Mealtimes are usually one of the highlights of your dog’s daily routine. They can always be improved upon by:
• Make sure your dog’s feeding bowl is big enough to get his nose in.
• A bowl which moves around whilst your dog feeds can be frustrating. Buy one which has grippy rubber feet - see your local Trophy Nutritional Advisor for one.
• Wash out water and food bowls daily. Scummy dishes or bowls encrusted with stale old food may soon cause your dog to lose his healthy appetite.
• Try splitting your dog’s daily ration into two meals rather than feeding just once a day - this will help with digestion and general well being.
Feeding two different types of food together
Research has shown that some pet owners like to feed complete dried food with tinned dog food / tripe. Whilst this may seem OK to do, it can produce problems:
• Digestive problems
• Tooth decay and Doggy Odour
• Frequent and messy bowel movements
• Becoming overweight
• Hyperactivity
• Kidney failure
• The cost of feeding both pushes up the monthly food bill.
• All the benefits of feeding a complete food are lost in adding the tinned food. (Please talk to your Trophy Nutritional Advisor or call the customer care and advice hotline 01367 240333 to discuss the benefits of a Trophy Complete Food)
If you are feeding both, gradually reduce the amount of tinned food fed, over a two-week period, until you are just feeding a tsp of tinned food. Then cut out tins altogether. Your dog will enjoy the crunchy texture and taste of the complete food on its own. Check you are now giving the correct amount of complete food. You will benefit from less cost and food that is very easy to feed, just place the correct amount in a clean bowl.
Cooking your own food for your pet, may seem like common sense, but it is impossible to get it balanced and in the correct proportions. Pet owners sometimes think, rightly so, that their dog is a carnivore and therefore should just eat meat or tripe with some form of carbohydrate. They are carnivores, but in killing and eating the rabbit, the pheasant, the rodent they will be eating cereal, vegetables etc, as it is this, that, the rabbit / pheasant etc. eats. They will eat the whole animal fur included, which acts as a dietary fibre and as such, cooking your own for your pet, feeding tripe or such like, does not reflect the true needs of a carnivore. It is also a pain to do and with the balanced, tasty, complete foods around these days, completely unnecessary.
To change from cooking your own to feeding a complete diet, does need perseverance and a wee bit of time. Going straight from cooked/raw meat one day to a complete diet the next day will not work. Gradually reduce the amount of meat, mixing it with moist complete food, over a 5 day period, then just feed moist complete food for a further 5 days, then gradually reduce the amount of water until it is fed dry.
Bones
Never give cooked bones to your dog. They can easily crunch them up and it can cause obstructions in the gut or lead to colic and constipation. If you want to give your dog a bone it must be large and raw - large knucklebones are reasonably safe as they won't splinter and can't be swallowed.
Table Scraps
These should never be the primary source of food for your pet as they can be high in fat and can cause stomach disorders.
Chocolate & Sweets
These are extremely high in calories and can lead to dental disease and obesity. Chocolate in excess can be toxic to your pet. It contains an ingredient called theobromine, which can accelerate the heart rate and lead to vomiting, muscular tremors and death.
Treats and titbits can be great for training but remember that if you use a lot, you may cause your dog to gain weight. Every one loves to treat their dog, so buy ones that compliment their main diet - again your local Trophy Nutritional Advisor can help. Even if your dog is on a diet, it doesn’t mean that he can’t enjoy the odd treat between meals - but remember just the one. Also you can try using low-calorie alternatives like raw carrot or crunchy apple. Some dogs love to chase an ice cube around and crunch it up, or you could use pieces of his dry food. Your Local Trophy Nutritional Advisor has a huge variety of treats to choose from and you’ll soon find out which are your dog’s favourites. Grade them in order of preference, keeping the ones he likes best for use in training, or when asking him to do things he finds difficult.
