After your cute friend reaches one year of age, their food needs to be changed accordingly. A nutritious food that provides all the required vitamins and minerals to your dog affects many factors, from coat health to digestion. Choosing the most suitable food for your loyal friend during the transition process from puppyhood to adulthood is extremely important for them to complete their development in a healthy way. Feeding them with appropriate and high-quality food is one of the responsibilities you need to fulfil in dog care. When choosing food for your best bud, you should ensure that the product is produced to certain standards and whether your dog will like the food or not. The content of the food and the age and breed of your dog are also criteria that you should consider when making your choice. Wrong food choices often cause various health problems. If you also wonder, "What should I pay attention to when choosing the most appropriate food for my dog?" you can check the details.
How to Choose Dog Food?
Breed and Type of Dog
You should consider your furry friend's breed and characteristics when choosing food. The physiological features of dogs vary according to their breeds, and the types of food suitable for them also differ. For example, the jaw and mouth structure of large breed dogs is stronger. For this reason, you can choose large kibble dry foods. Small breed dogs should be fed with dry food with a smaller kibble, which may be more suitable for them.
Coat Structure
In terms of nutrition, the coat and skin structure of your dog should also be considered. Selecting dog foods that contain protein based on chicken or fish can cause skin irritation and deterioration of coat health in dogs who are allergic to them or have sensitive skin. In some cases, foods such as duck and turkey can also cause hair loss. You can consult your veterinarian to make the right food choice for your best bud and ensure that they are fed healthily and balanced. If your dog is still experiencing hair loss despite the changes you have made in its diet, you can consult your veterinarian.
Weight Control
When feeding your dog, you must read the measurements indicated on the food package. You can adjust the amount of food to your dog in varying amounts according to their age, weight, and breed. You can also adjust the amount of food correctly by acquiring a suitable measuring cup. You can give dry and wet food varieties at certain meal times. Feeding your dog more food than their daily needs can cause them to gain weight. If your little friend is overweight, light dog foods specially produced for your dog can also be a good option. Diarrhea in dogs can occur due to reasons such as sudden changes in diets and extra foods other than dry food. Food intolerance and allergies can also cause diarrhea from time to time.
Taste Preferences
When choosing dog food, you should consider your dog's taste preferences. Dogs can sometimes be selective about the ingredients in their food. For this reason, you can offer the foods separately to your best bud and determine which one they like best after you've identified the healthy options. Apart from supplementary feeding, dry food varieties are the main source of nutrition for dogs. You can change the food periodically for your friend, who can eat many different types of food.
What Should a Healthy Dog Food Contain?
Puppy and adult dog food vary in nutritional value. The nutritional value of dry and canned dog food is higher when prepared for puppies. The main reason for this is that puppies are more active. On the other hand, adult dogs are fed with lower nutritional value foods because they cannot easily burn the energy they receive. Therefore, it is important not to feed adult dogs with puppy food. You can also find different types of food suitable for elderly dogs and small breeds. Before buying food, you should examine its content in particular and make a choice by paying attention to the following points. If you are unsure about choosing food, here are some tips for selecting healthy food...
- When choosing dog food, make sure that the meat content is at least 30%.
- It should contain minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and copper.
- The food should not contain GMOs, sweeteners, or colorants.
- Don't forget to check the expiration dates before buying dog food. You can make the appropriate choice by considering the amount of food your dog will consume before the expiration date.
- The percentage of raw protein should be high.
- You should make appropriate choices for your dog's age, breed, type, and activity level.
- If your dog has a special condition such as illness, allergic reactions, or pregnancy, you can choose food by consulting a veterinarian.
- Soy-based foods can cause many different problems for dogs from digestive system problems to mineral absorption. You should prefer products without soy in food preferences.
- Some foods contain various additives. To avoid such situations, you should read the contents of the food carefully and if possible, consult a veterinarian.
- Foods containing high amounts of corn and rice cause many problems for dogs from obesity to diabetes due to their high glycemic index. It is better to choose foods with low grains or no grains for proper nutrition.
You can ensure that your furry friend leads a healthy life by making a choice of food that is prepared with quality ingredients for good nutrition. By examining the dry and wet food varieties prepared by Kito, you can feed your dog with first-class protein-containing foods.