Diet plays an important role in the endurance potential of canine athletes. The Alaskan sled dog might be considered the ultimate canine athlete, sometimes pulling a sled more than 1,000 miles in subzero temperatures. Providing a well-balanced diet is essential to meet the special needs of dogs in such nutritional-stress situations. Not only should the diet fed to these dogs be high in protein, but it also should be high in fat, which serves as the major energy source for exercising muscles.
A high-fat diet can help muscles burn fat more efficiently. During sustained exercise, fatty-acid oxidation is the primary source of energy for the muscles. Increasing the efficiency of fat metabolism spares the body’s use of carbohydrates, and because most dogs have in excess of 10 to 50 times more energy stored in fat than in muscle glycogen (carbohydrate), this might boost the animal's exercise performance.
IAMS™ studies1 have shown that in trained sled dogs as in ordinary dogs, exercise performance was enhanced by switching from a low-fat to a high-fat diet (from 25 to 65% of calories from fat), as indicated by increased:
When dogs were switched back to a low-fat diet, all of these criteria decreased to their previous values.
These results indicated that by increasing the availability of fat stores and capacity to metabolize fat for energy, a high-fat diet promotes exercise endurance in canine athletes.
1 Reynolds AJ, et al. “The effect of diet on sled dog performance, oxidative capacity, skeletal muscle microstructure, and muscle glycogen metabolism.” Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutritional Research: Proceedings of the 1996 IAMS International Nutrition Symposium. Carey DP, Norton SA, Bolser SM, eds. Wilmington, OH. 1996. 181–198.
Pugs are naturally lazy and have a tendency to become obese very easily! So pug parents need to make it a point to walk their pugs regularly. Take them for a walk 1-2 times a day or play with them at home. But limit their exercise in hot and humid weather as they do tend to experience breathing difficulties.
Grooming a pug requires you to trim their hair and bathe them at least once a month. After bathing your pug with a mild shampoo, you must dry their hair quickly and properly or the skin folds that remain wet can become smelly and cause skin infections.
While pugs are a clever breed, they are strong-willed as well. Reward-based training is a great way to train your pug. Make sure that everyone in your family follows the same training practices so that your pug does not get confused.
While pug food can vary depending on their age, size, and health conditions, all pugs need complete and balanced meals that are tailor-made to meet their unique needs. You could feed them a premium recipe like IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Adult Pug to keep them slim and healthy. IAMS™ Adult Pug recipe is a blend of beet pulp and prebiotics (FOS) to support healthy digestion, L-Carnitine to support a healthy metabolism, and Omega 6 & 3 fatty acids to support skin and coat health. It is best to split their daily allowance into two meals.
Recommended pug food guide -
SIZE OF PUG | RECOMMENDED DAILY FEEDING (G) |
---|---|
1-2 kg | 30-45 |
2-4 kg | 45-80 |
4-6 kg | 80-105 |
6-8 kg | 105-130 |
8-10 kg | 130-155 |
Pugs are prone to a lot of health problems, more than other breeds. Common health issues include breathing problems, a range of eye problems, skin infections, Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE), hemivertebrae, and hypothyroidism.
SOME FACTS ABOUT PUG DOG CARE
Pugs are easy to care for but put on weight easily. Also, their short muzzles make it difficult for them to breathe, especially in hot and humid weather. Because of this, pugs also tend to snore, so consider this if you are a light sleeper.
Pugs are intelligent creatures and very loving, making them a popular choice across the world. But do your research before taking the leap. Although they are cute and cuddly, caring for a pug dog needs commitment, so it's important to go into it fully prepared to do the work (and fall in love!)