On the average, a dog needs about 25 calories per pound of body weight per day to maintain a stable weight. Inactive dogs, neutered dogs, or those that live in  warm climates require less caloric intake, while active or working dogs, active puppies such as Rottweiler Puppies may require a higher amount depending on their activity.  However, small dogs that are under 20 pounds can take in as many as 40 calories per pound of body weight while dogs that are a 100 pounds or over may get by with as little as 15 calories per pound per day.

It is important to make sure that your dog isn’t eating too much.  Overweight dogs can easily be susceptible to a number of health problems.  As a dog owner it is our responsibility maintain our dogs at a healthy weight.  A dog can only have so many calories each day, therefore it is important that those calories have nutritional value and at the same time provide bulk and are appealling to its pallet.  If you feed your dog homemade dog food, some calculations will have to be made to determine the caloric content of the prepared meals.  Making sure your dog eats healthy foods will help contribute to its quality of life and longevity.

A homemade dog food diet can be adjusted to fit your dog’s needs and it can also assure you that your dog is eating healthy.  A dog in good health will eat at any time.  So don’t fall for his pleading and begging behavior as an indicator of how much to feed him.  Dogs can react in different ways to a change in diet. Study your dog’s reactions to the different ingredients being used.  Protein is one of the major sources of energy for your dog.  Fiber will help your dog feel fuller and also fuels the body so they can enjoy life and stay young.  Meats, fruits, vegetables and grains are all sources of carbohydrates.  It is exttremely important for you to know how many carbohydrates your dog is ingesting, especially if they are diabetic.

Below is a general guideline for caloric requirements for dogs:

Knowing how many calories he needs and how that translates into food will help keep him trim and healthy.  A good rule of thumb would be to keep their calories at 60% of the normal requirement.  Avoid low quality foods that use corn syrups and other sources of refined sugars.  Do not feed an adult dog food intended for a puppy.  Besides making him very fat, it can have some severe consequences.  Feeding your dog more natural foods can be more beneficial to its health.  Many dogs enjoy meals that are made or mixed up with eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, kelp and flax seed meal.

Always consult your veterinarian when thinking of changing your dog’s diet.  Inform your vet of why you feel your dog needs a new diet and always ask for his recommendations . Make sure you understand about dog food nutrition and caloric requirements, and how your new diet will properly supply your dog’s needs.

There are many views and theories on what is the best dog food.  In general however, to many pet owners it all boils down to cost.  If we can afford it then that will be the dog food brand we will feed our dogs.  Unfortunately this may not be the best course of action to take.  Price is not a sound qualifier for choosing a commercial dog food.  Feeding our dogs sub par ingredients from “discount dog foods” may save us money, but in the long run we will wind up paying higher veterinary bills when our dogs get sick.  So what are we to do?

First off we can start by being more careful when it comes to inspecting the ingredients found on dog food labels.  Generic brands are not considered a good choice.  Most generic brands use poor quality ingredients.  We should avoid any generic meat ingredients that do not mention a specific species, and avoid such phrases as “meat by-products” and “meat and bone meal” and any brands that use corn as the main ingredient.  Looking for dog food brands that use “chicken or beef meal” is the way to go.

Generic or discount dog foods use many chemicals to enhance the taste of that particular food.  These chemicals only disguise what is really in the food and fool your dog into preferring it.  We should be on the look out such things as texturizers, coloring agents and drying agents.  Avoid any brands that lists these as dog food ingredients.  Premium dog foods use a higher grade of ingredients free from additives but of course at a higher price.  If you are truly into caring for your dog, then you might consider preparing your dog’s food using your own ingredients.

Since the pet food recall making your dog’s food from a collection of homemade dog food recipes has become more popular.  Making these recipes does require some research and extra work,  but with this option we are in control of our dog’s nutrition.  Proper dog food nutrition involves providing our dogs with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  One of the best dog food recipes to use is Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s BARF diet .

The idea of the B.A.R.F. diet is to feed our dogs raw whole foods just like their ancestors.  This diet consists of muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetables.  It does take a considerable amount of time to make these preparations.  Premium commercial dog foods have gone through considerable research in providing the necessary nutrition a dog needs and may have more nutrients  than those found through the BARF diet.

So if we truly care for our dogs, we as dog owners have just two choices.  Either prepare homemade dog food so that we know exactly what our dog is eating, or  buy a premium dog food.  With the second choice we should spend more time in learning about dog food labels and the AAFCO standards. It’s all up to us.

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