Loving owners are always wondering which dog food to choose - dry or natural. After all, you want to please your pet with something tasty, but at the same time give him the maximum amount of vitamins and other useful substances. The article will help you figure out what to feed your pet and how to do it right.
Benefits of Natural Food
Before you figure out how to organize a dog’s nutrition, feed it with natural or dry food, and whether it is worth moving the pet from one food to another, you need to learn about the benefits of each option. Natural food should be considered first.
All breeders know for sure that dogs cannot be fed from the table, and many of them are categorically against it. Quite often, owners pamper their pets with various goodies when they sit down at the table. Of course, food for people is different from dog food, as these are completely different diets. Such feeding will be extremely unreasonable and unlikely to lead to anything good. In addition, after some time, the pet will no longer be able to accustom to proper nutrition, even by mixing products.
Feeding rules
When compiling a diet and choosing between dry or natural dog food, one important rule should be observed: an individual approach to each pet. The fact is that each breed has its own characteristics: body structure, eating habits, lifestyle and so on. Therefore, feeding a small Chihuahua and a large German shepherd with one meal will not succeed.
Some pets need to maintain muscle mass, while others are best placed to pay more attention to strengthening bones. For some animals, certain foods may be generally contraindicated because the body does not absorb them. Based on this, when compiling a diet for your pet, you must consult with a specialist who will weigh the pros and cons.
Allowed and forbidden food
Thinking about what to choose - dry food or natural for dogs, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that meat must be present in the pet's diet. Dogs need the latter due to the fact that they are predators, and therefore, their gastrointestinal tract must digest protein fibers. In second place after meat products is dairy products. She should not be too oily. Ideal is cottage cheese, the fat content of which does not go beyond 5-9%.
Dogs with great pleasure drink kefir, as well as yogurt. All that is required in this case from the owners is to ensure that the shelf life of this product is not more than a week. By the way, it is strictly forbidden to mix kefir and milk, as the pet will suffer from diarrhea.
When choosing dry or natural dog food, do not forget that animals may be allergic to vegetables and fruits. These foods are certainly healthy, but you need to give them to your pet in moderation. Most dogs require cereals several times a week. If the pet does not treat them too well, then they can easily be replaced with cucumbers or even bananas.
Acquiring first-class products for feeding a pet is not necessary at all. The body of the dog perfectly absorbs offal, but they must be fresh. Offal, trimmings and other leftovers from meat products may well be present in their diet. There should not be too much fat in the meat, it is best to cut it off altogether before giving the dog.
Pork is recommended to be excluded from the pet’s diet, as it is very fat in itself. The ideal option is poultry. It is characterized by low fat content, ease of digestion, as well as a high content of useful trace elements. There are other advantages to this: for example, chicken will not have to grind into mincemeat, as the pet can consume it in the form of medium-sized pieces.
In addition to meat, fish must be present in the diet. It should be boneless. At the same time, it should be understood that a large number of parasites can be contained in fish, so it is best to buy it in frozen form so that they all die from low temperatures.
Can I give bones
When people do not know whether to choose dry or natural dog food, they simply give the pet bones. For most pets, bones are an ordinary toy. Dogs simply gnaw at them, improving the condition of the gums and strengthening their teeth, but they do not consider them as food at all.
That is why experts have nothing against pets being regularly given bones. But at the same time, it is strictly forbidden to use fragile and tubular bones, because the animal will be able to quickly bite them, and fragments will injure the stomach.
How to feed your pet with natural food
When the question arises as to which dog food should be selected - dry or natural, you need to focus not only on their age, but also on preferences. Small puppies need to be fed about three to four times a day, because a growing body needs more energy and beneficial elements. In the case of adults, the situation is simpler - they are suitable for two meals a day (breakfast and dinner).
Natural food must be warmed up. Thanks to this, the pet will show more interest in it, and it will be absorbed faster. Indeed, in wildlife, when a predatory animal kills its prey, it tries to eat meat as soon as possible before it cools down.
The advantages and disadvantages of a natural diet
If the owner thinks for too long about what is best - dry or natural dog food, he comes to the conclusion that you need to look at the pros and cons of each option. You should start with natural, because it is more preferable. Its main advantages include:
- Natural composition. This item is considered the most important advantage of this type of feed. The breeder is completely sure that there are no various chemicals in the pet’s diet that harm the animal’s health.
- The ability to adjust the diet. Dry food, as you know, can not boast of diversity. It has the same composition, but natural products can be easily combined in a variety of combinations. Thanks to this, the owners can satisfy the desires of dogs.
Along with this, natural food has some disadvantages. As a rule, they are associated with the inability of the owner to develop a normal balanced menu. This list includes:
- Drawing up a diet by eye. This problem is the reason for the lack of trace elements and vitamins in the body of the pet. Subsequently, such nutrition leads to a deterioration in the dog’s health, so the breeder will be forced to send the pet to the veterinarian to prescribe a course of treatment.
- Consultation with a specialist. As mentioned above, when compiling a diet, the help of a knowledgeable person is necessary.
- Waste of time. Natural food is suitable only for those owners who are willing to spend a lot of time studying all the features and preferences of their own pet.
- Financial expenses. It is much easier for some breeders to simply purchase ready-made dry food than to spend money on a variety of products, from which in the future you need to combine full meals.
