Nutrition and health for dogs

We know you care enormously about your pets' well being, but we also want to help you care for your pets so you'll enjoy their company for many years ahead. Even the smallest variations in your care can have a tremendous influence on how your pet looks, feels and acts!

Pet owners in Europe own around 40 million dogs. And as with other dog owners, your dog is an important part of your household. So take care of your dog with love, exercise and balanced nutrition -- all of which are essential to maintain your dog's health for a long and happy life.

The special needs of adult dogs

A dog between the ages of one and six years of age is considered an adult dog. In general these dogs need controlled levels of phosphorus, sodium, protein and energy. In order to determine the unique nutritional needs for your adult dog, you need to assess your dog's activity level and breed type. Is your dog a hunting, sport or working dog? Does your dog get an average amount of exercise through daily playing and walks? Or does your dog have a low activity level and tend to gain weight easily?

It's important to know that obesity is the most common nutritional disease of dogs. In particular, the breeds with the greatest tendency for obesity are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Cairn Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Dachshunds, Pugs, Shetland Sheepdogs, Basset Hounds and Beagles. If your dog is at risk for obesity, you should assess your dog's activity level, body condition score and predisposition to fat. To control obesity, adult dogs need a food that is low in fat and calories, high in fibre to help them feel full without reducing their food intake and has a reduced level of sodium.

Active dogs, who need extra energy for work or play, need a food that meets their higher energy needs, preserves proper nutrient balance and promotes a healthy skin and coat.

A common health concern for adult dogs is kidney disease, which is the second leading cause of non-accidental death in dogs after cancer. Dietary phosphorus, protein and salt excesses may exacerbate the progression of kidney damage that leads to failure and death. Therefore, unbalanced high amounts of phosphorus, protein and salt are all nutritional risk factors once kidney disease exists. Some commercial pet foods contain excess protein, phosphorus, calcium and salt. These excess nutrients must be excreted through the kidneys and become nutritional risk factors.

The special needs of senior dogs

As in humans, a dog's body and daily activity levels change with age. To keep senior dogs healthy, owners must alter the way they care for their pets. Depending on the breed of your dog, you may need to alter your care taking by the age of five in larger dogs (50kg plus) and seven in smaller dogs.

Once your dog reaches seven years of age he enters the senior lifestage and his nutritional needs change. Senior dogs have a greater risk of developing health problems, like kidney and heart disease. They also may have special digestive needs. Therefore, a food with lower fat, phosphorus, protein and calories and with increased amounts of fibre is ideal for an older dog.

The special needs of puppies

You may already have recognised your new puppy's unique personality, but you may not realise that your puppy has unique nutritional needs, too.

We tend to think of the early years as the "healthy years" and therefore may not give enough consideration to feeding practices. But because of factors like size, breed, age, environment, exercise, heredity and many others, a "one size fits all" approach to nutrition is not appropriate. Improper feeding can increase your puppy's risk of obesity, excessively fast growth, growth-related skeletal problems, poor muscle and bone development and poor immune response.

A growing puppy needs precise levels of essential nutrients to stay his healthiest. To meet the growth and development requirements of puppies feed them a puppy food with increased amounts of energy, protein and calcium compared to adult dogs' needs.

Additionally, different types of puppies have different needs. Large breed puppies -- puppies who will weigh 25kg or more as an adult -- should be fed a food with lower calcium and fat than small- or middle-sized puppies in order to promote healthy skeletal growth for the large breed puppy.

How much and how often to feed your dog

It's important to feed your do the right amount of food at proper intervals, but that can be tricky -- feeding requirements vary greatly from one dog to another. Feeding guides on the food can or bag are just a starting point. It's critical to your dog's health that his physical condition be monitored regularly and the feeding amount be adjusted as needed.

We suggest that you or your vet evaluate your dog's physical condition every few months. For some dogs, your vet may suggest more frequent evaluations.