Out Of Dog Food What Can I Feed My Dog

How Much To Feed

Feeding the right amount is just as important as feeding the right food. All dog foods have feeding guidelines on the packaging. You should always start by following the guidelines for your dog’s weight. Your vet will be able to tell you your dog’s weight or you can stand on the scales whilst carrying your dog to calculate it at home.

Once your dog is settled on to a food, keep an eye on his weight as this is the easiest way of telling whether or not the feeding amounts are correct. Compare your dog’s body shape to the dogs pictured above. Your dog is at his ideal weight when you can feel, but not easily see, the last two or three ribs and when there is an easily identifiable waist line when looking down from above. If your dog is gaining excessive weight, please take a look at our guide for dogs that are prone to weight gain. If your dog is too thin on the other hand, try increasing the feeding amounts by 10% or changing to a higher calorie diet.

Occasionally, dogs fed too much do not gain too much weight, but instead develop digestive problems or other health issues. If a dog is fed much more than needed, the body might respond by rushing the food through in the form of diarrhoea which may in time actually lead to weight loss. If your dog has any health problems, please take a look at our guide to feeding dogs with minor health problems below or for more serious conditions consult your vet.

Emergency Dog Food: Safe Foods For Dogs To Eat

Without a doubt, we are living through strange and stressful times. While our pets can be a great source of comfort and stress relief, they can also cause us additional worry, particularly when it comes to their care and well-being under the challenging circumstances we are facing.

Pet food may be high on the list of potential causes of concern for many owners, particularly if there are shortages in their neighbourhood or city. In recent times, pet food has been subject to panic buying and stockpiling and if you are lucky enough to find your dogs brand of food in stock, there may be quantity limits on how much you can actually purchase. Or you may be unable or unwilling to venture out to the shops to get it. If your dog is on a special diet or is particularly fussy, and her preferred brand is unavailable, you may be wondering what dog food alternatives you can try.

These unusual conditions are leaving many pet owners questioning what human foods dogs can eat, and what they could use for emergency dog food. So, what exactly are your options if you are running low on Fidos or Fifis favourite food?

Ingredients Needed For This Homemade Dog Food Recipe:

This DIY dog food made at home is filled with rich protein, vegetables, and healthy grains. Heres what youll need:

• Coconut oil provides a variety of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, and reducing allergic reactions, just to name a few. And just like us, your dog needs healthy fats in their diet.
• Ground turkey will add necessary protein to your dogs diet, as well as important vitamins and minerals.
• Veggies this homemade dog food recipe uses a mix of zucchini, spinach and carrots. All are safe for dogs and will provide your baby with a variety of nutrients.
• Turmeric a dog-safe seasoning that also provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Egg for extra protein and nutrients.
• Rice a complex carb that provides energy and aids in gastrointestinal function.

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Best Dog Food For Senior Dogs

Senior dogs, usually considered 7+, vary in their individual nutritional needs. Younger senior dogs may struggle with being overweight and older senior dogs may struggle with being underweight, which is why there is such a variety.

Choosing the best senior dog food may come down to what your dog finds palatable. Many older dogs prefer wet food while others may need their food warmed up to enhance the aromas. Ultimately, your vet can help choose the best dog food for an older pet.

Good For Humans Good For Dogs What You Can Safely Feed Your Dog

Unless youve been given any special dietary guidelines by your vet, what you should aim for is a good balance of lean protein and complex carbohydrates. If youre a meat-eating home, then chances are you have some good sources of protein on hand, whether fresh, frozen or tinned. Another protein that makes a perfect emergency meal for your dog is eggs.

Leftovers are a great option as foods dogs can eat, as long as they meet the 3 criteria above. If you have any recently cooked grains, plain meats, and/or veggies in the fridge, it can be as simple as throwing a handful of each in your dogs bowl. If you dont have suitable leftovers, one of the quickest, easiest dog meals you can prepare is plain, cooked chicken with rice. Low-sodium beef or chicken stock is a nutritious and tasty addition to any home-cooked dog meal.

Dogs dont have sophisticated palates, so plain and simple works best. Many canned and dry goods are great for homemade emergency dog food. As a last resort, you can just make your dog a bowl of cooked oats. But keeping in mind that optimal nutrition requires both protein and carbohydrates, heres a list of common pantry items you can mix and match for dog food alternatives. :

Beef, lean and plainly cooked Avoid the fatty parts of the meat, bones and recipes containing any items from the dangerous foods list, any strange vegetables, oils, heavy seasoning or wine.

