A Dog's Nutritional Needs

Whether you're giving your dog homemade meals or premium commercial food, do you know the basics of dog nutrition? Does your dog have everything he needs to be healthy and happy?

As you know, dogs are not strictly carnivorous, so they will eat other things than meat to satisfy their nutritional demands. But how will you know what your dog's requirements are and what is best for them?

In this article, we will discuss what the dog's nutritional requirements are and some of the great and cool dog recipes.

Protein

Proteins are composed of amino acids. They supply energy and are essential for building the body's structure and helping the body to function properly. Amino acids are of two types; essential and non-essential amino acids.

Dogs need protein in their daily diet, and the protein requirement of an adult dog is 2.62 g per kg of metabolic weight. Adult dogs have a different protein requirement than pregnant females, lactating females, and puppies.

Fats

Fats are made of fatty acids and are an epitome of energy. Fats provide twice as many calories compared to carbohydrates and protein. The essential fatty acids that a dog requires in his diet are omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

The fat requirement of an adult dog is 5-15% fat in his daily diet. Fats perform the necessary functions in the body, as they promote the growth of the healthy nervous system and regulate body temperature.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the biomolecules that are made up of sugar and starches. Carbohydrates are not essential for dogs, but they provide the glucose necessary to perform the function of the entire body. As you feed your dog carbohydrates, be sure to feed the carbohydrates that supply the least nutrients, and raise your dog's blood sugar.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are necessary molecules that are essential for the growth and development of the body. Vitamins are needed in small amounts to perform proper bodily functions. There are 13 basic vitamins that are necessary for the diet, and these vitamins are A, E, D, K, B1, B2, B6, and B12. Vitamins play an important role in the dog's body, like balance calcium and phosphorous levels, stimulate the immune system, and serve as antioxidants.

Minerals are defined as chemical elements that are essential to perform various functions in the body. Dogs cannot prepare minerals in their bodies and need them from external sources. There are two types of minerals: macrominerals and micro minerals. The macro minerals are (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, chloride, potassium). The essential micro minerals for dogs are (iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium). Macrominerals are required in greater quantity than micro minerals.

Different Stages Of Life

Dogs have different nutritional needs according to different stages of life. If you are feeding your dog a multi-purpose diet, then it will not meet the nutrient requirements of a growing puppy, a pregnant dog, and a nursing mother. This is why it is important to feed your dog according to its stage of life. Your adult dog, puppy, pregnant female, and older dog have different nutrient requirements based on their life stages.

Puppies need a lot of food because they are in the early stages of their life. They occasionally eat because they have less stomach space. Puppies at the age of 6-8 weeks require four to six meals. When the puppies reached the age of six months, they reached 75% of their adult size, and their food requirement also decreased. At that time, feed your puppy with good quality food that meets calcium and phosphorous requirements. Your puppy will reach adulthood at the age of 8-10 months; now you can change it to adult dog food.

Senior Dogs will have different nutritional needs than that of a puppy. After seven years, your dog will reach old age and must now feed them a diet specially formulated for their needs. Older dogs have fewer sodium, calorie, carbohydrate, and protein requirements than younger dogs. You should feed your older dog food containing prebiotics, probiotics, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and glucosamine that improve joint health. You should also consult your vet about the nutritional requirements of your older dog.

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