New Dog Nutrition Information You Should Know

Nutrition for any living thing is a core aspect of their survival and continuity, and while it’s instinctive for members of the feline family to hunt and seek out their next meal, canines, particularly dogs aren’t exactly cut out for that sport. This is why it’s up to their owners to be their caregivers, to provide and supply all their nutritional and dietary needs.

Hence, questions like ‘what should I feed my dog’? ‘how much should I feed my dog’? ‘how often’? and ‘does this food really meet his nutritional needs’? are bound to arise. This piece is answering all these questions as well as highlighting all the dietary need-to-know information for dogs.

Dogs require a handful of diverse nutrients for survival. These nutrients range from amino acids to proteins, fatty acids, carbs, vitamins, minerals to water, the whole works. However, because every dog is unique, its unique nutritional requirements will be dependent on its size, breed, age amongst other things. 

Tip #1- Let’s start with fats and proteins. 

Dogs cannot survive without having protein in their diets. This is because dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids that dogs cannot produce for themselves. These are the essential amino acids and they’re the building blocks of the food chain. A dog’s need for protein is somewhat instinctive as studies have shown they can neglect a meal which is lacking in any of the 10 amino acids due to taste or maybe a biological response. Essential fats, on the other hand, are necessary for maintaining energy as well as keeping your dog’s coat and skin healthy and here’s the quantity to keep in mind.

For crude protein, about 56g, 25g, 69g, and 158g would suffice for puppies from 12-33lbs, adult dogs weighing 33lbs, pregnant dogs from 33lbs and nursing dogs above that weight. The recommendation for fat is 21g for puppies, 14g for adult dogs, 29g for pregnant dogs and 67g for nursing dogs. 

Tip #2- Energy

Moving on to energy, it’s safe to say that the energy requirements for dogs are directly proportional to their weight and type. In essence, a 10pound puppy can require 900kcal/day, while a 10pound active adult dog can require 404kcal/day. Of course this metric increases with an increase in weight. 

Tip #3- Minerals

Your dog requires calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine, and everything down to iodine, but in moderate proportion. These minerals can be found in most dog foods like kibble or wet dog food. 

You Should Note this Disclaimer:

• As much as dogs may love animal-based proteins, they are omnivores and adaptive eaters, which is why they can easily thrive on a vegetarian-based diet as long as it’s supplemented with vitamin D. 
• Adult dogs eat larger quantities but less frequently than felines. Hence you can feed your adult dog twice a day and your puppy thrice a day. 

Your dog’s dietary and nutritional needs are dependent on you and you should strive to keep their weight ideal to avoid repercussive ailments. Looking for a dog to cater to and treat to a healthy meal? PremierPups has a lot of great puppy breeds which can be the missing piece in your household.