FEEDING YOUR DOG

Although dogs are omnivores, they are best fed as carnivores, with a diet based on protien, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. A dog must have fresh water at all times to maintain proper levels of body fluids and ensure that body wastes can be eliminated efficiently.

VARYING NEEDS

A dog's nutritional needs vary according to life stage and lifestyle. Working dogs, pregnant bitches and young pup have higher nutritional needs than sedentary house pets or older animals.

TYPES OF FOOD

Commercial dog foods come in three basic types; dry, semi-moist and canned, and three quality levels; generic, popular and premium. They differ in convenience, cost, moisture content, ingredients and palatability.

Choose a nutritionally balanced food that meets your dog's needs. For instance, all meat products are extremely palatable but will not provide your dog's daily vitamin and mineral needs. Canned foods contain about 75 percent water, plus a variety of meat, fish and cereal-based products. They are highly palatable and digestible, but their energy content is relatively low, so large dogs require a greater quality if food to supply their needs.

Semi-moist foods contain only about 15 to 30 percent water, as well as meat, cereals, vegetable proteins, fat, sugars and colorings. Their energy content is higher than canned foods, so smaller amounts can be fed. Dry foods have the highest energy content and contain only about 10 percent water. Manufacturers have developed techniques to create dry foods that taste good to dogs, since a balanced diet is of no use unless the dog eats it.

Generic or private label pet foods, available in some grocery and discount stores, may contain only the bare minimum nutrients your dog needs, and the ingredients will vary as the market prices change. While these foods seem low in price, their low nutritional value means that larger quantities must be fed.

Popular pet foods are the brands available in the local grocery store. Most are made to variable formulations. This means that the ingredients in a brand may vary from batch to batch, based on price and availability of ingredients.

WHEN TO FEED

Whether you feed dog at regular times or make food available throughout the day depends on the type of food you use, your dog's age and health, and whether he tends to overeat. A dog that is overweight or has health problems, such as a history of bloat, should be fed according to a schedule recommended by the veterinarian. Each dog should be fed individually to make sure he receives his fair share of food. Free-choice feeding is best reserved for trim, healthy dogs that are fed dry foods and don't overeat.

HOW MUCH?

Don't overfeed your dog. The amount of food a dog needs varies according to breed, size and activity. Food formulated for an active young dog will not make a sedentary old one healthier-just fatter.

Cold weather, strenuous exercise, hard work and stress, increase a dog's caloric needs. Read the label of your dog food for guidelines to the amount of food for his body weight, and adjust for his level of activity.