Welcome back, pack!
Feeding the normal weight dog:
I am frequently asked which food is the best for dogs. The answer depends on the dog. Like humans, every dog is different, especially when it comes to digestion. The best food to feed is the one that:
1) The dog likes and will readily eat
2) Produces a sleek, shiny coat and a healthy gleam in the eye
3) Produces the smallest amount of non-smelly, well-formed stool
This won’t be the same food for every dog. That is why there are so many brands available that have owners that will swear to the superiority of each brand. I have seen dogs that eat the cheapest of generic brands that love the food, have glossy coats and produce modest amounts of stool.
Why are these 3 things important to judge food?
1) If a dog sniffs, pushes the food bowl, takes a long time to eat or frequently won’t eat there is probably some smell or taste the dog does not like. Forcing the dog to eat a food it doesn’t like just because someone said it was a great food makes little sense. Missing meals and then gorging due to hunger is not healthy and can actually be dangerous for large breed dogs. Their stomach can bloat and twist (Think Marley & Me). With so many brand choices, find the one your dog likes.
2 ) A glossy coat means that the fat balance in the food promotes skin and cell wall health. Foods that lack this quality will produce dull looking, brittle, flakey coats and should be avoided. Changes in coat quality requires weeks to months to occur after starting a new food.
3) The proof is in the pudding! Healthy dogs that produce large amounts of smelly formed, semi-formed, or soft stool are probably eating a food that disagrees with them. This usually means less food is being absorbed and is just passing through undigested. Awfully expensive poop! Dog food companies are not required to meet any standards of digestibility or more correctly, bioavailability. The food that produces small amounts of non-smelly, formed stool means good bioavailability. This is why homemade diets are so popular. More about that on a later post.
Today’s tip: Review the last blog. Feed dry or canned food by the ounce not the cup or guesstimate in order to measure the correct number of calories.
Next Post: Dry Food or Wet Food, which is better?
Dr. T
"Releasing the Trim Dog Inside"
Blog
by Ken Tudor DVM
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Don’t trust the label for feeding instructions!
Welcome back, pack parents,
Don’t trust the label for feeding instructions!
A recent study of 44 weight loss or weight management diets showed that these foods varied as much as 200 calories per cup or can. The researchers concluded that the variability of commercial diet foods could actually contribute to the failure of weight loss programs. Further research has documented the inaccuracy of the “cup” measurement for delivering accurate amounts of calories. So how do we feed our dogs correctly? Determining the optimum amount of food to feed your dog should ideally be measured by the ounce, not the cup. To calculate your dog’s daily caloric needs in ounces use these 4 easy steps.
Calculating the correct feeding amount for your dog:
1) Buy a kitchen food scale ($5-30)
2) Ask your veterinarian for the appropriate daily calorie (actually kilocalories or kcal) needs for your dog
3) Go to website of your dog food company to find the kcal/kg of food (it is not required that this information be provided on the dog food package. If it is there – Great!)
4) Calculate the ounces to feed:
Kcal/day ÷ kcal/kg ÷ 28 X 1000 = ounces of food per day
Example: A dog needs 500 kcals/day (per your Vet) and the food contains 3800 kcal/kg (find online)
500 ÷ 3800 ÷ 28 X 1000 = oz./day
500 ÷3800 = .132 ÷ 28 = .0047 X 1000 = 4.7 oz./day
Ideally, dogs should be fed twice daily, so this dog would receive 2.35 ounces of food per meal. Accurate feeding is the key to weight management!
Today’s Tip: WATER is the most important nutrient for dogs!
Dogs do not have the ability to sweat to reduce body heat. Panting is their primary cooling strategy. Evaporation of water from the tongue and mouth provides the necessary body cooling (think swamp cooler). Unfortunately, this loss of body water needs to be constantly replaced. Dogs should have access to large amounts of clean, fresh water. The water bowl should be the largest feeding utensil, not the food dish.
Releasing the Trim Dog Inside
Dr. T
*Calculating the generic caloric needs of dogs will be the content of later postings.
Don’t trust the label for feeding instructions!
A recent study of 44 weight loss or weight management diets showed that these foods varied as much as 200 calories per cup or can. The researchers concluded that the variability of commercial diet foods could actually contribute to the failure of weight loss programs. Further research has documented the inaccuracy of the “cup” measurement for delivering accurate amounts of calories. So how do we feed our dogs correctly? Determining the optimum amount of food to feed your dog should ideally be measured by the ounce, not the cup. To calculate your dog’s daily caloric needs in ounces use these 4 easy steps.
