A dog is a mammal that can be used as a pet and to offer security too. The majority of people today use the dog as a pet due to its playful nature. It is also loyal and friendly to human beings. It has been observed that most of the people who keep dogs are not infected by diseases caused by stress.
The dog's playful nature can sweeten a bitter soul and relieve a person when in a stressful situation. It's essential, therefore, to keep the dog healthy and joyful. Dogs thrive if properly fed a balanced diet.
People think that a dog is a carnivore, but an omnivore in an absolute sense. An all-meat diet would be unbalanced and would not meet all of the dog's nutritional requirements. Therefore, a dog's diet should contain vegetables, proteins, wholegrain, fat, and micronutrients such as omega three and fatty acids for skin and brain function.
Moreover, a dog feeding habit should be monitored to avoid scavenging. It should also be given non-fatty food to prevent obesity and nutrition-rich fiber to ensure it is well satisfied. Dog's weight should be monitored too. This can be done by engaging the dog in activities such as swimming. A dog should swim while in a life vest to minimize the risk of being drawn.
The quantity of feed on a dog increases as the dog grows, that is, from a puppy to a mature dog. Adequate water is also essential to a dog to ensure it is healthy. This is because dogs lose a lot of water through their paws and as they pant. This water needs to be replaced because a dog may feel very sick or even die when not returned.
The water should be kept in a clean bowl to minimize the risk of virus intake, which may cause illness to the dog. To keep track of the amount of water drunk by the dog can be done by measuring the amount of water in the bowl. Moreover, if a dog does not consume all the water in the bowl, the water should be replaced the following day.
To prevent boredom on the dog and to make the dog more active and mentally engaged, buy an activity feeder that you fill with food, and your dog rolls the balls around to get the food inside to fall out. The dog should also be engaged in working for its food, such as throwing the snacks up and jumping to get it; this makes it more active and playful.
To make a dog playful, you can train it to play with toys and use a stuffed Kong to keep your dog entertained. You can also play shell games to ensure your dog is active and also not bored. Teach the dog also to help with chores. Doing this will make the dog more friendly and always make you happy in a stressed situation.
A dog should be fed twice a day. It would help if you provided it once you wake up and after coming home from work, in the morning and evening. The amount of food you feed your dog should be measured. This will be helpful when one needs to minimize the weight of the dog. To reduce the dog's weight, one needs to reduce the feed fed previously by 5% to 10%. It may take a week to show a reasonable weight loss, but another 5% can be reduced from meal quantity if there is no change.
Some factors must be considered to determine the amount of feed to feed your dog. They include; Breed, age, size, and health condition. To start with the age, puppies need a lot of calcium in their feed to help bone formation and development and prevent diseases like early-onset arthritis. They also require more food than adult dogs. Puppies need small and frequent feedings. This is because nutritious feeding is the foundation of future development and growth in them.
Moreover, they are not used to solid food; there is a transition from mother's milk to reliable feeding. Also, the puppies should not be overfed to avoid obesity because obese puppies become obese adult dogs. Feeding the puppies three to four times gives puppies time to digest and keep energy levels consistent.
Breed and size of the dog; large breed dogs require more feed than small breed dogs. This is because their large body size requires a large amount of feed for satisfaction. Health conditions should also be considered. Dogs with medical issues or dietary needs may require specialized feeding schedules or restrictions on what they eat.
Bones should be given regularly to dogs, but under supervision, some bones can be hazardous to dogs. Bones have dental and nutritional importance on dogs. They help in strengthening the dog's teeth. However, puppies should be checked regularly to ensure that their canine teeth are trimmed once they start shaking to reduce the hazardous effect they can cause once they are swallowed. At this period, they should not be given food that can get stuck on their teeth. This minimizes the risk of destroying these sharp canine teeth.
However, when there is a break in food taking, this signifies a health complication. Another sign is when the dog's appetite decreases such that its eating habit decreases. If the dog or the puppy also doesn't seem playful, it symbolizes illness, and therefore it should be the best time to book a veterinary appointment.
In conclusion, a dog is a pet that is helpful to human beings and should be well-fed to ensure it maintains good health. Deworming should also be done to ensure the dog has a good appearance and well-laid fur. Having a dog means you have security in your house as it will always be loyal to notify you of unwanted intruders. Dogs also become friendly to human beings; hence, they give comfort and company to human beings most of the time. Therefore dogs should be taken care of and treated with the utmost respect.