What do you feed your four-legged?

The use of a well-chosen method of feeding keeps the animal in good condition and maintains its vitality for longer. There are many schemes for feeding your dog and there are dozens of different feeds available in shops. What do you decide on?

What shouldn't you give your dog?

Although so much is said and written about proper nutrition for dogs, so many people still use the wrong products. Here are some things you shouldn't give your dog under any circumstances:

• Lunch leftovers - groats, potatoes, rice and fatty meat with strong spices. These are products which should under no circumstances be given to dogs as a regular meal. It's better to throw the leftovers in the compost or freeze them for later than to feed them to your dog. These types of food are not for the pet, are not well absorbed and can cause digestive problems, and if fed regularly can even harm the dog.
• Raisins and grapes - dogs are unlikely to be interested in them, but recklessly giving them to your pet can result in serious poisoning.
• Onions, garlic, legumes - although many animals show an interest in them (perhaps it's a matter of aroma during preparation), four-legged animals shouldn't be given them. These products are very hard to digest and cause bloating, diarrhea and even poisoning in dogs.
• Chocolate and cocoa - although for humans they are a real treat, for dogs they are a real poison that can cause accelerated heart rate, circulation, breathing and even heart attack.
• The cheapest dog food - although it is theoretically a pet food, in practice it is better not to reach for it. Very cheap dog food (a few zloty each for a large package) is practically free of meat and valuable nutrients, but it is filled with cheap clogs, cereals, and may contain preservatives, flavour enhancers and artificial colourings.

What is it worth feeding your dog?

If the welfare of the four-legged is at stake, we should take the time to select the available dog food and choose the optimal nutrition. The best dog food doesn't have to ruin our budget at all, because food of this quality is very energy efficient and saturating, which means that your pet eats less and is just as saturated as when eating a larger portion of cheap food with trace meat content. Products to reach for:

• Dry food without cereals - dry food is the basis of dog nutrition in most homes. This is a convenient solution that makes it unnecessary to cook separate meals for your dog. When choosing dry food, consider its composition. An expert of Pupilo.pl shop advises to reach for food without cereals - they are present in the offers of more and more brands, and thus their prices are becoming more and more affordable. Cereal-free food contains more meat and zoonotic products, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits that serve your dog's health and are not just a cheap filler in a poor quality product.
• A diet that is tailored to the possible diseases - when the animal is old, has kidney problems or loses excessive weight, it is worth changing to a specially selected diet. These types of foods can be adjusted at the vet's and are a solution that can help to solve specific health problems.
• High-quality wet food - lower-quality wet food does not contain particularly much meat and nutrients, but you can find slightly more expensive wet food on sale, which has a much better composition.
• Selected snacks - dogs love snacks, crisps and biscuits, but it's not worth reaching for the first product. Snacks can also be healthy and nutritiously valuable, and these are the products worth choosing.
• Meat - dogs may also be fed meat meals or treated as an addition to other foods. Veal, beef, poultry, venison, lamb and rabbit meat are all worth reaching for.

It's hard to get one, the best and universal, model of dog nutrition. Each animal is different and the diet must take into account its specific needs. No less important is the serving of meals. Dog bowls should be located in a quiet, comfortable place and one of them should always have clean water. The size and height of the bowl should be chosen according to the size of the animal (for large dogs, it is worth choosing bowls on a rack that will raise them and make sure that the animal will not have to bend down to the floor).