Calculating the correct feeding amount for your dog:
1) Buy a kitchen food scale ($5-30)
2) Ask your veterinarian for the appropriate daily calorie (actually kilocalories or kcal) needs for your dog
3) Go to website of your dog food company to find the kcal/kg of food (it is not required that this information be provided on the dog food package. If it is there – Great!)
4) Calculate the ounces to feed:
Kcal/day ÷ kcal/kg ÷ 28 X 1000 = ounces of food per day
Example: A dog needs 500 kcals/day (per your Vet) and the food contains 3800 kcal/kg (find online)
500 ÷ 3800 ÷ 28 X 1000 = oz./day
500 ÷3800 = .132 ÷ 28 = .0047 X 1000 = 4.7 oz./day
Ideally, dogs should be fed twice daily, so this dog would receive 2.35 ounces of food per meal. Accurate feeding is the key to weight management!
Today’s Tip: WATER is the most important nutrient for dogs!
Dogs do not have the ability to sweat to reduce body heat. Panting is their primary cooling strategy. Evaporation of water from the tongue and mouth provides the necessary body cooling (think swamp cooler). Unfortunately, this loss of body water needs to be constantly replaced. Dogs should have access to large amounts of clean, fresh water. The water bowl should be the largest feeding utensil, not the food dish.
Releasing the Trim Dog Inside
Dr. T
*Calculating the generic caloric needs of dogs will be the content of later postings.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Welcome to the inaugural edition of “Releasing the Trim Dog Inside”. This blog in conjunction with “Trim The Pack” Dog Weight Loss Campaign is dedicated to providing information to promote a better understanding of the complexity of America’s biggest pet health problem- malnutrition from poor diets.
50 % of our dogs are overfed and as a result overweight or clinically obese. These extra pounds are causing health problems in our dogs that decrease their quality of life and ultimately shorten their lifespan. The list includes:
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Heart problems
- High blood pressure
- Kidney problems
- Skin problems
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Anesthetic risk
- Post-surgical complications
- Drug dosing difficulty
More alarming is that many of these dogs are on diet or low calorie pet food with little or no results. Why is dog weight loss so difficult? A few reasons include:
1. A dog’s metabolism naturally slows down when dieting in an attempt to compensate for a decrease in calories.
2. Calorie restriction in dogs is generally underestimated because the calories per measured amount of dog food is extremely variable
3. The amount of calories burned during exercise is inadequate.
The list goes…Our mission is to provide the latest information about nutrition, fitness and weight management issues so that you can make the best possible lifestyle choices for your dog. Together with your veterinarian, we hope to improve the lives of America’s dogs and release the trim dog inside.
Today’s Tip: Size Matters!
The size of the pet food bowl should be the smallest that will hold the required amount of food for one meal and accommodate snout size. A full appearing bowl is less likely to be topped off with extra calories.
Look for our next installment and latest tip.
Dr. T
For more dog weight loss strategies, tips, etc. go to www.TrimthePack.com
50 % of our dogs are overfed and as a result overweight or clinically obese. These extra pounds are causing health problems in our dogs that decrease their quality of life and ultimately shorten their lifespan. The list includes:
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Heart problems
- High blood pressure
- Kidney problems
- Skin problems
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Anesthetic risk
- Post-surgical complications
- Drug dosing difficulty
More alarming is that many of these dogs are on diet or low calorie pet food with little or no results. Why is dog weight loss so difficult? A few reasons include:
1. A dog’s metabolism naturally slows down when dieting in an attempt to compensate for a decrease in calories.
2. Calorie restriction in dogs is generally underestimated because the calories per measured amount of dog food is extremely variable
3. The amount of calories burned during exercise is inadequate.
The list goes…Our mission is to provide the latest information about nutrition, fitness and weight management issues so that you can make the best possible lifestyle choices for your dog. Together with your veterinarian, we hope to improve the lives of America’s dogs and release the trim dog inside.
Today’s Tip: Size Matters!
The size of the pet food bowl should be the smallest that will hold the required amount of food for one meal and accommodate snout size. A full appearing bowl is less likely to be topped off with extra calories.
Look for our next installment and latest tip.
Dr. T
For more dog weight loss strategies, tips, etc. go to www.TrimthePack.com
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