As soon as you go through with a dog adoption, you will find yourself browsing the aisles of the local pet food store. Deciding on what to buy for your new friend can be hard. There are so many brands out there and numerous pieces of information on nutrition to consider. To avoid the quagmire, what you need to do is to understand what your dog needs. The purpose of this post is to help you understand what your pet really needs.
Macro & micro-nutrients
What does this mean? The macro and micro-nutrients are the ones needed to maintain healthy life and provide the building blocks for the cells. These can be micronutrients or macronutrients. They are available in many forms. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. They are needed in small amount. The macronutrients are the proteins, water, fats, fiber and carbohydrates. These offer short and long term energy and body building blocks.
After a puppy rescue, you need to make sure that you are giving your puppy the nutrients he needs else you will notice health issues. The nutrients are what determine how nutritious food is. Keep a keen eye on the list of nutrients.
- Carbohydrates
This includes grains and sugars. They offer a source of energy once they are digested. The brain uses carbohydrates as the source of energy. The food you select after a puppy adoption must be rich in carbohydrates.
- Proteins
These are mostly meat based. Plant proteins can also be included. Proteins are needed to offer long-term energy while at the same time build and maintain muscles. Proteins are also used to build cells after being broken down.
- Fats
Fats are needed for long-term energy storage and for certain functions of the brain. They offer backup energy when your dog has high energy requirements. They also help when your dog hasn’t been getting enough carbohydrates.
Care has to be taken when choosing food for your puppy. The last thing you want after a dog rescue is for the health of your dog to deteriorate because you are not feeding him properly. Avoid imbalances. Too much or too little of the micronutrients will cause all manner of health problems. Some great micronutrients are potassium, calcium, copper & magnesium, salt, vitamin A, B and L-carnitine. Deficiency or an excess of all nutrients can cause lasting effects on your dog.
Do you know what you should give your dog? If not, don’t hesitate to consult with your vet. He will assess your dog and come up with the best feeding program for him. Don’t rely on guesswork when feeding your dog.