Dry dog food is traditionally popular with owners. However, many pet “parents” are worried whether this diet is healthy enough and whether it is possible to feed the dog exclusively dry food throughout its life? In this article we will try to answer all questions about how to choose the right diet for a dog.
- 2 Choosing the right composition of dry dog food
- 3 Is it necessary to change dry food during the animal’s life?
- 4 How to properly feed your dog dry food
- 5 Veterinarian reviews of Perfect Fit dry dog food
- 6 Owner reviews
- 7 Conclusions
Choosing the right composition of dry dog food
The composition is the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing dry food for your pet. Dogs are carnivores, but, unlike cats, they are facultative carnivores. This means that in the wild they eat mainly meat, but they can also consume plant foods.
The basis of the feed should be animal protein sources, and the feed should also contain fats and carbohydrates. Equally important is the presence of all necessary vitamins and minerals in dry food. The food should contain all the nutrients in the quantities needed and take care of the most important aspects of health according to the size and age of the dog.
Can it be mixed with other products?
As mentioned above, there is no need to add additional products. Despite this, mixing with other foods is still acceptable, but not with every food.
With wet food
Wet canned food and pouches are very popular. Some owners even use them as the only feeding option, but this is completely wrong. This food was developed exclusively as a supplement for certain groups of pets:
- dogs with weak teeth;
- puppies learning to feed themselves (weaning stage);
- animals with obesity or other disorders associated with excess carbohydrate intake.
That is, canned food cannot be chosen as a monofood, but can be used as an additional food. They will reduce the load on the gums and will delight the animal with a more pronounced taste.
With natural food
This option is strictly prohibited due to incompatibility. Dog "crackers" and natural products are digested at different rates. When they are mixed, the absorption of nutrients is disrupted and rotting processes are activated. Because of this, the body is deprived of a number of useful elements, and the acidity in the stomach changes, which increases the risk of erosions and ulcers.
Is it necessary to change dry food during the animal's life?
Yes need. However, this does not mean that you need to switch from one brand to another. You can choose food according to the age of the animal within the same line, if this food is suitable for the pet.
Interesting fact: almost all dog owners know that puppies under 1 year of age need a special diet that is high in healthy fats, high in protein, and high in energy. But not everyone is aware that puppies of different breeds need to be fed differently.
For example, in the Perfect Fit line of dry dog food there are two diet options - for puppies of small and miniature breeds and for puppies of medium and large breeds. For example, small and miniature breed puppy foods support healthy growth, promote brain development in the growing animal, and have a reduced kibble size designed specifically for small and miniature breed dogs. The fact is that it is difficult for a puppy to chew granules that are too large, and it is easy to choke on granules that are too small. In addition, when food is quickly swallowed, the normal digestive process is disrupted. Therefore, the diameter of the granules must correspond to the size and age of the animal.
For adult dogs over 1 year old, you can choose diets from the Perfect Fit line; they also exist in two varieties - for dogs of small and miniature breeds and for dogs of medium and large breeds.
Foods for adult dogs of small and miniature breeds have the following advantages:
- contain vitamins B1, B2, B6 and iron, which help maintain the dog’s activity.
- have a special formula to maintain the health of the animal’s urinary system.
- reduced kibble size, designed specifically for small and miniature breed dogs.
The perfect solution
To avoid allergic reactions and other problems, be sure to consult your veterinarian. He will help you choose a safe and balanced diet based on your dog’s tests.
When introducing adjustments, you should be guided by a similar decision. Tests must be taken at least once a year, and with the onset of old age and in the presence of chronic diseases - every six months.
Remember that there are a lot of animals with allergies and sensitive digestion. If signs of an allergy have never appeared before, this does not mean that it does not exist. For this reason, you should discuss with your doctor not only the caloric content of the diet, but also the composition of future granules.
How to properly feed your dog dry food
High-quality dry food is a completely balanced product that can save the owner from all the unnecessary hassle regarding the pet’s nutrition. However, there are several important rules here:
- The humidity of ready-made commercial diets is very low, and the dog must constantly replenish the lack of fluid in the body. It is necessary to provide the animal with 24-hour free access to fresh drinking water.
- It is very important to monitor the amount of food your dog consumes. Systematic overfeeding inevitably leads to obesity, which means a lot of health problems. Each package contains the manufacturer's recommendations on nutritional standards depending on the weight and age of the animal. So, for example, when feeding Perfect Fit dry diets, a 6-month-old puppy of a medium breed will need 200 g of food per day, and an adult dog weighing 10 kg of the same breed will need 140 g of food daily.
- Food from the human table should not be added to a dry diet. If you want to pamper or reward your pet, you can give him specially designed dog treats. However, the share of treats should not exceed 15% of the total calorie content of the daily diet.
If you follow these simple rules: feeding your dog balanced dry food will be proper nutrition.
