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Why there are so many different kinds of pet foods?
Answer: No doubt, dogs have different requirements on
different life stages. Different types of diets available are designed
to meet these requirements. So, it is necessary to feed dogs according
to their life stages. Beside age of dogs, some diet characteristics
are also considered to prepare different types of dog foods including
palatability, digestibility and nutrient density.
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What differences between dry, semi-moist and canned foods?
Answer: All types of foods provide complete and
balanced nutrition but the basic difference is moisture percentage in
each diet. Dry food contains 5-10% moisture, semi-moist food contains
25-30% moisture and canned food contains more than 70% moiture. Every
food has its own advantages. Dry food includes crunchy kibbles which
heps to prevent dental tarter in dogs. Semi-moist food is more
palatable and should be given at young and older stages. Dry food can
be stored for longer duration but canned food should be stored in
cooled conditions. Canned foods are a bit costlier and helps in
prevention of urolithiasis. It is suggested to pet owners that they
should choose type of pet food according to palatability, cost and
their convenience.
Q. What recommendations should
be followed when switching puppies to adult type diet?
Answer: Most of the veterinarian recommend to start
adult type diet at the time of spaying which is generally between 8-9
months of age. Adult dogs require lesser energy than growing puppies.
Small breed puppies are counted as adult after 9-12 months of age
while larger breed puppies become adult at 12-15 months of age.
Puppies should be transfer to adult diets at above mentioned age, so
that growth of puppies would not be affected. One more point which
should be considered is that change in diet should not be sudden to
avoid digestive disturbances. Puppies should be transferred gradually
to new diet not less than 7-10 days. Adult diet should be complete and
balanced in all the nutrients.
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What are the special requirements for feeding ‘Geriatric’ dogs?
Answer: Exact nutrient requirements for geriatric dogs
are not known. Older dogs should be fed individually with special care
depending on their health and body condition. Diet should contain a
little high protein with lower fat content. Overfeeding should be
avoided which predisposes to obesity in older dogs. Obesity may lead
to several types of disorders like liver and kidney disorders,
digestive and skeletal problems. Consistency of food should not be too
hard and easily chewable. It will be more appropriate to provde
semi-moist or canned food products at older age.
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whether animal protein source is the best source of protein?
Answer: Protein quality of pet foods is determined by
availability of balanced amino acids. You can not deny the higher
biological values of animal protein. Because most of them contain the
same proportion of amino acids required for dog’s growth. But,
vegetable proteins are also quality products if they are balanced in
amino acids. Soy protein is excellent source of protein and is being
used in most of the commercial pet diets. Reports are available that
poor quality meat and poultry meals are less digestible than soybean
protein.
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What to do if dogs develop allergy to dietary protein?
Answer: Allergies are hypersensitivity reactions by the
body to foreign substances and organisms. Anything which provokes
allergy is called allergen. Although, allergy through diet is very
rare but sometimes it happens. Various skin problems or
gastrointestinal disturbances can be seen. If a dietary ingredient is
found to be suspected cause of allergy, dietary restriction is the
only solution to prevent allergy. It is said that “Prevention is
always better than cure”. Strict dietary habits can prevent dietary
allergy in dogs. Restricted diet for 2-3 months should be fed to
control allergy and removal of ingredient from the diet can prevent
recurrence.
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