Dry food for small breed dogs

Dry food has long been one of the most popular feeding options for pets. Pre-blended food can help you save time and sometimes money. Such a product covers all the needs of the pet and allows you not to bother with the preparation of multi-component food. But in order for the food to bring maximum benefit to the dog, you need to choose the right one.

There are several important compositional considerations to consider when selecting dry food for small dogs as well as small breed puppies. The basis of the feed should be the basic nutrients for nutrition: protein, carbohydrates, fats. Each living creature has its own rate of these components, which must be consumed per day. It differs for different breeds and sizes of dogs and is calculated based on the weight of the animal, its age, build and other parameters.

If you do not take it into account and feed the animal with food for large breeds of dogs, this can lead to health problems of the pet, such as obesity, increased nervous excitability, lack or excess of any substances in the body, problems with internal organs, teeth, etc. etc.

Small dogs are more energetic than their larger brethren. Therefore, their food usually includes linoleic acid, as well as B vitamins. Both of these components help maintain energy reserves at the desired level.

Before buying a dry pet mixture, you need to carefully study its composition.It is important to pay attention to what the food is made of: whether there are many preservatives, by-products, dyes or other chemical components in it, the descriptions of which cannot even be found in a search engine. Already at this stage, unsuitable options can be weeded out.

• The most affordable product classes are Economy and Premium. But it is important to understand that such food will not do any good for your pet. Such feeds are not suitable for permanent nutrition if no other sources of vitamins and microelements are added to them. Food of such classes is simply not enough to cover all the animal's needs in building material for the body and energy to maintain vital functions.

Soy and offal are used for its production. In addition, producers often use food waste to replace the meat they need to feed their dogs.

Excessive consumption of dry mixes of economy class can harm the pet. Such food is not fully absorbed by the animal's body, which can lead to indigestion or other problems with the digestive system. In addition, these formulas do not contain all of the essential nutrients. This is the case when dry food necessarily requires supplementation in the form of individual vitamins or vitamin complexes and other food sources.

Diseases of the internal organs may also occur. Experts recommend not using economy-class mixtures for continuous use. It is good if the animal has such food sporadically. For example, in an emergency when the animal has nothing to eat.

• Premium feeddespite their catchy name, in fact, they have not gone very far from the products of the economy segment. A distinctive feature of such dry mixes is usually a pleasant smell and a richer taste due to flavor enhancers, dyes and other preservatives. Unlike economical options for dry mixes, premium animal fats are already an order of magnitude higher than pure vegetable fats in economy class food. But this fat is still obtained from cheap by-products and waste.

• Super premium food deservedly takes a position one step higher than the previous classes. This option is already more suitable for a pet, because its composition is of higher quality and healthier. The composition of such products includes high-quality components: instead of soy and offal, natural meat is used. But producers are not limited to meat alone. Eggs are added to the feed as an additional source of proteins and nutrients, as well as natural grains.

Due to the use of high-quality ingredients, the super-premium segment feeds are absorbed by the dog's body much better. Although these mixtures are not 100 percent assimilated, and part of the product is excreted with waste products.

A distinctive feature of the products of this segment is that such feeds can be selected for a pet with much greater accuracy. Manufacturers of super premium products often take into account not only the dog's age and physical characteristics, but also the general condition or even the lifestyle of the animal when creating various lines of food. The needs of dogs suffering from allergies or any medical conditions are met by creating specialized mixtures.

• Ideal for a balanced and healthy diet for little dogs - holistic food... The composition of such products is the most natural.It does not contain offal or any waste, only real meat and all kinds of natural ingredients are used here. In such dry mixtures, vitamins, and also prebiotics, are necessarily put, so that the feed is completely absorbed by the dog's body. This food perfectly meets all the nutritional needs of the pet and allows you to maintain it in a healthy state. It not only does not cause, but also prevents problems with the digestive system, teeth, excess weight.

Dry food for small dogs it can be as usual with a normal content of proteins, carbohydrates and fats with the composition, as well as dietary, and even low-calorie.

