FEEDING YOUR DOG

Before discussing the various prepared dog foods and wholesome meats and leftovers, it is appropriate to mention some pitfalls in dog feeding.

Your dog-feeding program involves more than just shoveling the essential nutrients into the dog by way of high-powered dog foods. Again, your dog must be treated as an individual. And in feeding him properly, you will have to take into account his age, breed, size, kind of hair, activity and climate.

Too many dog owners think in terms of human nutritional requirements or their own tastes when it comes to feeding their dogs. Your food requirements or likes and dislikes have nothing to do with your dog's diet. Forget them. On the other hand, don't overbalance the other way and cater to your dog's taste buds. His ration should be palatable, but not exotic.

What about adding supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, to the daily diet? If you feed your dog a balanced diet, there is no need for supplements. There are some exceptions to this: orphaned newborn puppies, pregnant and lactating bitches, and when your veterinarian prescribes supplements -these are conditions under which vitamin and mineral supplements should be added to the diet. Nature intended for the dog to get his essential nutrients from natural foods. So, unless there is some metabolic dysfunction, there is no need for you to load the diet with vitamin and mineral supplements. Puppies fed on one of these "high-powered" diets can develop nutritional disturbances just as well as the pup getting a diet low in vitamins and minerals.

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