Does your puppy need a different diet than your twelve year old dog? For example, the puppy needs milk as the major food item while an adult dog may need beef or chicken in addition to the boiled egg and milk. So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies in reality for the dogs like any other species.

Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates than an adult dogs.  Furthermore, puppies need more frequent feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. The movement based requirements of diet are more in the case of puppies, since they are often more active than the adult dogs.

Elder dogs need restricted protein but the protein needs to be easily digestible and easily assimilated in the body.  The diet schedule should have ample supply of water for them. Feeding aged dogs too much protein may finally lead to over burden to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters in the kidney.

This is true especially when the immune system of these dogs is compromised due to many factors.  Similarly, the elderly dogs need less food only because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.

Female dogs in the pregnancy stage need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some discomforts to the animal. However, the pregnant animal and the nursing animal need special type of food items that deliver a balanced type of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals.

The nursing animal with puppies need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium and hence, there will not be any calcium based deficiency and the bones of the puppies will be strong without any curving.

Also vitamin and mineral supplements are the most important components in any dog’s feeding. If there is a balance in the vitamin and mineral supplements, then the animal will have a healthy life and hence, the immunity is not compromised in an unwanted way.  This simply means that there the dog will be more disease resistance against various diseases.

Pet owners should know that vitamins A, D, E, and K are the fat-soluble vitamins and others are water-soluble vitamins.  Vitamins like thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin are important for the functions of nervous system.  Deficiency of vitamin A leads to night blindness and skin lesions and deficiency of vitamin D leads to the softening and weakening of the bones.

These problems are many a time encountered by the dog owners. Among these, vitamin A toxicities may occur if you feed them in excessive amounts, like vitamin D. Hence, give emphasis on this while you are using these vitamins in the dogs. Cod liver oil from selected fishes has more vitamin A in them and are universally good feed for dogs. 

All dogs may not need supplements of minerals or vitamins to live well for the moment, but it is important for their future.  If they become sick or aged or very young without proper feeding, supplementations are required for the upkeep of health status in them.  However, one has to follow the instructions of veterinarian in this regard.   

If the dogs are fed with fish in frozen conditions, then they may be suffering constantly from vitamin B1 deficiency and hence, such dogs need to be given specifically B1. Careless supplementations of minerals may lead to diseases and hence, veterinarians always need to be consulted on the supplementation of minerals or vitamins. 

Minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper etc. are given more emphasis in addition to sodium and potassium. Zinc is related to skin health and potassium is related to the muscle health and calcium with phosphorus is related to the bone health.

However, if you feed the dog with chicken, mutton or beef along with required vegetables, artificial supplementation of mineral or vitamin tablets may be highly reduced but supplements need to be thought of when you are not able to maintain a balanced nutrition as this happens with most of the dogs, due to multifaceted causes. 

This recipe for treats makes about 3 dozen, prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 50 minutes.

Ingredients:

175 (¾ c) hot water
80 ml (1/3 c) butter
150 ml (1/2 cup) dry milk
5 ml (1 t) salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
710 ml (3 c) whole wheat flour
 
Preparation & Cooking:
Pour hot water over butter, then slowly stir in milk, salt, and egg. Add flour 150 ml (1/2 cup) at a time until combined, then knead for 5 minutes or until a stiff dough is formed. Roll to ½” thickness and cut into desired shapes or sizes. Bake at 160º (325º F) for 50 minutes. Cool overnight.

There you have it – you’re all set to make your dogs the absolute best in natural food and treats. While it may take a little bit longer than that weekly trip to the store, you’ll most likely save money, your dog will be healthier, and you won’t believe the creativity and imagination this will inspire in your mind. Go ahead, experiment!

The simplest and most common way of administering medicine to the dog is by mouth. The pet owner will be called upon to perform this task at some time or other, so it is advisable that he master the basic technique at the earliest opportunity.

In giving a dog a pill, the animal is first placed in a sitting position. The left hand is then put over the bridge of the animal’s nose, and with the thumb from one side and the fingers from the other, gentle pressure is applied to the animal’s cheeks so that they press against the teeth of its upper jaw. The pill is held between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. While the pressure of the cheeks against the teeth is maintained with the left hand, the dog’s mouth is gently forced open with the middle finger of the right hand. Ordinarily the dog will not attempt to close its mouth because it would be biting down against its own cheeks. The pill is then quickly thrust far into the mouth onto the roof of the tongue. The dog will then swallow the pill by reflex action. This can be encouraged by tickling the throat region from the outside, with the thumb and the forefinger, after the mouth is closed.

It is best to administer liquid medicines in a small glass vial or bottle. With the animal in the sitting position, the open end of the vial is placed in the pouch of loose skin between the animal’s teeth and the corner of its lips (buccal pouch). The medicine is given slowly, and the speed of administration should be gauged by the rapidity with which the animal swallows. Care should be taken not to have the dog’s head raised too high. Ask your veterinarian to demonstrate these simple procedures.

In addition to giving oral medication, the veterinarian may administer medicines by way of the rectum; on, into, or under the skin; into the nose directly or by inhalation; into muscles, the trachea, veins, joints, and the spine; and on mucous membranes.