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Feeding your dog the right nutrients and a complete, balanced diet doesn’t have to be a head-scratcher. Find out how to choose the right dog food, how often to feed your dog, how to handle treats and supplements, and much more.
We often find ourselves wanting to share our meals with our furry companions. While it's natural to want to share every aspect of our lives with them, should we really include dogs in our gastronomic adventures? Let’s find out!
The answer is both yes and no. While dogs are omnivores and can eat a variety of foods, their digestive systems differ significantly from ours. This means that some human foods that are perfectly safe for us can actually be harmful or even toxic to our canine companions.
Here are some safe and healthy human foods dogs can eat:
Beware of these common human foods that are toxic to dogs:
While it's certainly tempting to share our meals with our beloved furry companions, it's crucial to remember that their dietary needs are distinct from ours. Human foods, even those seemingly harmless, can be detrimental to a dog's health.
Why? Unlike human food, dog food is specially formulated to meet their specific nutritional requirements. It's a carefully balanced diet packed with proteins, essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients vital for their overall well-being.
For instance, IAMS dog food is crafted with your dog's health in mind. It provides a range of benefits such as:
Our ultimate goal is to take the best care of our dogs. This means feeding them with nutrient-rich foods that cater to their specific dietary needs. By choosing the right food, like IAMS products, you ensure that your dog stays healthy, energetic, and happy.
Yes, you can feed your dog certain healthy human foods. Carrots, cooked salmon, blueberries, cooked eggs, and unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter are safe options. However, always introduce new foods gradually and in moderation to avoid digestive issues and ensure your dog's health.
Cooking human foods for dogs is possible, provided you choose safe ingredients and avoid harmful seasonings or oils. Foods like scrambled eggs, plain cooked salmon, and carrots are nutritious for dogs. Remember, cooked meals should complement, not replace, a diet primarily made of dog-specific food.
The best food for your dog is a balanced diet formulated specifically for their nutritional needs. Brands like IAMS offer [dog food] that provides balanced nutrition, including proteins, essential vitamins, and minerals. These cater to specific life stages and breeds, ensuring your dog's overall well-being.
When it comes to maintaining the overall health of our dogs, we often overlook the importance of their gut health. This is where canine probiotics and prebiotics come into play. These are beneficial microbes that reside in your dog's gastrointestinal system, aiding in food digestion, fighting off potential pathogens, and bolstering the immune system.
Probiotics for dogs, derived from the Latin word 'for' (pro) and the Greek 'life' (bio), are friendly bacteria and yeasts that are essential for your dog's health. They are designed to restore and maintain a healthy balance of microflora in your dog's gut. The types of bacteria usually found in canine probiotics include:
Prebiotics may sound like the opposite of probiotics, but in reality, the two go hand in hand. Prebiotics are nutrients that nourish and promote the growth of these good bacteria already living in the colon. They are essential in ensuring that probiotics function at their optimal best.
Probiotics are a necessary addition to a dog’s diet. Here are a few benefits of this nutrient:
They are generally used when the balance of microbes in a dog's gut gets disrupted due to stress, dietary changes, or antibiotic use, leading to health problems including digestive upsets.
Probiotics for dogs have been shown to help manage diarrhoea and improve gut health. They work by restoring the balance of good bacteria in your dog's gut, which can be disrupted due to various factors.
The benefits of probiotics for dogs extend beyond just good gut health. They can also aid in reducing the need for antibiotic treatment and shorten the duration of diarrhoea. In fact, a 2009 Irish study found that supplementation with a specific strain of Bifidobacterium Animalis reduced diarrhoea duration from seven to four days.
The answer is yes. Puppies can benefit from dog-specific probiotics. These can help them develop a balanced intestinal bacteria ecosystem, support a healthy immune system, and reduce the occurrence of diarrhoea, constipation, and infections of the digestive tract.
Yes, it's critical to consult your vet before introducing probiotics or prebiotics for dogs into your pet's diet. There are many probiotic preparations out there, and not all of them are of high quality and backed up with evidence. Your vet will be able to advise the best option for your dog.
As the importance of gut health in dogs becomes more recognised, various supplements containing canine probiotics have emerged. One such supplement is our IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Digestive Health Supplement. This soft-chew food supplement is a blend of prebiotics and probiotics that ensures healthy digestion.
If your dog has been experiencing signs like diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, or vomiting, it might indicate that their digestive system is not functioning properly. In this case, a probiotic supplement with Bacillus Subtilis and Fructooligosaccharide can be a good investment. They help degrade organic matter in the feces, reducing ammonia production and fecal odour as well as nourish the good bacteria in the colon of the dog.
The benefits of probiotics for dogs are substantial. They help maintain a healthy gut, which plays a vital role in your dog's overall health. By incorporating probiotics into your dog's diet, you're taking a step towards ensuring that your furry friend leads a healthier, happier life.
