Often, dogs are always fed with the same food, which means that a sudden change in their diet may take a while for their digestive system to adapt. Therefore, it is important to introduce the new food gradually. This allows your dog /cat to adjust to their new diet and also reduces the possibility of an upset stomach.
Start by mixing 25% of the new food with 75% of the old food. Slowly change the proportions over the next three to five days, gradually increasing the amount of new feed and decreasing the amount of the old feed. At the end of this transition process, your pet should be eating only the new feed.
When implementing the change from an industrial feed to a natural one, our pet's body is detoxified, getting rid of all chemicals. The liver stops receiving these substances, allowing it to cleanse itself. During this process, you may notice that your pet will drink more water than usual as these substances must be eliminated through the kidneys.
A recurring problem in the food industry is that many of these feeds have added antioxidants (BHA and BHT) and preservatives (antifungal) that cause negative effects on the intestinal flora, as they block the natural growth of certain necessary bacteria. These ingredients may cause serious diseases such as cancer, ibd, etc.
WATER
70 percent of our pets’ body is made of water, which is vital for cell function and the lubrication of tissues. In fact, water is more important for your dog or cat than any other nutrient. In hot weather, or if your pet is sick, especially with diarrhea, water is even more important than any food, so please make sure that they always have fresh, clean water available.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD OUR PET DRINK DAILY?
Per kilo of body weight, a dog drinks an average of about 55ml of water a day. A dog weighing 5 kg must drink 275 ml, a dog weighing 25 kg must drink 1375 ml. Normal fluid intake can vary by plus or minus 20 percent and depends on various factors. For example, the climate and temperature. When a dog pants, more liquid is lost through evaporation and has to be replenished. Also different foods can cause a more pronounced thirst. Dogs that eat wet food ingest a certain amount of liquid with it. If the food is dry, the need for water is greater. The food composition may also influence the need for liquid. Dog owners should regularly monitor the amount of water their pets drink. It is easy to notice if the need suddenly diminishes or increases. Both can be indicative of a disease, for example, increased thirst can be a sign of diabetes or, in the case of females, an infection of the uterus.
DO NOT OVERFEED
Many dogs have large appetites and will eat whatever they are given. The better the quality of the ingredients with which the feed is manufactured, the more appealing it will seem to our pets, so we need to be aware to not overfeed.
Dogs should eat just enough to keep them fit and healthy. Remember that there are many brands of feed using added chemical flavorings that eventually harm our pets’ health. It is important to read food labels to determine the amount of chemicals and additives. Make sure the feed is as natural as possible to make our pets’ diet healthier.
Normally all feeds have a daily dosing table, which is always indicative. If a dog remains very thin after giving it the recommended amount, try increasing the dose, the opposite should be performed if the dog is gaining weight.
Occasionally, our pet may seem hungry, but its physical appearance will be the best key to knowing how much food should be given, remember that it is important for our pets to have 2 meals a day and preferably always at the same time.
GOODIES
We all love to give our pet goodies or treats. However, goodies should be given in moderation and should represent five percent or less of the daily food intake of your dog. The rest must come from a nutritionally complete feeding program.
When you have to use rewards frequently, for example, during training exercises, try using the smallest pieces possible.
ETHOXYQUIN
Technological or synthetic antioxidants, used to preserve fats and oils. Many countries have already banned their use in humans as it has been proven that they can be carcinogenic in animals and possibly in humans.
This antioxidant was developed by Monsanto as a rubber stabilizer, it has also been used as a pesticide for fruit and a color preservative for spices, and later for animal feed. Its presence in food has been linked to alterations in the thyroid, kidneys, reproductive and immune systems as well as causing cancer.
There are still pending studies to determine the safety of its use in dog food, so its use is allowed for the moment.
On a historical note, ethoxyquin was recorded in 1965 in the EPA as a pesticide and herbicide
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/aeru/footprint/es/Reports/280.htm
The University of Nagoya Medical School in Japan, has conducted a series of studies that showed ethoxyquin and its relationship with kidney and bladder failure, as well as a high incidence of stomach tumors. It is noteworthy that Japan is one of the countries that have banned the use of this substance in human food.
While some pet food critics and veterinarians believe that ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease in our pets, from allergies and / or food intolerances, skin problems, infertility in dogs to kidney disease and cancer, others claim that is the most safe, strong and stable pet food preservative.
Ethoxyquin has never been tested as a safe food ingredient in cats and dogs. However, it is commonly used in their daily diet.
FEED FORM AND COLOUR
Natural feeds have small variations in size, color and shape of the pellets, this is due to the variety of ingredients. Pet owners should keep in mind that the more traditional the manufacturing process is, the less uniformity will be in the shape and size of kibble, these variations can be likened to homemade bread versus industrial bread. Homemade bread loaves will never resemble each other a 100%, but their flavor and consistency will be much better than industrial bread.
The smell of our pets’ food is what really catches their attention when they eat it, the bright colors, are made for marketing purposes for the pet owners who seem to find attractive the fact that a feed comes in colors, believing they are the extract of ingredients.
A curious fact is that during lactation, the food the mother eats will influence the olfactory preference of the puppies as certain foods will produce flavors in the breast milk ingested, and these flavours will condition a gustatory behavior in the puppy.
Food odor will influence the dog to accept it or not, but also the recipients smell. That is, if the bowl, for whatever reason, emanates an unpleasant odor, the food will be rejected by our pet.
Once the dog smells the food and likes it, he will eat it, almost without chewing, swallowing it whole. Once they put the food in their mouth, they no longer smell it again, they still feel its texture, taste and temperature, but they will quickly swallow it. In short, the dog will smell the food, and then it will swallow it.
There are also abnormalities in dog feeding behavior produced by pathological problems, social problems with other animals and especially, those caused by pet owners who do not take care of their pets as they should.
When we see that our dog does not eat, we think it may be for several reasons: fever, sexual excitement in males, competition for food when there are several animals, a dominant dog that does not let the rest come to the feeder, or just because the food is off. Any questions regarding why your pet does not eat should be consulted with a veterinarian to find the reason.
Other times we find that our dog eats too much. This may be due to a hormonal problem, boredom or competition for food if they live with several animals.
There are also dogs that eat everything they have at their disposal and is often a depressive syndrome. Sometimes dogs eat grass to purge themselves but the grass leads to an irritation of the gastric mucosa and will induce vomiting. You should be aware that when the dog ingests grass it also eats any insecticide or fertilizer present. This may result in anything from vomiting to a severe gastroenteritis.
Finally, you may find that some dogs eat their excrement. This is called coprophagia. They will eat their own and even that of other dogs. This is usually due to problems in the assimilation of food. In these cases it would be useful to know the number of bowel movements that the animal has per day and if necessary, conduct an analysis of feces to determine the causes of the coprophagia.
