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Jun 2

Dogs need a balanced diet, too – here’s how to get it right – The Guardian

Diet Comments Off on Dogs need a balanced diet, too – here’s how to get it right – The Guardian

Like us, our dogs should be eating the right foods for their bodies. Also like us, while they might enjoy eating hot chips for every meal, thats going to have a negative impact on their wellbeing.

What dogs tell us they want is not always what they need. We shouldnt allow those puppy-dog eyes at the dinner table to sway our feeding decisions, but instead look at some key indicators more closely related to their health.

Dr Lee Danks, a technical services veterinarian at Black Hawk, says there are some common misconceptions when it comes to our understanding of the way our dogs eat. The first is that food equals love, he says.

We might imagine that sharing our meals with our dogs helps them feel happy and secure, but we often forget that it can send mixed messages when they cant distinguish this from their everyday meal of dog food, particularly when human foods are given irregularly, when the food is varied, and the precious resource of food is intertwined with another resource: social interaction. We often dont account for the extra calories too, and that can have long-term health implications.

Adding anything that isnt complete and balanced, such as table scraps, can throw your pets diet out of whack. Photograph: Justin Paget/Getty Images.

While meal sharing does build social bonds, just as it does when we have a lovely dinner party with our friends, its also going to do them more harm than good if were not completely aware of the impact, Danks says. Given the opportunity, dogs will often overeat, and its our responsibility to protect them from that.

We may think, my dog is following me about, therefore they want food, but this is a learned behaviour. Begging is something that we train into our animals. Understanding what they actually need is a different story.

An early indicator is palatability, Danks says. In other words, how appealing the food is to the dog, including its taste and texture. There are a few reasons why your dog might suddenly go off their food.

It could be that their preferences have changed. Sometimes food is not being stored properly, which can change the food to lose some of its flavour.

A few days without a meal can affect a dogs wellbeing, and they start to break down their own body tissue. If a fresh bag doesnt do the trick, it might be worth trying a new product.

Other reasons might be revealed through a home health check. Danks says if body weight travels up or down , it can be a reminder to look at what they are eating, and how much theyre getting. If muscle drops away, we wonder if they are getting the amino acids and proteins, or ingredients like meat, that drive maintenance of lean muscle mass.

Danks also says to watch out for something he calls pick-up-ability.

The sample you get every day while walking your dog is a poo, he says. We can start asking ourselves, when we pick it up, does it leave a mark on the pavement? That tells you if theres a bit too much moisture in there. If you consistently have a puddle in one extreme or a dehydrated pebble on the other, then maybe what youre feeding should be changed.

It might seem boring to us, but feeding one high-quality product will give your dogs all the food they need. That means all 37 essential nutrients are being provided with every meal, as long as you feed according to the guides on the packs.

The first challenge for the pet food manufacturer is that it is safe and balanced. And the second challenge is: does it taste good? If were expecting dogs to enjoy it for years and years of their life, it needs to be something they want to go back to.

Dogs eat according to a whole range of sensory experiences, starting with smell. For a kibble, Danks says, manufacturers such as Black Hawk coat the surface of the product with the natural ingredients that drive dogs to want to eat that food: usually fats and proteins. That mix gives the product a unique flavour profile, which creates aromas that are appealing to a dogs very sensitive nose, and makes them want to eat the nutritious food inside.

The vast majority of wet foods are also complete and balanced, he says. What youre looking for on the pack is an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement. If youre a conscientious manufacturer with a good formulation team behind you, you should be able to weave some magic and create a lovely combination of great ingredients to fulfil the AAFCO nutrient requirements. If you look on our packs, you will see that statement.

If you do decide to shift your dogs diet to one thats more balanced or tailored, Danks says its best to have a transition period.

If you eat bananas for the next five weeks, then suddenly shift to burgers, your gastrointestinal system is going to go haywire, he explains. Its not going to cope.

A rule of thumb is: if youre feeding a chicken-based diet, stick to a chicken-based diet. If you have a nutrition profile or ingredient list thats vastly different, thats where the transition process comes in. Day by day, increase the proportion of new versus old food to be gentle on their guts. That slow transition usually takes five to seven days, but can potentially take up to a couple of months for extremely sensitive individuals.

Moving to a premium product such as Black Hawk makes the process easier. When youre taking a step up in digestibility, its less of an issue.

Danks recommends we take a careful and considered look at the range on the shelves to find the best product for our dogs. People want to feed their pets better, and we can be more discerning, he says. We dont always have to accept the status quo if our dogs physicality is telling a different story. Its all about reaching for the product that reflects how much we care.

Black Hawks natural, holistic pet food range makes sure your dog gets everything they need, and nothing they dont. Read more about their commitment to the well-being of your pet and real food recipes here.

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Dogs need a balanced diet, too - here's how to get it right - The Guardian

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