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How much should you feed your dog?

As dogs get older, energy needs usually decrease, mainly due to a decline in activity and changes in the body composition influencing their metabolic rate. Poor appetite can impair food intake. The best food is delicious, highly digestible, but with a reduced feeding scale which allows for reduced energy requirements while maintaining essential nutrient balance.

A number of special senior dog foods meet these specifications.

• Small dogs: Old at 9-10 years. From 100-560 calories a day, depending on size.
• Medium dogs: Old at 7-8 years. From 560- 1,120 calories a day, depending on size.
• Large dogs: Old at 7-8 years. From 1,120-1,880 calories a day, depending on size.
• Giant dogs: Old at 5-6 years. From 1,880 calories a day, depending on size.

Healthy Feeding

Your dog needs a balance diet; this means a right amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, 13 different types of vitamins and 20 different minerals to keep him in peak condition. All these nutrients must be used during a complete and balance diet.

Prepared pet foods from reputable pet food manufactures guarantee nutritional adequacy, quality and safety. There are a wide variety of recipes, and textures available, to give your dog a change. A complementary diet needs to be combined with an additional, specified food source, such as canned meat and biscuit mixer. Most prepared pet foods usually come in two main forms dry and moist.

Obesity & Exercise

Canine obesity is a “growing” problem, which affects 40-50% of all dogs. It’s the all too predictable results of too many calories and not enough exercise. Prevention is preferable but what do you do if your dog has already put on the pounds?

If your dog is seriously overweight, don’t do anything drastic until you have paid a visit to your vet. Ask for their advice and work out a weight-reduction plan together. The vet will assess your dog’s diet and inform you of any health concerns such as diabetes. If this is the outcome, a prescription type diet may be recommended.

Reducing the amount of food your dog eats is not normally recommended. Your dog is likely to get very hungry and beg for more. It will also reduce his intake of vital nutrients such as protein and vitamins along with his calorie intake. What he needs is a low calorie diet, which is nutritionally balanced, full of filling fibre.

If your dog is not exercising, it is now time to change his activities. Pets needed to burn off their calorie intake. Start with a brisk ten-minute walk every day, then after two weeks increase it to 20 minutes. In time, you could do more and more.

Think of alternative rewards to food, such as giving your dog lots of attention, playing games together and going for walks. If you cannot resist the treat, give him something which is low in calories such as a couple of ice cubes (larger dogs only) or sliced carrot (not too many as it can cause diarrhoea).

If your dog is slightly overweight, feed him several portions of food throughout the day so that he doesn’t feel hungry. When it is feeding time, only leave the bowl of food out for 15 minutes and then remove. This will teach your canine to eat at scheduled times. Be vigilant too, leave all food out of sight and out of temptation’s way.