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Dog Food
In this section of the site you will find information about dog food and dog nutrition. You will learn about different types of food, what do and what not to feed your dog as well as the nutritional needs of dogs. More or less, each single dog owner has their own ideas about how and what to feed their dogs. Some people believe in feeding the dog a carnivore diet will others keep their dog on an all vegetable (but high protein) diet. Most commercial dog foods contain a mix of meat and vegetables. Whatever you choose to feed you dog it is important that the food contains enough energy and all the nutrients the dog need. Try to feed your dog in a healthy way. Over-feeding it can be as big a problem as underfeeding it. If you want to discuss different dog foods and diets, trade dog recipes or simply chat about dogs you are welcome to visit our dog forum.
Different dog breeds and different individual dogs have different nutritional needs. A diet that is suitable for one breed can be highly unsuitable for another. Puppies are often best fed food designed for the nutritional needs of puppies, and senior dogs can in a similar way benefit from food designed for aging dogs. This doesn’t mean that you have to purchase ready made dog food; you can still prepare the food yourself as long as you take the age of the dog into account.
Make sure to research several sources before trying a new diet. There are unfortunately a lot of unreliable sources for information on the internet and elsewhere and it is therefore important that you use common sense and good judgement when evaluating advice you are given.
Dog food is often divided into two main groups. Commercial dog food and home made dog food. Food that is only given to dogs occasionally is usually considered dog treats rather than dog food even if dog food often can be used as dog treats. Specially designed dog treats are however usually more practical to use as they have been designed to be easy to keep with you and don’t make a mess. Store bought dog treats often have a high fat content and should therefore not be given to your dog excessively.
Commercial dog food can usually be divided into three subgroups based on how much water they contain. There is dried dog food, semi-moist dog food and moist dog food. Dried dog food will usually have a moisture content of around 10%, while the percentage for semi-moist dog food can vary from roughly 15% to around 25%. Moist dog foods are usually sold in cans and have a moist content of around 75-85%.
It is common to refer to dried dog food as kibble. This type us food is either backed or extruded to loose its water content. Extruded dog food is made by a process in which the ingredients are mixed and placed in an expander where pressurized steam or hot water is added. Pellets are formed and when the pressure is removed they will puff up in a popcorn-like manner. Vitamins, grease and other ingredients that is sensitive to heat will not be added until the pellets have cooled off.
Some dog diseases can be improved through certain diets. You can read about such diets in this section and discuss you personal experiences in the forum.
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