PT 2: 5 Diet/Nutrition Mistakes Pet Parents Make

Like humans, as dogs age their nutritional needs change. When determining how much to feed your dog it is important to consider the number of calories that is right for your dog’s activity level and body condition. Very old dogs tend to be underweight and will need additional calories to gain weight.

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      In the last blog post we discussed the 3 most common mistakes pet parents make. This post will wrap up the last 2 mistakes. 

     The fourth mistake pet parents make is Not Changing Their Diet as They Age. Like humans, as dogs age their nutritional needs change. When determining how much to feed your dog it is important to consider the number of calories that is right for your dog’s activity level and body condition. Very old dogs tend to be underweight and will need additional calories to gain weight. Although, researchers have not determined an official diet for senior dogs, they do know that senior dogs need more protein as they age to maintain muscle mass. It is recommended that your senior dog’s food should be close to 30% protein. Many brands now offer foods formulated for the needs of seniors. A note of caution: be sure to look at the calories per serving as they vary significantly from brand to brand. This may be because younger seniors tend to be overweight, where as the very old dogs are typically underweight. Remember that keeping calories restricted throughout life has been proven to improve longevity and reduce illness. 
         If you dog is not eating you may also look at their mouth/teeth. Dogs may not eat if they are having pain with chewing hard kibble. Consider adding water or broth to their food to make it more palpable and it will increase their fluid intake. Win Win! You can also try a canned, fresh or raw food diet. One other consideration is some older dogs may have trouble leaning down to the bowl or standing long enough to eat. To alleviate this, you can encourage your dog to eat while lying down or slightly raise their bowl off the ground. A note of caution with raising their bowl: studies show elevated feeders may increase risk, for bloat, particularly in large and giant breeds. Bloat is a fatal condition if not addressed immediately. 
        Very old dogs can lose their appetite so it is important make sure they are actually eating. It is common to think that they will eat when they are hungry enough, however their hunger mechanism may not be working. This can lead to weight loss and muscle loss that can quickly cause your dog to have difficulty getting around. 

     The final mistake pet parents make is Feeding Your Dog Poor Quality Foods. Some veterinarians will go as far to say that kibble is killing our pets. Recent studies shed light on this. Just last year, several big brands were linked to cardiac conditions that can be fatal. Others suggest processed dog foods may be responsible for degenerative conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cancer. So, what is making our dogs food so unsafe? Poor quality ingredients.
Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Although pet food ingredients are regulated by the American Feed Control Officials and the FDA to determine the nutrients required and quality of the ingredients respectively, quality is a relative term. FDA approves ingredients that may actually be dangerous to you pet. 
As with human food, there is a continuum of quality and nutritiousness available. Some have likened feeding low end dry dog food to eating fast food for every meal. Most people would agree that highly processed foods are not as healthy as lightly processed foods. Processes like oxidation, heat, pressure and chemical interactions that are common in the production of dog foods, can strip away the nutrients that are important to our dog’s health. It is important to look at the ingredients in your dog’s food. (I am not going to go into specific ingredients in in this post, as this topic needs more explanation than can be justified in one post.) Overall, when you look at the ingredients in your pet’s food you should be able to easily identify whole foods and supplements. Look for a food that contains high-quality proteins, such as whole, fresh, or single source meat meal (ie “chicken-meal” not “poultry meal or worse just “meat”) and whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables. I can tell you this can be difficult to find in most commercial dog foods we find in grocery stores and big box stores. 
There are several different preparations of dog foods out there. 
             *From a nutritional standpoint raw or a gently cooked homemade food is best. This does come at an increased cost, however will save on vet bills in the long run and can increase the longevity of your dog. A con to this is that it can be very time consuming, if you want to prepare you own and ensure you a balancing the diet appropriately. There is a plethora of options that are raw and fresh prepared foods. Other good options include dehydrated/freeze dried food or human-grade canned food; however, these can be hard to find in stores. Other considerations would be to add fresh meat or fruits and vegetables to their dry food, or do a mixture of dry and homemade. When it comes to nutrition for our dogs and ourselves, we often let convenience trump nutrients. You have to decide what is right for your lifestyle and budget. Even if you do not want to commit to full on raw/fresh diet, 100% of the time, consider giving your pup a home cooked meal or adding fresh food once a week. 
Let us know what foods you've  tried with your  dogs below! Did you notice a difference in their health/attitude? We would love to hear!

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