How and what to feed a Shar Pei?

When choosing a pet, you need to familiarize yourself with its features. Having stopped your gaze on the Shar Pei, you should study in great detail the issue of feeding the animal of this breed, since proper nutrition is very important for these dogs. It is the primary need, the satisfaction of which is necessary for the normal functioning of your pet's body.

The diet of small sharpei should include a lot of foods containing protein. The smaller the dog is, the more minerals and nutrients it needs for the normal functioning of the body. From birth to complementary feeding, the correct development of babies depends on what their mother is feeding. Up to two months of age, babies feed on breast milk. Complementary foods begin to be introduced gradually at 1 month. From this period, the menu should only consist of 30% from milk, and 70% should be other products. All ingredients of the new food must be of high quality and fresh.

It is very important not to wean the puppies from their mother for the first month. On artificial feeding, a small Shar Pei will not die, but he will have a number of problems, in particular, dysbiosis. From birth to one month old, the cubs feed every 2-3 hours, taking a break for the night, which is 4-6 hours. From 1 month old, complementary foods should contain boiled minced meat and low-fat broth. In addition to mother's milk, goat and cow are introduced into the diet. From ready-made feeds, you can offer your pet pates for puppies, the portion size directly depends on the rate of development. You need to feed about 5-6 times a day.

From 2 months, new products can be introduced into the menu, but you need to carefully monitor so that there is no allergic reaction of the body. If, after adding any product, a rash or irritation of the mucous membranes appears, this food should be removed from the menu. At 2 months, cottage cheese and low-fat kefir and yogurt are added to the diet of babies. A small dog should be given food 4–5 times a day, and breast milk should not be included in the diet.

From 3 months old, the little Shar Pei moves to a new home, he receives the first vaccinations, which can cause stress, which will be expressed in food allergies. If this happens, consultation with a veterinarian is required, who will prescribe antihistamines. If the dog is in good health, the treatment will be successful. You can add to the diet: rice, buckwheat, boiled chicken egg yolks, raw quail eggs, vegetable soup. If a Shar Pei begins to eat ready-made food and he develops an allergy, this food should be replaced with a hypoallergenic one.

From 4-6 months, the Shar Pei menu becomes much wider. With natural nutrition, it includes: dairy products, chicken and quail eggs, raw and boiled meat, boiled offal, small quantities of cottage cheese, leather, cereals, vegetables and porridge with meat. During this period, you need to monitor the cleanliness of the dog's face after feeding, since very often the porridge remains in the folds of the skin, which can lead to its infection with bacteria.

When choosing ready-made meals, preference should be given food for dog breeds with allergies. The size of the portions depends on the personality of the dog and its tendencies. Full feeding takes place 3-4 times a day, as well as 2-3 small snacks.

From the age of six months to one year, the Shar Pei has already developed a taste. If you have a food allergy, you already know which foods. Dogs without allergies are best fed a natural diet. It includes the following products:

• meat;
• milk;
• dairy products;
• boiled river fish;
• raw sea fish;
• eggs;
• cereals;
• vegetables, except for potatoes and cabbage;
• greens;
• unsweetened fruits;
• offal such as heart, cow's udder and lungs.

You need to feed your pet at this age 2-3 times a day. The portion size is finally set by the year and does not change anymore. Vitamins in the menu of puppies with natural nutrition are introduced from birth. Up to a year they are given constantly. After reaching this age, supplements are given in courses.

There are many natural beneficial supplements, but if a dog develops an individual intolerance to a particular supplement, stop using it and transfer the pet to an industrial vitamin complex. And also when drawing up a diet, it should be borne in mind that In addition to food, clean water is very important for the normal functioning of a Shar Pei. Therefore, it is required to provide free access to it.

Sharpei by nature are allergic and capricious animals. For this reason, you should be careful when choosing a natural diet for them. Consider the following guidelines:

• the main product of the menu is meat, but only low-fat varieties, for example, rabbit, chicken and turkey, and you can also give your pet beef and lean parts of lamb;
• per day in the dog's diet, half of the portion of meat should be offal. These include the lungs, kidneys, udder of a cow, beef heart, skin and cartilage;
• fish menu: halibut, haddock, pink salmon and hake; sometimes you can give perch and mackerel, but river fish is added to food only boiled;
• Shar-Pei stomach is very delicate, so that it can easily digest vegetables and fruits, they are given in ground form; from vegetables and fruits of this breed of animals, you can broccoli, beets, apples and tomatoes;
• low-fat dairy products can be added to the dog's diet, if it does not have lactose intolerance; this type of food is given no more than 1 time a week, be sure to carefully and observe the reaction;
• eggs are added to the diet 1-2 pieces per week; preference is given to quail;
• porridge is given on the water if the pet has a lack of mass; permitted cereals: rice, oats and buckwheat;

To exclude health problems in the animal, you need to observe the correct percentage of products when drawing up the menu, namely:

• meat and boiled river fish or raw sea fish - 50%;
• cereals and porridge on the water - 25%;
• vegetables and fruits - 20%;
• eggs and low-fat dairy products - 5%.

