Dogs have a reputation for gluttons but, like people, they are different from each other. And not only when it comes to size (ranging from the Pekingese to the Doberman), they also have their tastes; hobbies and preferences. Thus, just as there are some dogs that “vacuum” everything they find on the street, there are less appetizing ones. In these cases, the owners sometimes see them and want them to eat their daily ration of feed. Ruled out any illness by visiting the vet, it is possible that our pet is simply not enthusiastic about industrially pressed food. An expert in Comparative Veterinary Nutrition gives us the tricks to get them to eat her croquettes.
We all wish broccoli and brussels sprouts tasted like a cheeseburger, and similarly, leftovers and treats are far more appealing to dogs than dry food. However, a poor diet can cause our furry severe nutritional deficiencies.
In the words of Marta Hervera, veterinarian and graduate in Veterinary Nutrition collaborating with Edgard & Cooper: “there are breeds that have a tendency to be selective and others to be very demanding. That is why it is important to adapt the food“.
Concentrated complete food
Thus, it tells us that the most satiating foods; with more fiber and fewer calories are better for gluttons. And, vice versa, those who eat little they will need to be more focused to be able to ingest all the nutrients eating little.
In addition, he explains that, in order to choose the food for our dogs well, we have to know the difference between complete and complementary food. This is something that must be specified on the packaging by law and that we will find hidden somewhere in the labeling.
The fact that a food is complete means that there are present in it the (around) 40 essential nutrients and in the necessary amounts for our pet do not need any supplement.
small ball croquette
If our dog is not appetizing, the expert recommends always giving him a small ball instead of a large one, regardless of the size of the dog. so that it costs less to chew the food.
Mixing dry food with wet food is another resource that gives good results. In addition, Hervera disproves the myth that it is harmful to do so, as some believe, because it supposedly ferments in the stomach. “In fact we ourselves also eat varied and we have no problem mixing these two types of food”, he gives us as an example.
Another trick with which we can motivate and stimulate them to eat their feed, but which is not, at the end of the month, as expensive as cans of wet food, is put some meat in the feeder. “If we limit it to just 10%, it will be a safe proportion.”
BARF, yes or no?
Given the lack of enthusiasm that some dogs show for pressed industrial food, there are owners who switch to other types of diets such as BARF, based on the ancestral diet of wolves and wild dogs. It normally consists of 40%-50% meaty bones, 30-40% meat, 10-15% organ meats, and 10% fruit and vegetables. all of it raw.
Hervera, however, is skeptical of this raw-feeding fad “because carries health risks due to the pathogens present in uncooked meat”. He explains that not only can our dogs get sick but, by excreting them, they can contaminate the house and human beings.
“Studies still don’t show, really, that there is evidence that this type of diet has benefits that outweigh the risks“says the vet.
Photos | unsplash
In Trendencias | All about the French bulldog: 14 loving photos, characteristics, curiosities and origin