Is your dog eating a balanced diet?
If you have a dog, one of the most important aspects of ownership is ensuring you’re giving your canine companion a well-balanced, nutritional diet. The only problem is, it can be extremely challenging when you’re not actually sure what’s in your pet’s food to begin with. Read on to know how you can maintain a balanced diet in dogs.
With that in mind, we’ve created this little guide that lets you know some of the basics about what you might find in your dog’s pet food, and even provides you with a few tips to help you make the most of your dog’s diet.
Dogs aren't carnivores
It might surprise you, but dogs are actually omnivores. That means that they don’t just like meat in their diet, but carbohydrates and vegetables too.
For a balanced diet in dogs, it’s essential that your pet receives a small amount of each of the 37 different essential nutrients that they require to grow fit and strong. These are made up of water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
What does a balanced diet in dogs entail?
Proteins
Protein plays a critical role in providing a balanced diet for your dog. It facilitates many of your dog’s bodily functions and is important for his overall health and well-being. Your dog is unable to produce the 10 essential amino acids that they get from their diet, which they are not able to produce on their own.
Your dog requires protein for cell production, maintenance, and repair. Protein breaks down into amino acids, some of which can contribute to the production of glucose, which your dog uses for energy. Protein-rich foods like meat also play an essential role in your dog’s coat.
Fruits and Vegetables
An extremely important staple in your dog's daily meals, fruits and vegetables are a key source of vitamins, minerals, and nonessential phytonutrients that can confer health benefits for your dog. Some of the more common, healthy examples include apples, spinach and carrots.
Breakdown of the Vitamins
- Vitamin A boosts immunity, promotes healthy vision and cell function.
- Vitamin C keeps your dog healthy and sharp!
- Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health.
- Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and protects against oxidative damage.
- The B vitamins serve many important functions, ranging from providing energy to nervous system development and metabolism.
Healthy Fats
In order to maintain a balanced diet in dogs, healthy fats are an important source of energy. They carry twice the amount of energy as carbohydrates and proteins. An appropriate amount of fat in combination with exercise promotes a healthier pet. Healthy fats are essential for your dog in the following ways:
- They work with other nutrients to keep your dog in proper shape.
- Healthy fats help your dog absorb certain vitamins called fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K.
- Vitamins are crucial for your dog's body maintenance and cell functioning.
- Healthy fats also work with proteins to keep your pet’s coat shiny and soft.
Wet, dry, cheap, or expensive?
When it comes to your pet’s food, there are some simple ways to understand what’s in it, and whether it’s satisfying your dog’s requirements for a balanced, healthy diet.
First, one basic principle you can follow to maintain a balanced diet in dogs is that wet dog food tends to be higher in protein than kibble. A second basic principle you can follow is that cheaper dog foods tend to contain protein that comes from vegetables, rather than animals (which more expensive dog food products are made from).
Skipper's advice
Here at Skipper’s, we know what it means to provide high-quality dog food. Our dried whole fish snacks are packed full of protein and essential fatty acids, meaning your dog will be full of energy and have a glossy fur coat.
You might be wondering why our pet products are dried, and the reason is that if you cook fish, many of the essential nutrients are lost. Through the drying process, you retain the things that make fish so healthy and delicious.
So if you’re interested in providing your canine companion with a delicious, healthy meal, head over to our Fish for Dogs page, or if you're looking for other protein sources, check out our Farm Shop collection today. All of the ingredients used in our delicious fishy dog treats can be found on our site, so if you’re interested in knowing how we prepare our snacks, the information is readily available.
Our range is designed to facilitate all different breeds of dogs – big and small, working and family, and to suit your budget.
Whether you’re looking to give your dog the extra bit of protein or taste with their complete dog food, or you’re looking for a fishy, healthy dog training treat, we have the product for you, and all of our recipes are there for you, so you know what your dog will be eating. Ultimately, it’s vital that you know what’s going into your dog’s diet because only then will you know how you need to supplement your canine companion’s meals. When you’ve figured that out, come back to us, and we’ll be ready to help you give your dog the best diet it could possibly have.
