Nutritional needs for dogs vary based on which stage of life they are in. These life stages include growth, adulthood, senior care, and gestation/lactation for reproducing females. Utilizing a diet that is complete and balanced for a specific life stage is important to help reduce the incidence of nutritional problems.
Puppies
When puppies are growing, they require more calories, protein, fat, and higher levels of vitamins and minerals than adult dogs. Puppies need nutrients for their daily activities in addition to nutrients to allow for tissue growth and development. Puppies need a diet formulated for growth until they are 12 months of age. Large and giant breed puppies require a formula designed for large-breed puppy growth since feeding a diet appropriate for large-breed growth helps prevent orthopedic issues, obesity, and other problems. Puppies are considered large breed if their adult weight will be more than 50 pounds.
Feeding Puppies:
A puppy’s stomach is too small to hold enough food in a single feeding to provide its daily requirement of needed nutrients. Young puppies should be fed at least three times a day until their food requirements, per pound of body weight, begin to level off. Depending on breed size, feedings can be reduced to twice a day when puppies are 4 to 5 months old. Puppies that are fed a complete and balanced diet do not need supplemental vitamins, minerals, or protein. Supplementation may cause a nutritional imbalance and interfere with the normal development of growing puppies. Controlling caloric intake during growth and feeding to promote a lean and well-muscled body type supports a moderate and not excessive rate of growth and helps prevent overweight conditions and developmental skeletal disorders.
Young and Middle Age
Young adult and middle-aged dogs (less than five to eight years of age), if healthy, require moderate amounts of most nutrients, including calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. If a dog in this life stage is healthy, a diet formulated for adult maintenance is ideal for the optimal nutritional value of its food. Look for these ingredients: chicken and brown rice, salmon, lamb, grain-free turkey, whitefish and duck.
Nutrition for Adult Dogs
Healthy adult dogs that are not pregnant, nursing, or hard-working have lower nutritional requirements for maintaining appropriate body conditions compared to puppies. A recipe for adult dogs should contain high-quality protein, highly digestible ingredients, antioxidants to support a strong immune system, and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to help keep the skin healthy and the coat shine
Seniors
Senior dogs tend to be less active than their younger counterparts, but energy requirements can be higher or lower than young to middle-aged animals, depending on the age and the presence or absence of disease. In general, animals with chronic diseases require more calories to maintain their weight. Healthy senior animals may require increased dietary protein to help maintain lean muscle mass. However, the presence of disease can alter ideal nutrient requirements. The average canine life span is 13 years. The age at which dogs are considered senior varies according to breed size. Most dogs at 7 years of age are still very fit and active and are showing few external signs that they are aging. However, internally, changes start to occur due to the aging process.
Pregnant Females
Reproducing females (either pregnant or lactating) require a diet formulated for gestation/lactation. Look for food that benefits reproduction in addition to being a preferred formulation for growth of a puppy. Puppy food should be started mid-way through pregnancy.
And this just in from fans of PetWants
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