Dog food
Why do dogs need to eat dog food? This is for dogs who are still stuck on the "table diet". Because dogs have their own nutritional needs and eating safety habits, however, some pet lovers are still in a backward state of feeding their dogs leftovers from the table. Even those who are forward-thinking still reserve the option to buy some chicken livers and ducks. Liver, and then prepare some leftover rice, leftovers and other feeding situations. In addition to actual economic factors, many of these are caused by a lack of concepts about dog food safety and pet nutrition. Because of this, the dogs around us are constantly under health threats. People often think that what they like to eat is what their pets like to eat, and what they like is what their dogs like. It turns out that this is not the case at all. Humans are high-end omnivores, while dogs were originally pure carnivores. It took nearly ten thousand years of human domestication to become omnivores that eat mainly carnivores. Dogs also have shorter intestines. , only 3 to 4 times that of the body. It is not easy to digest too many carbohydrates and is easier to absorb meat nutrients. Dogs have extremely keen senses, and their taste buds are basically one-sixth that of humans. Their sense of taste is generally underdeveloped. We humans like to chew slowly and taste carefully, but dogs often use their mandibles to quickly tear up food and then swallow it all. Unlike the universal human "taste" process. These are all very different from us humans.
Matters needing attention when feeding dog food
At present, many dog owners adopt the method of purchasing bagged puffed dog food directly and feeding their pets directly. . This is a relatively healthy and scientific choice, because dry puffed dog food is a full-price nutritional dog food. It has comprehensive nutrition, reasonable proportions, and stable nutrition. It is simple and convenient to use and easy to operate. The precise feeding method and precautions for dog food:
1. Tailor-made, tailor-made
Before using dog food for your pet, you must Accurately identify the breed, breed and psychological stage of the pet, whether it is a miniature dog, a small dog, a medium to large dog, a large dog, the puppy stage or the adult stage, and feed dogs of different breeds and different psychological stages. The weight and form of dog food are not common. It is recommended that for different brands of dog food, follow the labels on the packaging bags.For reference feeding, each type of dog food has different nutritional objectives, such as different energy supply, protein supply, fat supply, etc., which are not completely comprehensive. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the breed, breed and psychological stage of the dog, and then carefully read the recommended feeding amount on the dog food package, because the daily intake of the dog has a very scientific and complete estimate.
2. It doesn’t matter if you feed them wet or not
Many pet owners always ask: “Is it better to feed dog food, or soak it in water?” "How about feeding it?" In fact, there is no conflict between the two. You can eat food and drink clean water, or you can wet it before feeding it and let the pet eat the food and water together.
Generally speaking, let your pet eat food first, put a basin of purified water on the left and right, and then drink some purified water after eating. In addition to solving the basic requirement of bulging belly, eating Gaoliang can also use the hardness of puffed particles to perform some cleaning effects on the oral cavity, remove some plaque in the oral cavity, and reduce oral diseases. However, in real life, we often observe that dogs are not as rational as we think, and they do not seem to have much interest in the clean water left around them. They will only drink water when they are thirsty. Therefore, we suggest that in order to reduce your pet’s drinking water, you can soak the dog food in water, but do not soak it for too long to avoid it becoming rancid over time, and do not make it very soft and sticky. Dogs are more taboo about eating some food. Compared with sticky food, this method is just to make the pet eat all the dog food and water, so as to reduce the pet's water consumption. At the same time, you can also add some liquid "temptants" to the dog's food, such as boneless blood soup, yogurt, etc., stir them evenly, and let the dog swallow them. This can not only reduce the pet's preference for dog food, but also solve the problem of reducing the pet's drinking water method, which is the best of both worlds. When the dog reaches adulthood, it is completely possible to no longer take dog food soaked in water. At that time, it is enough to provide the dog with drinkable purified water at any time.