Bread one or two slices of whole grain bread

Cheese mild cheese like Colby or cheddar

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Is Your Dog Pregnant Or In Heat

Early in pregnancy, your dog may have a reduced or absent appetite. If your dog is in the middle or late part of her gestation, she may eat less because her stomach has less room to expand due to the presence of puppies, but she should make up for this by eating a smaller amount more frequently.

Regardless of what point of gestation your dog is in, if she has not eaten in over 24 hours, your veterinarian should be called right away to ensure that everything is okay.

Dogs in heat may also have a decreased appetite, which is considered normal. However, if she goes longer than 48 hours without eating anything, she should be checked by her veterinarian. If she is lethargic, vomiting, having diarrhea, or drinking and urinating more than usual, she should be seen by her veterinarian right away, as this could indicate an infection in the uterus known as pyometra.

Is Apple Skin And Core Safe For Dogs

Most dog lovers ask can dogs eat apples with skin? Actually, People may not realize that the skin and core of an apple both contain toxins, which could be dangerous to a dog who has oral contact with them.

The core is much higher in toxins than the peel. If you cut the apple in such a way as to completely remove it when eating it or when giving it to your dog, this should not present a problem.

Alternatively, you can simply feed apple pieces without the skin or strip out just part of the peel and leave some on.

The skin contains a compound called solanine, which can cause all sorts of gastrointestinal upset and neurological problems in dogs. The amount present in each apple varies depending on the variety and even how ripe the apple happens to be when picked from the tree. The higher the concentration of this toxin, the darker green the skin.

Most dogs are not going to eat enough apple peel to cause a problem, but if you do offer your pet more than one piece of apple peel, there is a potential risk of toxicity. This is especially true for small breeds who seem to enjoy playing with their food before eating it.

If your dog consumes the whole apple, the risk of toxicity is much greater, so you should monitor them closely for several hours after eating their meal to be on the safe side.

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Will Your Dog Drink Water

If your dog will drink water but wont eat, it may be due to nausea, stress, or mouth pain. If they are able to keep the water down, that is a good sign. However, if they are vomiting after drinking water, they should be seen by a veterinarian right away, as this could indicate severe nausea or an intestinal obstruction. If they go longer than 24 hours without eating, even if they are still drinking, they should be examined by their vet to determine the underlying cause of their inappetence.

If your dog has not eaten or drank in 24 hours or more, they should be seen by a veterinarian right away in order to be assessed and treated for likely dehydration, and to investigate the underlying cause of their unwillingness to eat or drink.

Anything that can cause a dog to feel ill, such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, intestinal parasites, liver disease, cancer, infection, intestinal obstruction, etc., can lead a dog to refuse food and water. Like humans, dogs cannot go for more than a few days without water, so this should be treated seriously.

Why Should Dogs Not Eat Pork Rinds

This is because of the unhealthiness of pork rinds, as described above. These unhealthy qualities translate to dogs, too.

If they eat pork rinds, your dog will also have high amounts of sodium and fat in their diet. This can lead to them putting on excessive weight, which can cause lots of canine health problems.

If your dog has a diet that is too rich in fat, it can develop chronic or acute pancreatitis. This can be a serious health condition.

If you suspect that your dog has pancreatitis, you should contact a vet immediately to get your beloved pet checked out.

Another reason why pork rinds should not be given to dogs is that they may contain ingredients that are harmful to dogs. These rinds are often coated in seasonings, which may not be suitable for canines.

While you can check the ingredients to see whether these rinds have any ingredients that may be harmful, we advise taking a cautious approach and refrain from handing your dog pork rinds.

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Australian Shepherd Calorie Requirements

Dog caloric needs are based on their weight. An adult Australian Shepherd dog usually weighs between 40 and 65 pounds, so most Aussie dogs would need to eat between 983 and 1418 calories per day.

Make sure you follow the 10% rule when feeding treats to your dog. Food would equal 90% of the total calories and treat the remaining 10%.

For instance, if an Australian Shepherd weighs 55 lbs. Then, it would need 1248 calories per day. If you feed your pup treats, thats 1123 calories in food and 125 in treats . Usually, full-grown dogs eat two meals per day, so split 1248 calories into two meals a day. You can use this calculator to find the exact caloric needs for your dog based on his weight.

Pregnant Australian Shepherds may require 2 to 4 times the food they usually have as the mothers energy requirements increase after delivery and during lactation. Be sure to speak to your vet.

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Macadamia Nuts: Cant Eat

Dogs should never eat macadamia nuts.

Macadamia nuts contain an unknown toxin that may lead to vomiting, muscle weakness, tremors, hyperthermia and depression when dogs consume them, even in small amounts .

