What are the life-stages of feeding my dog?
Your dog's life stages are basically a puppy and then an adult up until about seven years of age, at which point your puppy has become a senior and should be on a senior-type diet.
Dr. Larry Nieman
Neighborhood Vets Mobile Care
How do I know if I am feeding my dog too much?
You should feed your dog according to his condition. If you have questions about your dog's condition, it's best to talk to your veterinarian because we all do body scores on every patient we see. I can tell you your dog's body score when he walks up to the van, and you should feed your dog meals that he cleans up in a short period of time. Please do not free-feed your dog. Free-feeding dogs have about a 95% result in obesity, and you should be able to feel your dog's ribs and see his waist between his ribs and his pelvis.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (913) 912-2319, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/NeighborhoodVets, https://www.instagram.com/neighborhoodvets
Dog Nutrition - FAQs
Dr. Larry Nieman
Neighborhood Vets Mobile Care
How do I know what foods are toxic to dogs?
Grapes and raisins have been determined to be toxic to dogs. I guess they always have been, but now we actually know it, and some other foods are toxic to your dog, but grapes and raisins are the big ones that you need to be familiar with. There's a poison control center for dogs, so if you think your dog's gotten into something toxic, you can call the poison information center.
Can I feed my dog human food?
Truthfully, in my opinion, it's okay, but it should be only a supplement to your pet's complete and balanced diet. It's really important that the diet is complete and balanced, and adding things from your table is a nice treat, but it's no substitute for that complete and balanced diet.
How do I know if the food I'm giving my dog is making them sick?
If your dog throws up or has a loose stool after you feed them, or they have excessive gas or excessive salivation after eating, then you're probably giving them the wrong diet.
Can changing my dog's diet suddenly cause harm?
For sure. The most common cause of a loose stool in your dog is an abrupt change in diet, so that's the first question I usually ask people when I'm presented with a patient with loose stools, diarrhea, or vomiting.
How does an elimination diet work?
That's a big question because we use elimination diets to find food intolerances and food allergies. An elimination diet's a big process that usually takes a minimum of six weeks, classically 12 weeks of feeding something that's very specific.
How do I know if my dog has eaten something toxic to them?
If your dog has just ingested something and he gets sick shortly afterward, you have to be suspicious that it might be some toxicity. There is a poison information center that you can call, and they have board-certified veterinary toxicologists there that can answer any question you have about toxicities.
What is the right food to feed my dog?
We recommend super premium pet foods. Basically, there are two kinds of pet food out there. Some are called grocery store diets, formulated to meet price demands, and super premium pet foods, which are called fixed formulations, so their formula never changes. Those are the ones that are always the best.
What are the essential nutrients my dog needs?
It needs protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, just like people. We do help people who want to make homemade diets. We have a website that we use, and a veterinarian nutritionist can help you formulate a homemade diet.
How will a veterinarian be able to assess if my dog is getting proper nutrition?
The veterinarian will look at your dog's general condition and activity level, take a complete history from you, and look at his coat. So it's just like with you. If you're really eating proper nutrition, you're going to have bright, shiny hair. It's the same with your dog. He's going to have a nice coat and not shed excessively or have itchy skin.
There are so many brands of dog food. How will I know the best one for my dog?
Isn't that the truth? There's no way I could keep up with it. I used to think I could, but that was back in the seventies and eighties, so you just need to speak to your veterinarian because he'll have experience in your area. In our practice, we have two brands that we recommend, and then we talk to people about super premium pet foods as the best source of nutrition for their dogs and cats.
When would my dog need a prescription diet?
Prescription diets are a really important part of our practice. If we find a chronic condition in your pet and that condition might be helped with special foods, there are prescription diets for everything from liver and kidney disease to being on cancer therapy. Your veterinarian is the guy that can help you sort all that out.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (913) 912-2319, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/NeighborhoodVets, https://www.instagram.com/neighborhoodvets
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