3. Dog food should be avoided being hot or cold, and the temperature should be moderate
The temperature of dog food is very critical. Once it is not well controlled, the temperature will If the temperature is too high, it will cause oral burns in pets. If the temperature is too low, it will cause gastrointestinal diseases in pets and cause diarrhea and diarrhea. After long-term investigation and statistics, dog food should not be fed at too high a temperature. Generally, the best food temperature is 1~2℃ higher than the body temperature. It should be controlled around 40℃. No matter how high the temperature is, pets will refuse to eat. Severe cases can cause oral burns in pets. Similarly, if the temperature is too low, especially in the summer, some pet owners store the dog food in the refrigerator to prevent it from deteriorating, and then feed it directly to their pets after taking it out, which can easily cause diarrhea in their pets. Therefore, it is recommended that pet owners who need to soak dog food before feeding it must use warm water around 40°C instead of cold water.
4. Feed dog food on time, at a fixed point, and in a quantitative amount
strong>
Dogs are very smart pets with extraordinary IQ and memory. Therefore, if you keep feeding them dog food at the same place and at the same time for a long time, the dog will develop a fixed living habit, which is similar to that of us humans. When it is time to eat, they will naturally wait for the appearance of dog food. Before feeding, saliva will secrete from the mouth and digestive enzymes will secrete from the stomach. This can not only reduce many bad living habits of pets, but also promote the dog’s digestion and absorption of food, and can also improve the pet’s relationship. Regarding the deliciousness of dog food, showing admiration for dog food.
The frequency and quantity of dog food feeding is relatively strict. Remember not to feed pets everywhere at any time and in any order. This will induce a series of bad habits in dogs. Generally speaking, puppies are fed 2 to 4 times a day. As age increases, the frequency of feeding gradually decreases; adult dogs should be fed 1 to 2 times a day. It is not advisable to let pets overeat, because in primitive natural society, dogs have no order to successfully catch prey. They are often hungry for a meal, so they will try their best to sweep away all the food in sight. Light, after a long period of human domestication, this life characteristic has not changed, and is still maintained in all household pet customs. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the amount of food each time. It is enough to give the dog 70 to 80% of the food. Do not overdo it to avoid indigestion.
Recommended daily dog food requirements based on the dog’s weight:
Dog’s weight
(kg) growth and development Nutrient requirements maintain nutrient requirements
Per kilogram of body weight (mg) per dog (kg) Per kilogram of body weight (mg) per dog (kg)
2.3 80 0.18 40 0.09
4.5 66 0.30 33 0.15
6.8 56 0.38 28 0.19
9.1 54 0.49 27 0.25
13.6 50 0.68 25 0.34
22.7 50 1.13 25 0.57
31.8 50 1.8 25 0.79
49.9 48 2.4 24 1.2
Scientific opinions, based on Depending on the dog's breed, body size, psychological cycle, gender and health status, as well as the nutritional content of dog food, the amount of dog food a dog needs every day cannot be fixed, nor is there a fixed standard. 70% to 80% of the total nutritional content of dog food can be absorbed and used by dogs. It is also possible to indirectly understand the dog's need for dog food by observing the condition of the dog's feces. Under normal circumstances, the dog's feces If the feces is soft or thin, it means that the dog has eaten too much dog food. If the feces is moderately hard, it means that the food intake is just right.
What factors make dogs not like to eat food?
Dogs are attracted to any kind of dog food. This is not only due to the taste of the dog food, but also to the taste, aroma, fineness, size, temperature and taste. etc. are all related. According to surveys, dogs are particularly sensitive to the smell of food and have a preference for sweetness. Our long-term surveys show that female dogs have a higher admiration for sweetness than male dogs.
The dog’s physical fitness is also one of the key factors. If the dog is troubled by a certain disease or is in a special psychological state, even the food he usually likes to eat will appear anorexic. For example, if respiratory diseases cause pain sensors, dogs will often show anorexia or even refusal to eat when faced with such delicious food. In addition, the age and psychological state of dogs will also be related to whether they like a certain food. Food related. Do you know that after neutering, dogs and cats’ sensory sharpness will be greatly reduced, and they will be less sensitive to the smell and taste of food. Therefore, they will be less motivated and less responsive to a new dog food. Paralysis requires a gradual change of food to gradually arouse their interest. As the saying goes, "falling in love with it requires a process."
