Enter a keyword below to search for articles and products.
When it comes to dog food, good nutrition is as important to your dog's health as it is to your own. But his nutritional needs are quite different from yours! In general, while a human diet should be high-fiber and low in fat, a dog needs more fat (for energy and a healthy skin and coat) and less fiber (for good intestinal health).
Even if you prefer a vegetarian diet, designing a high-quality dog diet without animal protein is difficult. IAMS™ Company research supports that meatless meals do not provide optimal nutrition for dogs. Dogs are best fed as carnivores because they have simple stomachs and short intestines that are ideal for digesting animal protein and animal fat. Dogs also need carbohydrates for energy.
With thousands of different pet foods available, how do you pick the one that's right for your dog?
Start by identifying the dog's life stage and lifestyle. Puppies, nursing mothers, and mature pets are examples of life stages. And each one has different nutritional requirements. All dog foods must state which life stage they are recommended for.
Nutritional needs also vary depending on lifestyle. A dog whose primary activity is guarding the couch doesn’t need as much energy as one who guards a flock of sheep. Another factor to consider is breed size: small, medium, or large.
Finally, consider any special medical condition your dog might have, such as food allergies, that might require your veterinarian to recommend a special diet.
Once you've determined your dog's life stage and lifestyle needs, you need to decide whether to feed dry or canned food. Most dogs do well eating only dry food. Dry foods, such as IAMS ProActive Health™ Adult MiniChunks, promote oral hygiene for healthy teeth and gums through abrasive chewing action. Some dogs, especially finicky eaters, enjoy wet food because of its smooth, wet texture.
It's important to remember that, while dry food can be left in a bowl all day, wet food should be thrown away after 30 minutes if not consumed. So, dry food is the best choice for busy people who are not normally home during the day.
Once you know your pet’s nutritional needs and your pet's preference, you are ready to go shopping.
Ingredients are listed in descending order according to weight. Because dogs thrive on animal-based diets, it's best to pick a food in which the first ingredient is an animal-based protein source, such as chicken, lamb, fish or egg. Unlike a single vegetable-based protein source, such as soybean meal or corn-gluten meal, these ingredients contain a full complement of essential amino acids.
Scientific studies show that using a combination of carbohydrates in the diet, such as corn meal or barley and grain sorghum, offers optimal carbohydrate digestibility and helps maintain energy levels.
Scientific studies also show that beet pulp, the material remaining after sugar is extracted from sugar beets, is an excellent fiber source and promotes a healthy digestive tract.
For a glossy coat and healthy skin, your pet needs fat in the diet. Good fat sources include chicken fat and fish oil.
Dog-food labels provide limited information about the nutritional value of the food because labeling regulations do not allow manufacturers to describe the quality of ingredients on the package.
A reputable pet food manufacturer will be able to explain to you their specific methods for evaluating and assuring the quality of ingredients used in their products.
When choosing food, the price on the bag, while important, is usually not the best consideration. A low price might indicate inexpensive ingredients, or ingredients that change as market prices fluctuate.
Also, many lower-priced products have higher daily portions to provide the same amount of nutrition found in a high-quality diet. To get a better representation of value, it is the cost per feeding, not the total cost, that counts.
To figure cost per feeding, divide the total cost by the number of days the product lasts. For example, a 20-lb bag of food costs $18.99 and lasts 30 days. The cost to feed is $0.63 per day. A 20-lb bag of food that costs $15.99 and lasts 20 days costs $0.80 per day. So, when costs are analyzed properly, high-quality pet foods compare quite favorably to other brands while offering outstanding nutrition.
Here are some signs of health to look for in your dog:
Watch as Veterinarian Dr. Katy Nelson shares all the basics of building a positive relationship with a puppy. You’ll learn everything from taking care of your puppy’s basic needs to socialization. When all is said and done you’ll learn how a happy puppy makes for a happy owner as well.
Hi, I'm Dr. Katy Nelson with IAMS, and today we're going to talk about how to take care of your puppy. First and foremost, you want to understand and meet your puppy's needs. Here they are in order of importance. Number one: basic health-- water, nutrition specifically formulated for puppies, and sleep. Also, immunizations and regular checkups are recommended. Number two: safety. As with small children, you need to keep your puppy in an environment that is safe for him. Puppies explore with their mouths, and they learn about different textures by gnawing. Also, chewing helps massage their gums. For your puppy's safety, keep things that he or she should not be chewing on out of reach. Number three: psychological. Your puppy's greatest psychological need is to be part of a group and be socialized with other dogs. However, to do this successfully, you need to be a guardian he can depend on. Once your puppy's basic needs are met, you want to understand the way he sees the world, so that you can build a strong relationship. Your puppy does not understand the world you live in, so you cannot expect him to. Two things you need to understand is that to them, everything is edible, and they will lunge at anything exciting—you, kids, guests, and other animals, until you train them not to. Praise him exuberantly to encourage the right behavior. Give him treats, pet him, play with him, and be stern to discourage the wrong behavior—ignore him, stop petting, or stop playing. Most importantly, be patient and consistent. Don't be harsh. Puppies have lots of energy, and it's healthy for them to use it. Periodically, helping your puppy release energy will minimize his urge to dig and chew on things. Spend time out in the yard making him run in short bursts. Go on walks or play fetch. Puppies are used to playing with their brothers and sisters. When they're separated, they're looking for their next playmate. Playing with your puppy will also make him more focused on you, improving your bond and making training easier. It teaches him new behaviors, self-control, and will help him gain self-confidence. Like play, socialization is also fundamental to raising your puppy. This is why socializing your puppy as soon as you bring him home is important for both of you. Socialization teaches your puppy to be calm in stimulating circumstances, and to obey when instructed. It also gets him used to being touched, handled, and even used to having hands and inedible things in and near his mouth, so that he behaves around other people, kids, and his veterinarian. Also, know that puppies are sensitive. They can read facial expressions and emotions. Be consistent about what things your puppy does that make you express happiness. Also, be careful not to give your puppy reason to think he's at blame for negative emotions you have from other areas of your life, like when you've had a bad day at work. Emotions are contagious. The happiest puppies tend to be in the most positive and loving households. I'm Dr. Katy Nelson with IAMS, and I hope that you found this helpful as you welcome your new addition to your family.
