Feeding a Pomeranian Spitz: list of allowed and prohibited foods + reviews from owners

The Pomeranian belongs to the smallest variety of Spitz, whose breed name comes from the historical region in Germany - Pomerania.

In Russia, the Pomeranian for a long time was called a miniature Spitz, or even a dwarf.

The appearance of the pet is like a toy, and the fur is like cotton wool.

This is an energetic dog that will never prefer the sofa to an active game, and therefore you need to keep an eye on your pet.

But to keep your pet active and healthy, it needs proper care and a balanced diet.

What to feed?

When a dog appears in the house, owners have a choice of what to feed their pet?

There are few answer options, as a rule, it is natural food or dry food.

However, each option is based on the principle of a balanced diet, so it does not matter which feeding method the owner follows, as long as the dog receives an equal amount of nutrients in both cases.

Natural nutrition is often referred to as a natural type of feeding dogs, which would be appropriate to devote a doctoral dissertation detailing an acceptable menu, because this type is not limited to just formulating a diet.

Industrial feed, in turn, is considered an easy and low-cost method of feeding, the main difficulty of which is the ability to choose the best option.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

Among the owners there are many supporters of the opinion that natural food has no worthy alternatives, but this does not explain the reason for such a wide range of industrial feeds. The situation is similar with dry products: if they contain everything a pet needs, then why do a number of companies specialize exclusively in vitamin supplements? The fact is that it is rarely possible to choose food for a pet that will be limited only to dry or natural feeding.

Health problems

This is perhaps the most important reason for loss of appetite and requires the closest attention and sometimes immediate response from owners. Observe your pet for signs of illness (lethargy, fever, discharge from the eyes and nose). If you have the slightest suspicion, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

It is imperative to check the condition of your pet’s teeth and gums; problems in this area when chewing hard granules cause pain to the dog. Ulcers, inflammation, and minor damage to the gums are easy to see with the naked eye - if this is the reason, then a visit to the clinic cannot be avoided. During the treatment period, it is better to soak the granules in water: this way the dog’s diet will not change, but at the same time it will not feel discomfort while eating.

Pros and cons of natural food

Positive sides:

• The owner knows what he feeds his pet, because the choice of food is his.
• The products chosen by the owner rarely contain artificial colors, preservatives and emulsifiers.
• When an allergic reaction occurs, it is easy to identify and eliminate the product that triggered it.
• The presence of nutrients: protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber.

Negative:

• Large amounts of time spent preparing food.
• The owner is required to independently search and select products, create a diet and menu in order to supply the dog’s body with all the necessary microelements.
• With natural nutrition, it is recommended to introduce additional fertilizers.
• Natural food is often more expensive than industrial feed.
• Not suitable for travel. You will have to look not so much for time as for a place to prepare food.

Natural food is often accompanied by the introduction of vitamin and mineral supplements . List of companies approved by experts: Artroglycan, Polydex Brevers 8 in1, Tetravit.

List of permitted and prohibited products by category

List of main products:

• meat (veal, lamb, turkey);
• offal (stomach, heart, tongue, tripe);
• cereals (buckwheat, rice, wheat, corn porridge, oatmeal);
• vegetables (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, beets, cabbage);
• fruits (apple, banana, persimmon, melon, pear, apricot);
• greens (dill, parsley, green onions);
• vegetable oil (sunflower, olive, flaxseed);
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, natural yoghurts, curdled milk);
• fish (oceanic and sea);
• seafood (crabs, squid, seaweed, mussels);

List of unacceptable products:

• bones;
• fatty meat (lard, lamb, pork;
• semolina, millet porridge and barley.
• milk (acceptable for puppies under 3 months);
• sausage;
• garlic, onions;
• salty, hot, smoked, spicy;
• potatoes, raw cabbage;
• strawberry;
• citrus;
• sweets.

Sample menu for the week

The daily diet of oranges should include:

• meat and offal (30-60%);
• vegetables and fruits (20-50%);
• cereals (20-40%);
• fermented milk products (from 20% and more).

Treats for Spitz

You can use store-bought treats to treat your cutie Spitz dogs. You can offer cheese (with a fat content of up to 17%), brown bread crackers, prunes, raw vegetables (a little carrot, bell pepper, pumpkin or cucumber). Raw beef knee joints that have been frozen for several days are good for teeth.

Caring owners often make healthy natural goodies themselves, without using salt and sugar. These include various cookies with the addition of dried apricots, prunes, honey, apples, liver, lung and other products), and crispy delicacies based on broth, and delicacies made from dried liver and lung. There are a lot of recipes, and they all have one thing in common - they are all safe for your pet’s health and made with love.

Photo: Sarai

Treats are used to reward good behavior; they are not used for training or for daily diet.

Industrial feed

Advantages of industrial feeds:

• Ready food. The owner is freed from the need to prepare food.
• Balance. Often dry food contains all the vitamins and minerals.
• The serving size, as well as the daily feeding rate, is indicated on the package, so there is no need to calculate everything yourself.
• A large assortment and variety of feeds makes it possible to choose individual nutrition.
• Industrial food is much cheaper than natural food.
• Doesn't bother you when traveling. You can buy food before leaving home and use it all the way.

Flaws:

• It is difficult to determine the quality and naturalness of the products listed in the composition.
• Trying to save money can lead to a number of problems. Cheap feeds often replace meat with soy or by-products of poor quality.
• Often, incorrect selection of food results in allergic reactions in the dog.
• During production, feed is exposed to high temperatures, due to which the products lose a large share of their beneficial properties.