It seems that as dogs age, their ability to "first smell" to make them fall in love with food gradually disappears. Therefore, the ability of older dogs to like food also reflects Relatively short.
Dogs have a keen sense of taste, which is more than 1,000 times that of humans. The dog's sense of taste is weak, but it is not impossible. It can affect the taste buds. The dog's taste buds are affected by sweet, bitter, and salty. The nutritional structure, raw material composition, and raw material ratio of dog food all play a role in the deliciousness of dog food. For example, the meats that dogs like are arranged according to their preference: beef, chicken, pork, mutton, and horse meat. The best delicious food is simple meat that does not contain any animal protein sources.
Quality, particle structure, shape, surface roughness, viscosity, etc. of dog food are all factors that determine its delicacy. Fat and water play an active role in affecting pet deliciousness. For example, canned food containing 75% moisture will be more delicious than soft and moist food containing 30% moisture. Food containing less than 10% moisture is the most delicious among these foods. Fat helps to increase pet food’s motivation to eat, enhances its good taste and improves its deliciousness. Research results show that dogs prefer a combination of two or more fat foods. Of course, in order to prevent pets from becoming too fat and other factors, owners can choose a more reasonable combination.
The temperature of dog food has a great relationship with the pet’s food intake. The best palatable range is when the temperature of dog food is 1~2℃ higher than the normal body temperature. If it is too short or too high, it will not only reduce the deliciousness, but also cause symptoms such as diarrhea, burns, and oral ulcers. Particle size, density, content of dog foodThe effects on pet food delicacy are also relevant.
Breeds, different breeds of dogs have very different eating preferences for different types of food. For example, there is a big difference between German shepherds and golden retrievers. Past living and eating habits will also greatly affect the dog’s food intake. Even though new food often brings a curious "first bite" experience to dogs, the smell and taste pattern they are accustomed to have a profound impact on the dog's "taste memory." Therefore, if you want your dog to be completely new to a new food, a gradual substitution is more in line with the pet’s eating habits.
The pressure of pets’ feeding environment will also cause pets to disturb the taste of food. Dogs will become anxious when faced with sudden changes in the family, such as the separation of family members or the appearance of strangers. Show different delicious reactions to foods that you originally like. Even if it is just the mood changes of the owner in daily life, they can still experience it.
Three tastes that induce pet love
Smell is the first and most important factor that attracts dogs to like it or not. Whether the dog can adopt a certain food , first of all, its smell matches their taste. As we all know, dogs have very keen senses and can even smell smells 15 kilometers away. Moreover, dogs prefer the "weird smell" that we humans smell. This smell is a kind of protein. The taste after rancidity of high-quality amino acids is because in primitive society, dogs cannot always eat "first-hand" prey. They have to wait for the lions and tigers to eat the leftovers before they can have their share of dogs. The long-term natural Adoption makes dogs prefer this "weird" smell. Therefore, never let us humans take the lead for dogs because of our preferences. After all, we are not the ones eating dog food.
Secondly, for dogs, although taste is not as important as smell, it also plays a complementary role in the food that dogs like. Dogs’ taste buds are affected by sweet, bitter, and salty. This effect, therefore, it is better to add some sweetness or salt to the dog food.
Among the seven kinds of constant minerals that dogs need during their growth, sodium chloride and table salt are the key members. Improving the deliciousness of dog food also helps a lot. However, the amount of added salt needs to be strictly controlled, otherwise it will not only bring a bitter taste that will make the dog refuse to eat, but will also cause poisoning in the dog.
Third, dogs like to eat food with a lot of "oil and water". This is not in a narrow sense the oil content on the surface of the dog food particles or the dog food that looks very oily, but the amount of fat contained in the dog food. The level of fat has a great impact on whether dogs like food. Dog food with higher fat can enhance the taste and improve deliciousness, and dogs are not only interested in one type of fat, but also in many. The combination of these tastes reveals a more admirable taste. However, now we all recommend raising dogs in a scientific and healthy way to prevent dogs from becoming too obese., therefore, owners still need to properly match various diets!
(Part of the content of this article is excerpted from "How Good Dog Food is Made")
</p>
</p>