Feeding & Nutrition

People tend to over-feed their dogs, thinking a "well-fed" dog is a healthy dog. Over-nutrition or over-feeding can increase health risks for your dog. A healthy body weight for a dog looks like what most people would describe as "too skinny." Ideally, the ribs are easily felt with minimal fat cover. In dogs over six months old, there should be an abdominal tuck when viewed from the side as well as an indentation at the waist behind the ribs when viewed from above.

In an overweight dog, the ribs are difficult to feel, with moderate fat cover. Bony prominences can still be felt and are covered with a moderate fat layer. In animals over six months old, there is little or no abdominal tuck of the waist when viewed from the side; the back looks broad when viewed from above.

Rate of growth, specific nutrients, food amounts consumed and feeding methods all affect skeletal development. Large breed puppies should be fed a food specifically made for them, using a food limiting feeding technique. Excess energy (calories and fat) and excess calcium are known to cause a growth rate too fast for proper skeletal development. Dietary deficiency is rare in young dogs; problems associated with dietary excess are much more likely.

Treats containing calcium can increase calcium levels far in excess of the recommended levels for growing developing puppies. Fruits and vegetables make good treats for your dog. (Try apples and carrots!)

There are three feeding techniques that are used:

Free-choice

Food is available all the time. Although this is convenient, this method has many disadvantages:
1) food wastage
2) competition or boredom may stimulate overeating
3) increases faecal matter
4) makes puppies harder to house-train
5) increased risk of developmental bone disease

Time-limited

Food is available for a set period of time, two to three times a days. If time restricted feeding is used, feeding periods of five to ten minutes may be required to decrease food intake in some eager puppies.

Food-limited

Food is given in measured amounts based on calculated energy requirements or as recommended on the bag of food. This is the method that I recommend.