Additionally, macadamia nuts have a high fat content, which may elevate your dogs triglyceride levels and potentially lead to pancreatitis.

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What Can I Feed My Dog When I’ve Run Out Of Dog Food

over the last few days, there has been extensive coverage in the media concerning a shortage of some dog food products in supermarkets, after more than 2.1m people collected a new pet during the nations lockdown.

If you are struggling to get your hands on your usual dog food, here are some safe alternatives that you can find in your fridge, to ensure your dog receives the food they need.

Is It Bad If My Dog Won’t Eat Kibble

You might be wondering Is canned food or kibble best for my dog?. Whilst neither is right or wrong, there are some definite advantages to feeding dry food over wet.

Dry food tends to be more cost-effective, easier to store and more accurate to measure out, especially for large breed dogs. There is also much more choice compared to tinned foods.

Many people mistakenly think that dry food will be better for their pets teeth than wet, but this isnt usually the case. Unless your diet contains a seal of approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council , any advantage over wet food is minimal.

To find out more about wet vs dry food check out our ‘is dry dog food best?‘ guide.

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What To Look Out For

Keep an eye on your pup each time you feed it something from your fridge. A good thing to do would be to avoid everything youre not sure about. However, every breed is different, and your pet might react differently than others.

Some symptoms always occur when it comes to some poisoning. Heres what to keep an eye for after serving emergency food:

How Often Should I Feed My Dog

Set mealtimes are recommended for most dogs for a variety of reasons. Keeping mealtimes consistent, as well as the type and amount of food you feed him, will help him maintain both his digestive health and his weight. Consistent mealtimes can also help prevent accidents in the house.

For most dogs, feeding twice each dayonce in the morning and once in the eveningis appropriate.

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Could Your Dog Have Separation Anxiety

Many dogs with refuse to eat while their pet parent isnt home. Some dogs with separation anxiety even expect their loved one to be in the room while they eat, and will stop eating if their human leaves the room.

While this is not necessarily a health concern, it is a sign that your dog may have severe anxiety that needs to be addressed. Calming chews such as Composure or Solliquin may be helpful, and calming pheromone collars or diffusers such as Adaptil can be beneficial as well.

However, if you are concerned that your dog may have severe separation anxiety, consider consulting with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist for help.

How To Convert The Resulting Calories To A Serving Size

After you have entered your dogs ideal weight, their activity level, and hit Calculate above, you are presented with the daily energy requirement in the form of total kilocalories your dog needs per day.

But you dont just feed your dog all that at once, right? You need to break/divide the total down into the amount of feeding sessions in a day. What to do?

The amount of calories in a particular amount of dog food is called its metabolizable energy or ME. To spot it, look for one of the following on your dogs food label:

• Calories per cup
• Calories per kilogram

It should look something like this:

From there, you simply take the total DER kcal from the calculated results above and decide how many cups to give your dog per serving.

Heres a very basic made up example: Using the image above . If your dog required 696 kcal per day, youd simply feed them 2 cups of food a day.

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Active And Working Dogs

Dogs that are actively exercised for several hours a day naturally burn a huge amount of calories, and their diet needs to represent this. There is a wide choice of working dog foods available, the majority of which are cheap, low grade feeds that, instead of providing extra energy, rely on the owner feeding a lot more to get enough calories in to the dog. There are exceptions, however, but since the best source of calories for dogs is meat, and since meat is expensive, good quality, working dog foods can be fairly expensive. Take a look at our our Dog Food Directory and filter for working dog foods to see what options are available.

Switching Brands Of Pet Food

If you need to switch brands, the most important advice we can give is to plan ahead and not wait until youre already out of your pets regular food. Do it gradually, substituting a small portion of the new food for the old food each day. If you are unsure if the new brand is suitable for your particular dog, be sure to check with your vet before stocking up with large quantities and also with Fifi to make sure she is happy to eat it!

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Proteins Amino Acids And Fibers

Chicken has a complete profile of amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins.

Chicken in the stomach is broken down by enzymes and hydrochloric acid into smaller chains of amino acids which are then absorbed into the body to help with tissue repair. Chicken is not a caloric-dense food, so your dog can eat plenty of chicken but may not gain weight.

On the other hand, rice is rich in fiber, vitamin D, riboflavin, and iron that your dog needs. Vitamin D helps in regulating phosphorus and calcium levels.

Iron helps in the formation of hemoglobin in the red blood cells which aids in delivering nutrients throughout the body. Rice helps in regulating bowel movements by promoting the growth of good bacteria.