Cook4Pets wishes you a happy new year 2021, with more than ever a healthy diet for your 4-legged friends ...

adapted to specific needs

Certain categories of dogs require a specific diet:
  • the puppies
  • old dogs
  • small dogs

Puppies

The dietary needs of the puppy are different from those of the adult. In fact, the puppy's diet must allow it to develop until it becomes a healthy adult. He must therefore grow and gain weight - sometimes a lot if it is a large breed - in a harmonious way to develop strong bone structure and balanced muscle mass.

This implies a balanced and very energetic diet, which, in addition to being easily digestible, must be enriched with proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Protein

The diet must provide the puppy with all the amino acids he needs in order to avoid stunted growth or poor conformation.

In addition, proteins also allow the production of antibodies, essential for the immune system. Thus, if the puppy is deficient in protein, his immune defenses will be weaker, and he will be more susceptible to infections and parasites.

Minerals

The puppy's diet must cover the supply of minerals necessary for the development of the animal. The growth of the bones takes place gradually at the level of the growth cartilages. In order for these to turn into bone, the body needs sufficient calcium and phosphorus.

Energy requirements

A puppy's energy needs are greater than that of an adult dog. It is therefore necessary to feed your puppy with sufficient quality food for its growth to be harmonious.

Be careful not to overfeed it: indeed, any excess food can lead to digestive problems in the short term and, in the long term, to obesity problems.

Old dogs

As it ages, dog food and energy needs decrease by around 10%: in fact, its metabolism slows down, it is generally less active and therefore burns fewer calories. On the other hand, aging leads to a melting of the skeletal and cardiac muscles: the +7 range contains more proteins in order to remedy this.

It is therefore important to adapt your diet to your age and condition.

Protein

Therefore, to continue to provide for the needs of the dog while sparing his kidneys tired by life, the best solution is to opt for foods containing protein, but of very high quality so that they are more digestible and that they generate less waste.

Lipids

It is best to choose foods that contain a maximum of 20% fat. However, care must be taken not to completely remove lipids from his diet (especially essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6) to keep the dog's skin and coat and joints in good condition.

Fibers

Fiber has many benefits for the senior dog:

  • they facilitate intestinal transit;
  • they increase the feeling of satiety, which makes it possible to compensate for the lower intake of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates;
  • they limit the risk of obesity and diabetes, which is higher in older dogs than in others.

However, they should not exceed 5% of the dog's diet.

 

Small dogs

Due to their size, some dog breeds cannot be fed the same criteria as larger breeds. Here are a few things to consider when choosing food for small dogs: 

  • As their jawbones are smaller than others, certain types of food, such as oversized kibble, may not be suitable for them. It will therefore be important to adapt the size of the kibble to your dog's jaw and teeth. Otherwise, the dog will not be able to chew his ration properly, which usually allows him to ingest it well. There is therefore a risk of poor digestion or even suffocation. 
  • Some small dogs can be picky, they are often less greedy than large dogs. They will therefore be more careful about the quality of their meal. It will therefore be important to offer them tempting and quality food.
  • They also have a good life expectancy, so it is important to provide them with a diet adapted to their needs in order to ensure their good health throughout their life. 

 Overweight dogs

Protein, fiber and exercise

Here is "the recipe" to find an athlete's line: a high rate of protein, dietary fiber and daily physical activity. 

 Remove bad eating habits

As in humans, certain bad eating habits contribute to weight gain and drastically reduce the effectiveness of other measures taken elsewhere. It is therefore important to ban them as soon as possible.

First of all, sweets and table scraps must remain exceptional.

Increase the feeling of satiety

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the active ingredient in garcinia, inhibits the action of an enzyme essential for fat synthesis. This substance could therefore store fat in the body.

HCA has the ability to prevent fat cells from storing fat from the sugars in the diet. Sugars and starches are stored in the body as fat by an enzyme called citrate lyase ATP. It prevents the transformation of sugars and carbohydrates into fat. It decreases appetite by increasing glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which allows the liver, via a gluco-receptor, to send a message of satiety to the brain.

 

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