We assimilate the information received
Choosing a diet for your pet at different stages of its life can seem daunting, but there are many resources for dog lovers where you can easily find a lot of information. Use only veterinarian-validated advice from trusted sources. Knowing when to change your diet and seeking timely advice and recommendations is just as important as changing your diet itself.
Be attentive to your pet, accept its physical and behavioral changes, and provide everything necessary for health at every stage of life.
Veterinarian reviews of Perfect Fit dry dog food
Yuri Sevostyanov, veterinarian, Moscow:
I buy food for adult small breed dogs. The composition and calorie content of the food suits me quite well - an active pet receives exactly as much energy as it needs daily. Pleased with the size of the granules, which were specially designed for small dogs. The kibble is even smaller than what is found in puppy packs. I, a veterinarian, can recommend the use of this food.
Natalya Simenishcheva, veterinarian, Moscow:
My dog is a standard shorthaired dachshund, 9 years old, 10 kg. The dog eats Perfect Fit food with great pleasure, and there are no deviations in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The coat is shiny, smooth, and a nice bonus is that the bad breath has decreased. I was pleased with the result of my choice. I will confidently recommend Perfect Fit food to dog owners.
Feed class and energy value
The modern market offers a large selection of different foods: Royal Canin, Pedigree, Chappie and many others. The least quality ones are classified as economy class. Next comes premium. And at the top is holistic. The latter is made only from natural meat with special additives. Of course, it is quite expensive.
The energy value also varies significantly - usually from 300 to 450 kcal per 100 grams. Of course, this should be taken into account when choosing the dosage for your pet.
Expensive varieties are well balanced
Owner reviews
Julia, Ufa:
The Perfect Fit food was recommended to us by a veterinarian. My dog liked the diet and eats with appetite. In addition, the dog was overweight, but now we are in good shape thanks to this food, always energetic and healthy. Now we only buy it.
Natalya, Novosibirsk:
Four months ago we picked up a puppy on the street. The question immediately arose: “What to feed?” Homemade food was absolutely not suitable for him, and we couldn’t afford very expensive food. Perfect Fit was a godsend for us - balanced, with a good composition. The dog began to gain weight well, his fur began to shine, and he became more active. There is no repulsive smell from the mouth. A veterinarian I know said that with this food the dog’s teeth will be fine. We have been buying this food for several months now and have no plans to change it yet.
Keeping an adult dog in good shape
If your dog becomes calmer with age, it is very important to support and stimulate his activity in all possible ways. This could include frequent walks or extra playtime, which can both help you bond with your dog and prevent weight gain. Don't forget that you are helping your dog stay in shape for his health, not for his good appearance: excess weight can cause complications such as decreased physical activity and even a decrease in life expectancy.
conclusions
Is it possible to feed a dog exclusively dry food? It is possible, although experts advise, if possible, to choose a mixed type of feeding: dry and wet food, as it is more healthy. But, if you want to feed your dog exclusively dry food, this also has its advantages. Chewing hard granules helps clean teeth and is beneficial from the point of view of oral hygiene, and the fiber content in dry food has a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal motility. If you carefully choose a diet, pay attention to the balanced composition of the product, and also follow the rules of feeding your pet depending on age, weight and breed, then this type of feeding will be the right nutrition for your dog and will help maintain its health for many years.
Sources : Luschai Yu. S., Tkachenko L.V. Basic anatomy and physiology of dogs. - St. Petersburg: Lan Publishing House, 2022 - 136 p. Blokhin G.I., Blokhina T.V., Arilov A.N., Solovyova M.A., Yuldashbaev Yu.A. Dog breeding technologies. - St. Petersburg: Lan Publishing House, 2022 - 272 p. Kononova E.V. How to properly feed your dog. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2001 - 160 p. Khokhrin S.N. Feeding dogs - St. Petersburg: Lan Publishing House, 2001 - 192 p. www.vetkursk.ru/zabolevaniya/rejting-kormov-dlya-sobak-v-2020-kakoj-korm-dlya-sobak-luchshe-otzyvy-veterinarov.html zoopik.ru/nuzhno-li-kormit-sobak-suhim-kormom / petguru.ru/pitanie/perfect-fit-korm-dlya-sobak otzovik.com/review_11560506.html
What should natural feeding be like?
It is advisable that the puppy owner immediately make a choice - natural food or ready-made food. If the choice falls on natural feeding, then it should be species-specific. The baby’s diet must include not porridge and table scraps, but fresh meat, bone components, dairy products, fish and chicken, and fresh vegetables. Natural food for dogs is very good and wonderful, but there is one “but”. This is very labor-intensive and responsible.
In our age, when very busy working people do not have time to make purchases, store frozen meat somewhere in large quantities, hastily defrost it and feverishly cut and mix it, ready-made rations (dry, semi-moist and canned food for dogs and puppies). But how can you choose the right food for your puppy and not get lost in the variety that stores offer us?
What should be included in a dog's diet?
