Friday, August 29, 2008

How To Keep Your Dog Fit Without Dog Food

Calorie Requirements For Dogs - How Much To Feed Your Dog


If you seen the results from several canned dog food investigations, you may have decided that you can do a better job feeding your dog food that you have prepared for them. But feeding a balanced diet may be harder to calculate than you may think. Let me give you a few things to consider before taking on this huge responsibility.



How much is too much? When it comes to keeping your dog fit and not overweight, you will need to consider how much you need to feed your dog. It all comes down to calories...the same way it is for the rest of us. In order for us to maintain our weight,and not gain pounds, we have to stick with the correct calorie recommendations for our body type, and size.




This is the same guideline we need to follow with our own dog. The average calorie requirement is 30 calories per pound of body weight per day to maintain their current body weight. A smaller active dog under 20 pounds can use up to 40 calories per pound per day. While a large dog over 50 pounds can get by with as little as 20 calories per pound per day.




But there are many factors to consider when determining the right amount of caloric intake for your dog. Inactive dogs or neutered dog in hot climates require less calories, while a working dog, herding dog, or one that spends the majority of their day outside may require above the average amount of calories.




Your dogs individual metabolism, exercise, age, environment and overall health will all help to determine what your dog really needs to remain lean and healthy. If your dog is overweight, increase his exercise, and decrease the calorie intake. A good rule of thumb would be to keep their calories at 60% of the normal requirement.




A complete chart of the "Caloric Requirements" for dogs based on these various needs...as well as recommendations for feeding your dog a balanced diet can be found when following the link below. It may surprise you when you see what food is good for your dog, and what food you should NEVER feed your dog.



READ MORE - CLICK HERE - THE DOG FOOD SECRETS


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