Guest Post: When it comes to raising a healthy and happy dog, you need to pay a lot of attention to its diet as well as keeping the support dog with you. Right from making the right food choices to maintaining schedules and cultivating good feeding habits, everything can make a difference. But ensuring a healthy and balanced diet for your canine is perhaps the most important thing to do. You may be following your vet’s advice and doing the best for your dog, but it may still not be enough. A little work on the canine diet can make a lot of difference. Here is a dog owner’s guide you can follow to decide all about the best food options for your furry companion.
Stop relying only on shelf-stable foods
Processed foods sound fancy and convenient but they aren’t the best choice if you want your pet to be fit and active. These foods often have a 12-24 month shelf life, which means you aren’t giving the freshest to the dog. Moreover, you cannot expect them to give optimal nutrition to the animal as they have no live enzymes. Even if you spend a fortune on these hyped products, you may end up delivering zero-nutrition to your pet. The best advice is to stop relying solely on these products and look for healthier alternatives.
Introduce fresh whole foods
Switching from shelf-stable products to fresh whole foods such as fruits and vegetables is a good idea. These are loaded with live enzymes, which can do wonders for the dog’s health. Additionally, they offer a hefty supply of dietary fiber, which boosts digestion, improves stools, and encourages pooping. At the end of the day, you will have a happy and more energetic pet that does not have to struggle with issues like constipation. Doing some research on canine-safe whole foods is a good idea because there are some you should avoid.
Add supplements to the diet
While you may be doing the best with feeding your furry friend, it may still not be enough to fulfill its needs with diet alone. Adding supplements to its diet is an excellent idea if you want to deal with specific concerns. For example, there are Joint Supplements for Dogs that you can rely on for making the animal stronger. Before you start with a supplement, check with your vet once because they will have the best advice based on the individual needs of the animal.
Avoid overfeeding
Even you may have all the good intentions with food and treats for your pet, overfeeding is the worst thing to do. Before you decide to diet and a schedule, decide whether you want it to gain or lose weight. Make the food choices accordingly, though you should stick to only the healthiest fats even if the animal is underweight. For an overweight dog, the best advice is to feed it earlier in the day so that it has a lot of time to work it off. Conversely, you will have to feed it more regularly if it needs to gain weight.
Going the extra mile with a good diet makes sense, even if the pet is in good shape. The smallest of efforts can make a big difference in its health and temperament.