Why your dog’s nutrition is so important…
I find many folks are amazed during their evaluation with us that I start with the basics such as food, exercise, and daily life schedule and not directly the problem at hand. While there is a whole thought process behind why I do this and why this way of thinking relates to long-term success after your dog’s training with us is done. But the entire process could be a book, so I’m going to break this down by each approach…. starting with your dog’s nutrition.
I often compare some of the lesser nutritional foods such as Purina One, Pedigree, and Ol Roy to us eating at McDonald’s everyday (did ya’ll ever see the documentary about the guy that ate a Big Mac every day?). The effects of consuming foods that don’t fuel your body but more go in one side and come out the other, can wreak havoc internally. Not to mention, the fog, the lack of energy, the illnesses that always pop up. It is annoying and can actually be quite costly in the end for health.
So, on the other side when we feed our body with nutritional dense foods we seem to perform and feel better overall…not to mention less waste!
This applies to your dog.
Your dog’s nutrition can improve or worsen your dog’s behavior. That right, one simple swap could cause you less of a headache, less poop, and less money spent at the vets. All dogs need a well-balanced diet to feel their best, so we suggest choosing diets that contain whole food ingredients that you can recognize. I have found DogFoodAdvisor.com is a perfect resource to help you research and compare different foods and see each food’s ingredients. I recommend staying away from anything “meal” or “corn/soy based” if you can. Another tip I suggest is to read the first 5 ingredients as this makes up the bulk of ingredients within that food.
Next thing is supplements. There are two different thought processes when it comes to supplements. One is that dogs do not need any supplements if fed nutritional dense food and supplements could cause more harm than good. The other thought is supplements enhance certain vitamins, chemical interactions, and overall supports good health. I fall on the later side, especially since my dogs would be considered athletes. HOWEVER, if I did not do much with my dogs then maybe I would forgo the additional stuff. Currently I use Vertex which is a rounded supplement that covers different bases and works well for my dogs. I have had others have success with NuPro and I am sure there are others on the market. The important thing is to make sure to read into the label again and make sure the ingredients are not junk. Also, if your time allows look into each vitamin and/or mineral and see what the effects of such.
Caloric intake…here is the good news. If you feed higher protein, like us, it can induce weight loss and requires you to feed less (win, win!). With that being said, I have found some owners are stuck on what the bag says to feed. I suggest starting with their recommendation as they are aware of their food’s calories and adjust accordingly based off how your dog looks. For example, if the bag recommends 4c and your dog looks skinny (seeing ribs) then I would increase. Same for the opposite, if it recommends 3c and your dog is gaining weight (cannot easily feel ribs or see tuck) then I would back off how much I feed. Another thing that should play a factor is activity level. If you decide to go to the beach all day and your dog ran around like a fool then I would suggest adding a little extra food to their dinner. Same goes for the opposite, say you are sick and you and your dog do nothing that day, maybe I cut some food away from dinner. Just like us, it will fluctuate and what the bag recommends is a guideline. Your dog is an individual, feed them as such.
I know the dog food world has exploded and can seem daunting when exploring options. Remember to check out DogFoodAdvisor.com for a base and narrow it down based on your house and your dog’s needs. It will not be the same for everyone but what will be the same is the benefits of feeding a whole and complete diet to your dog. It truly makes a difference for everyone involved.