• My Story
  • Policy
  • PR
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Medium
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

The Inspiration Edit

  • Home
  • Family Life
    • Family Travel
    • Lifestyle Tips
  • Home Style
  • Self Care
  • A Pets Life
  • Easy Recipes
    • Kids Recipes
  • Easy Crafts
    • Christmas Crafts

March 21, 2022 · Leave a Comment

7 Essential Nutrients For The Best Diet For Dogs

Pet Life

Sharing is caring!

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Contents

  • 7 Essential Nutrients For The Best Diet For Dogs
  • 1. Water
  • 2. Proteins
  • 3. Fat
  • 4. Carbohydrates
  • 5. Vitamins
  • 6. Minerals
  • 7. Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Over to you…
    • Related

7 Essential Nutrients For The Best Diet For Dogs

Being a pet parent can be hard at times. Since dogs don’t speak the human language, we often cannot understand what their needs are. But when it comes to food, it’s necessary to give our canine babies a balanced diet. By this, we mean a diet that consists of all seven essential nutrients.

An adult dog ideally needs about 10% of the daily calories from proteins and at least 5.5% from fats. It also requires around 50% carbohydrates, with 2.5-4.5% of fibre. So if you’re wondering what essential nutrients to provide your little baby, our list is here to help you!

essential-nutrients-for-best-diet-for-dogs

1. Water

This is arguably the most important nutrient, not just for dogs but for any living organism. Life cannot exist without water and water is needed to regulate various physiological functions like metabolism, temperature regulation, and nervous system function.

Water makes up about 70-80% of an adult dog’s lean body mass. So you should provide at least 8 oz. cups of water for every 10 pounds of the body weight. This can also vary, depending on your dog’s breed, age, health, or temperature conditions.

2. Proteins

Proteins help to build muscles in your dog and create new skin and hair cells. Proteins are also responsible for regulating hormones. A dog’s body cannot produce 10 of the specific amino acids required, so these must be incorporated into the diet.

Good-quality sources of proteins include fish, eggs, lamb, and chicken. Make sure the amount of protein you give never exceeds 30% of the dry mass of your pet.

american bully in front of white background

3. Fat

Dietary fats provide energy to dogs, maintain the cell membranes, and absorb fat-soluble vitamins. They also give the typical shine and gloss on the fur coats that we see in healthy breeds. Requirements for dietary fats can vary depending on your pet’s age and breed.

Diets for growing puppies should contain at least 8% of fats as dry matter. For adult dogs, it should be around 5% of the dry weight. As a rule of thumb, a diet containing 10-15% of fats is ideal.

4. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates help to provide energy as well as fibre. Glucose, one of the most essential carbohydrates, is required to maintain a healthy nervous system and brain. Fibres are also needed for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Even though vets recommend around 20% of carbs in a grown dog’s diet, the actual amount depends on the kind of physical activity your dog gets. Dog food online can increase the carb amounts to 30-60%. Provide items like barley, oats, brown rice, whole wheat, and potato for carbohydrate sources.

5. Vitamins

Dogs require both the fat-soluble vitamins, namely vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as the water-soluble ones, vitamins B and C. If your dog already has a balanced diet, it will not need any additional vitamin supplements unless recommended by the vet.

Any kind of commercial dog food is considered to have the required amounts of vitamins. Make sure to never over-supplement your pet with vitamins because that can be as harmful as vitamin deficiency. If you need more help, refer to AAFCO’s table that contains information regarding a dog’s Nutrient Requirements.

6. Minerals

Minerals are nutrients that cannot be synthesized by your pet’s body. So they need to be added to the diet. Minerals help to strengthen the bones and teeth, as well as other structural components. They also help to maintain fluid balance and metabolism.

Some of the important minerals that you should give your pet are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Trace minerals like iron, copper, and zinc are also important,

7. Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are now being classified as a seventh nutrient. A dog isn’t able to synthesize this independently, so it must be added to the diet. The three important omega-3 acids that your dog needs are ALA, DHA, and EPA.

Common ingredients like flax seeds and canola oil are rich in ALA, while fish oil contains DHA and EPA. When you buy pet food online, be sure to look out for ample amounts of these omega-3 fatty acids.

Over to you…

If your dog consumes the required amounts of all the seven nutrients every day, it will remain healthy and strong for many years. A balanced diet also keeps a number of diseases away. However, if your pet requires supplements, make sure to consult the vet first.

Related

Previous Post: « Home Improvement Tips to Ensure A Good Night’s Sleep
Next Post: Top Healthy Blend Recipes You Should Try to Get More Vitamins and Minerals »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome To The Inspiration Edit – Multi Award Winning Family Lifestyle Blog – Brought to you by Angela Milnes…. Check out my story!

Angela Milnes
awards

Footer

Vuelio Top 20 Badge 2020

Affiliate Program

theinspirationedit.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

As Seen In

featured in

Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved | The Inspiration Edit

0 shares