CAREFULLY!

When considering dry and wet food, it should be clarified that, unlike dry food, you cannot eat exclusively wet food.

It can be anything you want: balanced, hypoallergenic and easily digestible, but not complete. It is not rich in vitamins and minerals and is often used as an additive to dry food.

Recommended feed categories:

• premium;
• super premium;
• Holistic

The preferred foods for oranges are holistic, which are ready to provide the pet with a natural, high-quality and environmentally friendly product..

Top 7 rating

Rating of industrial feeds:

1. Orijen Adult Dog Fit & Trim Grain Free (holistic class).
2. Acana Adult Small Breed (holistic class).
3. Wellness Simple (holistic class).
4. Almo Nature Holistic Adult Dog Small – Chicken&Rice (super-premium class).
5. 1st Choice Adult Dog TOY BREEDS – Healthy Skin & Coat (super premium class).
6. Royal Canin X-Small Adult (super-premium class).
7. Hill's Ideal Balance Canine Adult Small Breed (premium class).

Orijen Adult Dog Fit & Trim is specially formulated for overweight dogs, so it's no surprise that it contains only 13% fat..

The food also has a clear distribution of ingredients, for example, 85% comes from poultry and fish, and the remaining 15% from vegetables and fruits.

Acana Adult Small Breed bypassed grains and fast carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, tapioca) and focused on animal proteins (60%), 1/3 comes from fresh meat, while the remaining 2/3 comes from dehydrated animal protein.

Suitable for adult small breed dogs over 1 year of age.

Wellness Simple comes in the form of rounded granules . The composition includes meat, vegetables, fruits and grains. It's also high in high-quality fats and protein, which contribute to a healthy-looking dog, from a shiny coat to muscle building.

Almo Nature Holistic Adult Dog Small is an excellent example of high-quality and balanced nutrition, which is perfect for pets with a sensitive digestive system.

A large portion of the food is lamb meat, the other part is natural antioxidants, alfalfa and green tea extract.

1st Choice Adult Dog TOY BREEDS, despite the fact that it contains ground chicken, the food consists almost entirely of plant ingredients (oats, rice, barley, chicken meal and chicken fat).

In addition, the protein and fat content is significantly lower than the average, in contrast to carbohydrates, whose content is unusually high.

Royal Canin X-Small Adult does not boast a large source of animal protein; most of the composition comes from grains (corn, rice).

The food compensates for the lack of vitamins and minerals with additives and beneficial prebiotics.

Hill's Ideal Balance Canine Adult Small Breed is specialized for small breeds . It has no flavors or artificial colors and is free of soy, wheat and corn. The food contains exclusively natural ingredients.

How to properly feed a puppy (1, 2, 3 months)

When it comes to feeding a puppy, you should take into account that their stomach is still small, so feeding should be in small portions. An equally important question is the type of food (dry or natural food).

If the owner gravitates towards dry food, then you need to choose an option specialized for the age and breed of the dog.

It is better to give preference to super-premium food: Happy Dog, Pro Plan or Royal Canin.

Regardless of the type of feeding, the puppy’s diet should consist of 2/3 animal proteins and 1/3 cereals, vegetables and fruits. For oranges, the daily norm is 25 g per 1 kg of dog weight.

Sample menu for a puppy 1-2 months old:

• Several servings of dry food.
• Fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, etc.)
• Cereals with vegetables and meat.
• Tender veal with boiled vegetables.
• Apple along with vegetable oil (1 tbsp).

Number of feedings per day:

• 1-2 months – 6 times;
• 2-3 months – 5 times.

Approximate menu for the 3rd month of a puppy’s life:

• Cereals, fish (boiled) and vegetable oil in the amount of 1 tbsp. l.
• Chicken meat (boiled).
• Fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir or fermented baked milk).
• Veal (raw) and vegetable stew.

Mixed feeding

Mixed feeding is one in which one part of the Pomeranian's diet consists of natural products, and the other part consists of special foods.

With this scheme, the dog is fed these products alternately.

It is forbidden to give her dry food with various products, including natural meat, at the same time.

With this feeding regimen, it is necessary to closely monitor the animal’s well-being. If you have problems with digestion or loose stools, you should give up mixed nutrition. This method is well suited for those cases when the Pomeranian Spitz is left alone at home all day. In the morning, the owner can simply pour dry food into it, and prepare fresh food in the evening.

Nutrition for an adult dog

Feeding an adult Spitz is limited to two servings per day.

As with puppies, the diet of an adult Pomeranian is divided into 3 parts, 2 of which are protein (meat, fish, eggs, cottage cheese), and the last - vegetables, fruits and cereals.

Despite the fact that each of the components is prepared separately from the others, the products can be mixed at the end.

The serving size depends on the weight of the miniature spitz. With natural feeding, the serving size is limited to 15–20 g of meat. The serving size of industrial feeds is usually indicated on the packaging.

On average varies from 80 to 150 g per day . However, the size is also affected by the pet's lifestyle.

Important tips from dog breeders

You need to feed your Pomeranian after a walk.

Running on a full stomach is harmful for an animal. In hot weather, the dog is allowed to eat once a day.

The daily amount of food is distributed evenly.

If there is food left in the bowl after eating, then you need to put less, and if the puppy continues to stand near the cup, the portion needs to be increased.

Pomeranians are cunning and smart, so you shouldn’t indulge your pet when he’s trying to beg for something tasty. Pregnant and lactating bitches should not experience hunger.