FEEDING YOUR DOG

Adapted from

www.healthypets.in

Todays Tips-Feeding your dog-Checklist

Dogs can even go 1-2 days without food and it will have no adverse effect.If your dog had a normal appetite and suddenly became a finicky eater, it is important to get to the root of why he has lost interest in food. Most importantly, you should determine if your dog is ill. If your dog's appetite has changed and he is showing other signs such as diarrhea, lack of energy, coughing or anything out of the ordinary, you should see your veterinarian. If your dog is healthy, here is a checklist of items that will help you with your finicky dog.-

Have you changed his food? Dogs are a bit like toddlers in that they do not always immediately adapt to new foods. To introduce your dog to a new food, you will have to make the change gradually. Mix the new food with the old food. You can mix about ¼ of new food with ¾ old food for several days. Gradually increase the new food and decrease the old food. Be patient as your dog may not adjust quickly, especially if you are switching him from "junk food" to healthy food. His taste buds will adapt in time.Does your dog have a feeding schedule? Free feeding can lead to a finicky dog. Free feeding is not a good choice for any dog. Some breeds are prone to obesity, and will just continue eating even when full. If food is left out for them at all times, they will eat it!- Change the texture. Some dogs may prefer moist food to dry or vice versa. If you are giving your dog dry food, try adding a bit of broth or hot water to moisten the food. If you are giving your dog moist food, add kibble to give it some crunch. In making the change, make small adjustments to test what will work. Finicky dogs will be slower to adjust so give it time.- Change the feeding schedule. If your dog is on a twice per day schedule, try switching to once per day. Do not overfeed as this could lead to gastric problems. As long as your dog is healthy and not overweight, it is okay to try the once per day schedule. Some dogs do better with one daily feeding.- Change the flavor. It may not always be practical to run out and buy a new flavor of dog food, but you can make subtle changes to the existing food. Add a little bit of unsalted meat to the food, or poultry broth. If you are due for a new bag of food, try a different flavor. One caution here, don't buy the biggest bag of food! Buy a small bag so that you can try it. Remember your finicky dog may well reject the brand!- Bribe your dog. Is there a treat that your dog loves? Break it up into the food. You can try to gradually decrease the treat until your dog eats the food alone. Remember that treats should comprise no more than 10% of your dog's diet.v

Does your dog have a feeding schedule? Free feeding can lead to a finicky dog. Free feeding is not a good choice for any dog. Some breeds are prone to obesity, and will just continue eating even when full. If food is left out for them at all times, they will eat it!-

Change the texture. Some dogs may prefer moist food to dry or vice versa. If you are giving your dog dry food, try adding a bit of broth or hot water to moisten the food. If you are giving your dog moist food, add kibble to give it some crunch. In making the change, make small adjustments to test what will work. Finicky dogs will be slower to adjust so give it time.-

Change the feeding schedule. If your dog is on a twice per day schedule, try switching to once per day. Do not overfeed as this could lead to gastric problems. As long as your dog is healthy and not overweight, it is okay to try the once per day schedule. Some dogs do better with one daily feeding.-

Change the flavor. It may not always be practical to run out and buy a new flavor of dog food, but you can make subtle changes to the existing food. Add a little bit of unsalted meat to the food, or poultry broth. If you are due for a new bag of food, try a different flavor. One caution here, don't buy the biggest bag of food! Buy a small bag so that you can try it. Remember your finicky dog may well reject the brand!-

Bribe your dog. Is there a treat that your dog loves? Break it up into the food. You can try to gradually decrease the treat until your dog eats the food alone. Remember that treats should comprise no more than 10% of your dog's diet.