Sometimes a Shar Pei will refuse to eat simply because he is not in the mood. This refers to the characteristics of the breed. Cooking natural food at home is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. But there is a good alternative, to cook for future use. Roll up in jars or freeze.

Many owners prefer to feed their pets with ready-made food. When using industrial feed in food, no additional vitamin supplements are required. Many Shar-Pei like this type of food more than boiled cereals with vegetables. When choosing a product, you should give preference to products super premium. And before buying, check the composition. Feed must be free of corn, soy and wheat.

Dogs of this breed cannot be fed with economy class food - it is harmful to their health due to inappropriate composition. It is necessary to choose food without food additives, preservatives and flavor enhancers. When feeding a pet with finished products, you should alternate such types as:

• dry food;
• semi-moist;
• wet;
• goodies.

When choosing a feed, you can be guided by the rating of manufacturers. They are classified into several groups. The best firms are represented by the following:

• Artemis Maximal Dog;
• Orijen;
• Go Natural.

Good companies are represented by the following:

• Canidae;
• Acana;
• Innova.

Medium brands include the following:

• Biomil;
• Nutro Ultra Holistic;
• Eagle Pack Holistic Select.

The best choice for feeding Shar Pei is hypoallergenic food. It belongs to the super premium or holistic classes and, by definition, cannot be cheap. When buying, in addition to the composition, you need to pay attention to the expiration date, the country of the supplier and the integrity of the package. And also a large number of fakes of popular brands began to appear in stores, therefore at the slightest doubt, you should ask the seller for a product certificate, since your pet's health is above all, and goods without documentation can be harmful.

Sharpies should not be given leftover food from their table. You should remove foods such as:

• pasta;
• sweets and foods containing sugar, as they cause allergies;
• bones will not benefit your pet;
• pork and fatty parts of lamb;
• cereals, except for those permitted;
• sausages due to the large amount of spices and flavor substitutes in the composition;
• sweeteners, grapes and chocolate;
• bread products containing yeast;
• marinades, spices, flavorings.

Important! Only very small amounts of salt and raw chicken eggs are allowed.

There are two types of feeding.

Nutrition according to the regimen is considered more correct, since the owner can completely control the entire process. The regime food is as follows:

• fasting days should be about 2 times a month;
• a clear time for dispensing food;
• strictly 15 minutes for feeding, after which the bowl is removed;
• gradual introduction of new products;
• rest after meals - an hour and a half without games;
• adding vitamin supplements during daytime feeding;
• preference for one type of feeding, it is not allowed to mix natural products and dry food.

Important! The frequency of meals for an adult and a puppy is different. Upon reaching the age of one year, it is enough to feed the dog 2 times a day.

No diet is not suitable for Shar-Pei cubs. At least until you reach one year of age, you should adhere to the compiled regimen. Unlimited Mode is manifested in the following:

• it is suitable for lactating individuals and pregnant women, since the dog in position consumes much more food than usual, this method will allow it to eat according to its needs;
• this mode is a priority for a group of Shar-Pei;
• it helps to identify the needs of the animal; the pet will independently be able to choose the time when to eat and portions;
• it is suitable for a sick dog.

This type of feeding has such disadvantages as:

• the appearance of excess weight in the dog;
• loss of appetite will go unnoticed, respectively, you can skip the presence of a disease in a pet;
• irrational use of feed, increased waste of the owner;
• the appearance of diseases of the skeletal system is possible;
• not suitable for puppies.

Diet food is suitable for feeding in this way. It will help prevent obesity. When choosing the type of feeding for an adult healthy dog ​​of this breed, it is better to decide in favor of a regimen. For Shar-Pei, this is more correct.

It is worth adhering to the following recommendations from experts:

• two types of food cannot be mixed; it is advisable to decide from the very birth of the dog what to feed the pet;
• you need to pay extra attention to the organization of meals and walking;
• Shar Pei nutrition depends on the season - in winter, low-calorie foods should be given to the animal, and complex vitamin supplements should be added to the diet in summer;
• the feeding regimen is organized taking into account the development, age and characteristics of the dog.

For information on how and what to feed the Shar Pei, see the next video.