Most dogs are not picky about food. However, they cannot tolerate everything. On the contrary. Much of what is digestible for us humans can be toxic for dogs. Since puppies are smaller and more delicate, this is especially true for them. The right nutrient ratio also plays an even more important role in puppy feeding. But what can we give our puppy to eat and what not?
The right food – especially important for puppies
Dogs are descended from wolves. Wolves are carnivores (meat eaters) because they feed on prey. Dogs have a long history in common with us and, especially after grain cultivation began, they ate more and more, which had little to do with prey. This has led to changes in DNA and metabolism. That’s why dogs are now considered more of the karni-omnivores. They are omnivores. Nevertheless, meat should still be the main component of their diet, with which they can fully meet their nutritional needs, which is not the case with a purely plant-based diet.
Adult dogs usually cope quite well with temporary malnutrition without falling ill immediately. It’s different with puppies. Since puppies and young dogs are still growing, the right nutrient ratio is particularly important for them. Your puppy’s main food should therefore be balanced and cover all of their needs. Otherwise it could lead to health problems in the long term, e.g. B. the joints come.
As long as the basic food is balanced, it is of secondary importance whether you give your dog ready-made food or put together and prepare the food yourself. If you choose the latter, it is advisable to do a ration calculation in advance and have someone who knows the nutritional needs of a puppy draw up a feeding plan for you.
Treats and snacks – that’s what a puppy is allowed to eat
As a reward or as a little change, we like to give our puppies treats or a small snack in between. If your puppy’s main food is balanced and you don’t overdo it with snacks, you don’t need to be too careful and don’t necessarily include any of it in the ration calculation.
Commercially available treats, if possible without sugar and colorings, naturally dried chews, sometimes a piece of cheese, a spoonful of natural yoghurt, boiled potatoes or some vegetables, e.g. B. carrots, puppies usually tolerate without any problems if the quantities are small at first. A puppy can’t digest everything. For example, if you feed raw vegetables with strong cell walls, your dog may pass them out undigested.
Don’t try too many new foods at once, but rather all of them one after the other. This way you can quickly see if there is something that he cannot tolerate and you can avoid it in the future.
Change of diet – very carefully with puppies
Puppies initially have a very sensitive digestive tract. Few can tolerate the wrong food and sudden changes in food without reacting with digestive problems such as diarrhea and vomiting.
If a puppy moves in with you, it is best to continue feeding it the food from its breeder or previous owner for the first few days. If you don’t like this lining, you can change it up little by little. To do this, wait a few days for your pup to settle in, as even the excitement of a new home can affect digestion. After that, over a period of several days, they gradually replace a little more of the usual food with the new food.
You must not feed this to your puppy
A dog’s metabolism is different from that of a human. There are components of our food that dogs cannot metabolize due to a lack of enzymes. The result is that these ingredients are not broken down by the dog’s body, where they can cause damage and poison the dog. Puppies and adult dogs are not allowed to eat the following foods. This list is incomplete. Before you give your pup anything to eat that is not usually on a dog’s menu, please find out in advance about its ingredients and how well it is tolerated.
- Chocolate – Cocoa contains theobromine, which can be fatal to dogs even in fairly small amounts.
- Grapes / Raisins – The consumption of grapes or raisins in dogs initially leads to digestive problems and eventually to kidney failure.
- avocado– Avocado contains persin, which is toxic to dogs. It lurks mainly in the leaves and seeds. It should only be contained in small amounts in the pulp. However, since there do not appear to be any reliable sources for this, we advise against feeding avocados.
- alcohol – Alcohol is just as toxic to dogs as it is to humans. However, in dogs, the first symptoms of alcohol poisoning appear even with very small amounts.
- caffeine – The caffeine contained in cola, coffee and other foods cannot be metabolized by dogs and therefore has a multiple effect on them. Among other things, it increases blood pressure and body temperature, which promptly ends in a cardiovascular collapse.
- xylitol – Xylitol (birch sugar) is a sweetener that is also found in many processed foods. It is deadly to dogs in small amounts.
- Raw Pork – Raw pork may contain the causative agent of Aujeszky’s disease, which is harmless to humans but deadly to dogs. The stocks of domestic pigs are considered aujeszky-free in Germany. However, the disease is not necessarily visible in an infected pig. Cases of this disease are more common in wild boar.