The Dog Digest can help you find the best dog food for small dogs
If you’re about to adopt a small breed dog, you may falsely believe that they need less food than their larger buddies. The truth is small breeds actually need more calories per pound than large dogs. This is just one of many curious facts about them and especially about their nutritional needs.
Small and toy breed dogs are special in many ways. Even though they are usually perky and audacious, they need extra care from you to thrive. The lively little furballs may suffer greatly if you give them the wrong kind of dog food. That’s why many manufacturers make food specially designed for small breeds.
The problem is many of these dietary options cater to your small pooch’s needs only on paper (i.e., on the picture of the packaging). There are many brands intended for adult dogs in general that are better suited for your fluff than these foods. Apart from food, dog treats should also be provided to dogs.
In a sea of choices, it is difficult to choose the best for your pup. As you’re probably aware, there are numerous sites online that deal with proper dog nutrition. You can’t trust them because they often provide completely contrary information, and it’s almost impossible to know who to trust. Many of these sites even provide dog food reviews, but the majority of them are affiliated with certain food brands, and you know their reviews are biased.
TheDogDigest is different—it’s a legit site about everything dog-related run by dedicated pet parents. Ranging from the best dog food brands to the best dog grooming products, everything is available at one page. Moreover, If you are interested in online dog grooming courses, you can also get the specific info here easily as it is possible to get a dog grooming certificate online. They are on a mission to combat misinformation about dog breeds, mixed breed dogs, what they should eat, and many other topics related to your pooch’s wellbeing.
The importance of a balanced diet
Contrary to what many people still believe, dogs are not carnivores. They need a colorful diet with a wide range of nutrients, including protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This means that—just like us—they need fruits, veggies, grain, and other food groups in their diet aside from meat.
Commercial food in the U.S. is loosely regulated, and if you find the statement “complete and balanced” on the package, you’ll at least know that the food satisfies the minimum nutritional requirements of your dog. This can help, but as you already know, healthy food is not only about quantity but also about quality.
The kibble you picked may contain an appropriate amount of protein, but what is the source of it? If it comes from “animal by-product,” you should know something’s fishy. By-products can be anything from beaks and muzzles to chicken legs. You don’t want your pup to eat that!
Another thing to be careful about is picking the food that only contains whole ingredients. Various vegetable derivatives, wheat meals, and similar dubious ingredients are to be avoided. Artificial substances are a big no-no as well. Flavor enhancers, artificial colors and preservatives, and other substances of the sort have no place in your pooch’s diet.
Small dogs have different dietary requirements than medium and large breeds
As we’ve shown you at the beginning, the small size of your pooch can be deceptive. It can lead you to make false assumptions about the nutritional needs of your tiny furball. They are small in stature but large in spirit, and you should feed them at least four times a day to keep them happy and bouncy.
Small pups are prone to a condition called hypoglycemia, which is directly in correlation with their diet. Hypoglycemia is just a fancy word for low blood sugar. They are prone to it because of their high metabolism and insufficient fat reserves in their tiny bodies. That’s why you need to be extra careful about what and how often you feed them.
Another thing TheDogDigest has brought to our attention is the fact that small pooches have smaller mouths and narrower throats, which is why the size of their food chunks matters. This is especially true for dry food as regular kibble can be too large for your fluff to chew and swallow and might pose a choking hazard. Many commercial food brands offer different kibble sizes, so choose carefully.
Even though small dogs need more calories per pound and more meals a day, that doesn’t mean you should overfeed them. Because of their tiny stature, small dogs could suffer some serious consequences of obesity, such as osteoarthritis and diabetes.
To learn more about dog food for small breeds, go to TheDogDigest
There are only a handful of facts we learned about small dog nutrition from TheDogDigest. They offer an extensive and well-researched article about the subject where they list the best small dog food options. If you want to find out more about the subject, visit TheDogDigest and enjoy reading their top-notch content.
When you finish reading up on dog food for small pooches, we strongly recommend you explore the website further. It is an inexhaustible source of valuable information and fun content for dog owners and future dog parents.
