Dogs | Nutrition and feeding (including what owners get wrong most often) | Evidence chain

FAQ

How many treats can a dog have?

Treats should be limited to a small part of the daily calories. The UC Davis veterinary teaching hospital advises that treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake, and that they be deducted from the main diet. Treats and human food often take up a large share of the calories without providing balanced nutrition, which is why many dogs gain weight for no apparent reason.

犬のおやつはどのくらいまで与えてよいですか。 — おやつは 1 日の熱量の一部にとどめます。UC Davis 獣医教育病院は、おやつと追加の食べ物を 1 日の総熱量摂取の 10% を超えないようにし、その分を主食から差し引くよう勧めています。おやつと人の食べ物は熱量の多くを占めるのに栄養が均衡しておらず、多くの犬が理由もなく太る原因になっています。

How many treats can a dog have? — Treats should be limited to a small part of the daily calories. The UC Davis veterinary teaching hospital advises that treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake, and that they be deducted from the main diet. Treats and human food often take up a large share of the calories without providing balanced nutrition, which is why many dogs gain weight for no apparent reason.

Should I feed the amount recommended on the bag?

The chart on the bag is a population average, a starting point rather than an answer. Individual variation is large, so feel the ribs and weigh the dog monthly and adjust by body condition score. Also avoid keeping the bowl permanently full for free feeding — it not only leads to weight gain but also hides changes in appetite, and a change in appetite is one of the earliest signals of illness.

フードは袋に書かれた推奨量どおりに与えるべきですか。 — 袋の表は集団の平均値であり、出発点であって答えではありません。個体差が大きいため、毎月、肋骨に触れて体重を量り、ボディコンディションスコアに応じて調整してください。器にいつもフードを満たして自由に食べさせるのも避けてください——太りやすいだけでなく、食欲の変化が見えなくなり、食欲の変化は病気の最も早い兆候の一つだからです。

Should I feed the amount recommended on the bag? — The chart on the bag is a population average, a starting point rather than an answer. Individual variation is large, so feel the ribs and weigh the dog monthly and adjust by body condition score. Also avoid keeping the bowl permanently full for free feeding — it not only leads to weight gain but also hides changes in appetite, and a change in appetite is one of the earliest signals of illness.

Can I cook fresh food for my dog myself?

Yes, but the recipe has to be calculated by a veterinary nutritionist first, with periodic blood work afterwards. Home-cooked food that was never calculated commonly shows calcium-phosphorus imbalance, deficiency or excess of vitamin D, vitamin E or iodine, and insufficient essential amino acids, resulting in skeletal deformity in puppies and cardiomyopathy in adults. When changing food, mix it gradually over several days as well, since switching all at once readily causes acute gastroenteritis and diarrhea.

犬に手作りの食事を作ってもよいですか。 — かまいませんが、先に獣医栄養学の専門家にレシピを計算してもらい、定期的に血液検査で確認する必要があります。計算していない手作り食では、カルシウムとリンの不均衡、ビタミン D、ビタミン E、ヨウ素の不足または過剰、必須アミノ酸の不足がよく見られ、その結果として子犬では骨が変形し、成犬では心筋症が起こります。フードを替えるときも数日かけて少しずつ混ぜて移行してください。一度に全部替えると急性の胃腸炎や下痢を起こしやすくなります。

Can I cook fresh food for my dog myself? — Yes, but the recipe has to be calculated by a veterinary nutritionist first, with periodic blood work afterwards. Home-cooked food that was never calculated commonly shows calcium-phosphorus imbalance, deficiency or excess of vitamin D, vitamin E or iodine, and insufficient essential amino acids, resulting in skeletal deformity in puppies and cardiomyopathy in adults. When changing food, mix it gradually over several days as well, since switching all at once readily causes acute gastroenteritis and diarrhea.