• The most important purpose of regular dog food is to feed your pet's body with everything it needs. Such food is intended for animals that are healthy and have no problems or abnormalities.
• Small dogs, if fed improperly, are prone to internal problems and obesity. The risk increases especially after castration or sterilization. In this case, preference should be given to dry food products marked "dietary". They are formulated with hypoallergenic foods, easily digestible protein, prebiotics and a vitamin complex to keep your dog healthy or even for treatment.
• Low-calorie dry mixes are designed for dogs with weight problems. These feeds also have a balanced composition without an abundance of carbohydrates and fats. They contain only natural ingredients, vitamin complexes and the same prebiotics that improve the functioning of the digestive system.

• Holistic-products manufacturer Innova (USA) are great for dogs with allergies. When creating feed, this company does not use wheat, rye and other cereals. Instead, the recipe uses rice.

Innova products have good taste and pleasant smell.

• Super premium products from Pro Plan created by Purina (production in France and Russia). Today, under the Pro Plan trademark, a huge number of different types of food for animals, including those for small breeds of dogs, are produced. In addition to the usual dry mixes for daily use, Purina also produces complete rations, medicinal, dietary, hypoallergenic.

• Products Hills (The Netherlands) is as well known as Purina's products. The food of this company is popular because of its high-quality composition and wide range, which allows it to satisfy all the requirements of a four-legged pet. Hills is considered the leader in the medical nutrition and animal diets segment.

• Tops the rating of mixtures of super-premium products from the brand Royal canin... The products of this manufacturer have a good composition and reasonable prices. The composition of Royal Canin food is quite varied and includes useful vitamins and minerals. Products are presented in several lines.

• The most famous brand of premium dry mixes - Pedigree (production in Russia). The main advantage of the products of this brand is the low price. The quality of the food is quite good, but the range of food is small, without taking into account the individual requirements of the animals. Pedigree also produces economy class food.

• The best selling brands of mixtures of economy class - Darling (Hungary, France) and Chappi (Russia, USA). As mentioned earlier, the composition of such feeds is as simple and cheap as possible. But the products of these companies can be found today in any store, even not specialized.

The modern abundance of dry mixes for small dogs allows you to satisfy all, even the most special needs of small four-legged pets. Now you can choose a specialized dry mixture for spayed and neutered animals, for allergy sufferers, for fastidious pets and even for dogs with certain diseases.

• To choose a dry mixture, you can ask a consultant in the store for help, listing all the parameters of the animal, its habits and features such as allergies or diseases. In this case, they will select the most suitable option for a particular pet.Today, manufacturers give a rather capacious description of each type of mixture, so you can independently familiarize yourself with the food lines and decide what your pet needs. This option will take more time, but an unprepared pet owner can also figure out all the variety of products without assistance.
• Professional products for feeding dogs are often sold by weight, which is very convenient when choosing food. You can choose several options for your pet, take 100 grams of each type and try to feed the animal with each of them to determine how suitable it is.
• The main selection criterion is the composition of the dry mix. It is best to choose those manufacturers who indicate in detail the composition of the products on the label and inspire customer confidence.
• The best option is to have several options for a suitable product for a pet, so that, if necessary, they can be replaced with each other. This will help to avoid unpleasant situations when it is not possible to buy a specific product for food.

• You can start feeding the dog with the dry mixture right after the start of the first feeding. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the animal will immediately switch from mother's milk to dry food. There are special puppy rulers that are designed for these situations.
• Feeding your dog dry food from the first days of the transition to solid food will help avoid possible problems with the restructuring of the diet in the future. After all, the animal throughout its life will eat fully and without the introduction of unfamiliar products.
• It is important to wait a while before introducing a new food into the diet in order to understand if an allergic reaction occurs. The optimal period is 2-3 days. At this time, it is better to feed the animal with proven foods that it tolerates well.
• The daily feed rate is calculated based on the parameters of the animal. It is usually indicated on the food packaging. It is important when feeding your dog dry food to provide him with constant access to drinking water to avoid dehydration, since the dry mixture does not provide any fluid for the body.
• Contrary to popular belief, you should not combine feeding with natural food and dry formula. This can cause unwanted reactions in the pet's body. The constant restructuring from one type of food to another can be bad for his health. The key to your pet's health will be a balanced, properly selected diet with the addition of vitamins and minerals.

It is believed that natural food is not ideal for a dog. Especially if it is a purebred dog with specific nutritional requirements.

Unfortunately, it is now difficult to find all the necessary vitamins and minerals in natural food, so feeding your dog with dry formula will not only save time and improve feeding convenience, but will satisfy all your dog's needs.

For an overview of 10 foods you shouldn't buy, see below.