Dogs

Healthy Diet and Lifestyle

Dogs are highly affectionate, lovable animals which require an equal amount of love and care in return. Dogs are omnivores which means they eat a wide variety of foods to obtain the nutrients they needs. Dogs have sharp long teeth for tearing meat and flatter, larger teeth to chew fibrious plant material.

A dog’s sense of smell is much better than ours, which makes up for their poorly developed taste. Dogs will seek out food by detecting and then rely on mouth feel and odours to define palatability and acceptability.

Dogs are usually happy to eat the similar meals each day as long as its fresh and good quality, however they do welcome change but not great variations to feeding times.

Dogs come in many different sizes, shapes, breeds as well as being either adult, teenage or puppy. Their dietary requirements can change according to this, for example, smaller breed dogs usually need to eat food that has more calories per gram to help them obtain enough energy and nutrients.

Dogs tend to have a well developed sense of thirst however they can have a tendancy to be ‘lazy’ when it comes to consuming sufficient water each day. However, having fresh and readily available water in bowls each day can help to ensure your dog drinks regularly.

Exercise

Exercise is essential to help keep your dog fit and healthy. Individual breeds can have different requirements, however on average dogs need at least one walk a day, preferably two, with the chance to run off the lead most days. This will help your dog to be happy and to achieve a healthy weight by using excess energy, socialising with other dogs and exploring their surroundings.

A Healthy Weight

To help your dog be as healthy as possible a healthy weight is of prime importance. Being either underweight or overweight can increase the risk of suffering from a range of health problems. Use the handy size guide below, design by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA), to check whether your dog is the right shape.