Features of dry feed
Now it's time to learn more about dry feed. Information about them will help to find out what is the difference between feeding dogs with dry food and natural food, and most importantly - which option is better. When choosing the right food, the owners will have to pay attention not only to its positive and negative traits, but also to the size and breed of the pet.
How to feed a four-legged friend
To understand which dog food - natural or dry - will be better, you should learn about the features of feeding a pet with a second type of food. In this case, the weight of the animal is of great importance. The daily rate and weight of the pet are always indicated on the package, so it will not be difficult to calculate the required amount of food.
In addition, you should pay attention to the activity of the animal. Domestic dogs at a respectable age who do not really want to run and frolic, it is better to give less food. The fact is that otherwise the pet can become obese, which poses a considerable danger to his health.
A four-legged friend who is constantly in an active state should be fed accordingly. It does not need to be pampered unnecessarily, because often the appetite of predators dominates the real needs for food. A pet can easily consume huge portions, but over time, this type of food will likewise lead to obesity.
Today, on the shelves of shops you can find dry and wet ready-made feed. Experts recommend feeding the pet one and the same species, since due to a sharp transition from one species to another, he may begin constipation. Intestinal bacteria require a certain amount of time to get used to a different type of food, so mixing such products quickly and immediately is not worth it.
Regardless of the type of food the dog needs to give a large amount of water. There is much less liquid in the feed compared to natural food, so you can not do without it. This nuance must be taken into account when thinking about what to feed the dog - dry or natural food.
Features of choice
Today, owners have the opportunity to choose one of three types of finished food for their pets:
- Economy class. Such feed is more affordable. They are made up of proteins and bone meal. Despite this, it is not worth feeding a pet with economy-class pet foods for a long time, since they contain a minimal amount of useful elements.
- Custom class. Feeds with an acceptable cost and rich composition have the only drawback, which is the presence of artificial additives in the form of various sweeteners, and so on. Of course, dogs like this food, but it can cause an allergy, and it will be practically impossible to wean a pet from it.
- Premium class. In such products there are all the necessary vitamins and minerals. They are recommended to be given to the dog at least once a week, due to which its health will significantly improve.
Pros and cons
The positive features of finished feed include the following:
- It is not necessary to spend time preparing food, since the food is simply poured into a bowl, it does not need to be mixed, crushed, and so on.
- You can purchase a large supply of feed in advance and use it if you are too lazy to go to the store.
- Pets who regularly consume ready-made food are less likely to need vitamin supplements, because all of these foods are already available in the required amount.
The only drawback is that, along with useful vitamins and minerals, the pet receives a certain dose of preservatives and other harmful substances. Of course, in expensive products they are not, but not every breeder can afford them.
Mixed food
For many years, experts have not found the answer to the question of whether it is possible to mix dry and natural food. It even complicates the process of transferring a dog from natural feed to dry. In fact, many owners feed their pets natural food, and only occasionally feed them with finished products. Some breeders do and vice versa. Therefore, each person has the right to independently decide whether to mix the food of his pet or not. If the dog’s condition does not deteriorate from this, then why not diversify its diet?
Many breeders try to organize the transition of the dog from dry to natural feed. It turns out this is not for everyone, although in fact it is not so difficult to do if you adhere to certain rules. Detailed translation instructions are provided below. It is suitable for any breed, so you should not worry about unsuccessful attempts.
Transfer dogs from natural feed to dry
Having learned about the advantages and disadvantages of both types of feed, many owners want to radically change the pet's diet. Of course, they can do it, but at the same time they will have to strictly follow the rules. The number of requirements is not so great, so it will not be difficult to remember:
- Gradual transition. Moving a dog from one feed to another is a big stress. If you do this sharply, then the pet may experience a number of health problems: vomiting, upset stools, and so on.
- Quality varieties of finished feed. Saving on food should not be done, as when transferring to a different type of food, you need to make the pet more like the new one. To do this, it is recommended to purchase and give the dog only super-premium and premium food.
- Water. When transferring, do not forget that previously the pet received a sufficient amount of liquid, which is not found in dry food. The owner must make sure that the household always has a full bowl of water, to which he will have access at any time. The dog should not be “dried”, because of this, it can completely refuse the finished food.
Observing all the above rules, it will be possible to transfer the dog from natural feed to dry quite quickly. The most important thing is patience. Acting in the right direction and not giving up half the way, you can get an excellent result that will please both the owner and his pet.
Dry or natural dog food: owners' opinion
Experienced owners of such wonderful pets as dogs are always ready to share their thoughts on the best type of food with beginners. If a person has brought a pet for a long time, then he has already decided which one is best to choose dog food - dry or natural. Reviews about this are especially interesting for those people who decided to make a four-legged friend not so long ago, but want to immediately learn how to properly feed him.
Despite the fact that there are many different dry feeds on store shelves, most breeders prefer to prepare food for their pets from natural products. They note that thanks to such feeding, they know exactly what elements enter the body of the pet, and do not worry about its health. In addition, having adapted to the preparation of natural food, you will not spend so much time on it, since grinding and cooking products take no more than half an hour.
Owners who choose dry food for their pets, in most cases, simply do not want to waste time cooking. Spending a certain amount on your favorite cooked food is much easier than looking for where and for how much to buy normal meat or any other foods your dog needs.