their exercise - including their physical and physiological condition (and perhaps that of their owners as well, if the owners are also slowing down a bit). So, lack of exercise coupled with the same amount of treats as they had when they were younger can lead to obese pets. Female dogs are more likely to be obese than male dogs and cats, and spayed animals are more likely to be obese than reproductively intact ones.

Here’s an interesting statistic: Pet owners who are 40 years old and older are more than twice as likely to have obese dogs as younger owners are. Not only are the owners getting older and probably less fit, but so are their pets! Further, about one-third of owners of obese dogs do not consider their dogs to be overweight; they consider their dogs to be in the normal range of weight.

I suppose the worst-case scenario would be a couple of spayed female Labrador retrievers who are about 14 years old, living with elderly “nurturing” (literally - with food) owners. Both the owners and their dogs are arthritic and overweight, with poor aerobic conditioning. Or maybe the owners smoke and have shortness of breath with even moderate exercise, and they enjoy fried foods and feed their dogs from the table or the couch (of course) or from anywhere else in the house. The owners equate feeding the dogs with giving them love. It’s the proverbial “recipe for disaster”!  So do anything you can do to prevent your dogs from getting fat and out of shape.  This may also be a good reason to watch your own levels of activity and diet.

Could You be Feeding Your Dog Too Many Carbs?

Atkins for dogs?

Well, not quite!

Are You Feeding Your Dog Too Many Carbohydrates?

There is a significant difference between humans and dogs in their need for carbohydrates and in their ability to digest them. The digestive tract of a human is longer than that of a dog, and the formation of jaws and teeth is entirely different. A dog’s digestion starts in the stomach. Dogs’ teeth - all 42 of them - are built to tear flesh apart. Dogs gulp their food as fast as they can, which then reaches the stomach with no digestion having taken place.

Human digestion starts in the mouth. A human chews food with 32 teeth, which have flat surfaces for grinding and breaking down food. Enzymes contained in the saliva contribute to this breakdown of the food, which is being digested before it reaches the stomach.

Carbohydrates come in two forms, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates come from grains such as wheat, corn, rice, oats, soy and millet. They break down into starches and sugar when properly cooked. Complex carbohydrates come in the form of various fibers such as brans, hulls and peanut shells from the outside of plants. A small amount is needed for proper digestion and stool formation. Nutrients are obtained from both sources, but most come from simple carbohydrates.

If carbohydrates are a major part of your dog’s diet, the time and energy needed for digestion increase, the dog performs less well, large amounts of stool are produced, and a protein deficiency disease may develop. Dogs have evolved as meat eaters and although they need some grains, their health and longevity will be better served on a diet containing more animal protein than protein from grains.

Think about the origin of the dog. It is unrecorded in history that wolves lit fires and cooked grains picked in fields! But there were whole carcasses available that contained everything needed for wolves to survive, including predigested vegetable matter in the intestinal tracts of their prey.

The reason the majority of dry dog foods contain such large amounts of cereal grains is that grains are a cheap source of nutrients. According to the NRC guidelines, “Carbohydrates provide an economical source of energy in the diet of dogs.”

Allergic reactions to grains are common in dogs. The best diet for your dog matches that fed in the breed’s country of origin as the breed developed. Each dog is an individual, and if yours refuses to eat his food, check the grains listed on the package. The dog may balk because of an allergy to one of the grains in the food.

Next Page »