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 What and How much do I feed my dog so it doesn’t get fat?

A good question brought to me by a subscriber today, and I felt it was important enough to write about this, meal planning can be a problem for some. 

There are many dog food manufacturers that consider their dog food healthy.
Its becoming a word that has no meaning today, healthy compared to what? What would be unhealthy for a dog to eat or consume - is subject to many questions today.

In the long run we have learned that some foods contain no nutritional value so we must be more vigilant in watching, monitoring and investigating what we are feeding our dog.

Its all in the food you feed you dog.  If meal planning is a problem on the weekend prepare about seven or eight packets of food by cooking up a batch that will last you all week.

Either chicken livers, chicken gizzards, ground beef, lamb or turkey saute or semi steamed with brown rice, or barley and add some veggies such as peas, and carrots.

Below are some guidelines that can steer you into the right direction on what to feed your dog.

I feed my dog twice a day, and when she was a puppy still growing in her first year, she was feed three times a day.
Calcium found in a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese mixed with yogurt - solves two problems.  Bone loss and digestive problems so accordingly it makes a nice breakfast and you can add some fruit into the mixture.

Depending on your dog’s needs, breed and size twice or once a day feedings are sufficient to maintain your dog’s health.
After a very long winter dogs are not getting out as much or getting exercise, largely joining us in gaining that extra few pounds of the  ” winter couch potato “. 

Soon as spring and some warmer temperatures arrive your dog will be running like a bandit from the winter of cabin fever.

The best guide is how your dog looks right now.  Feel around the ribs, and the back, can you move the skin around and is there some jiggle?    If your dog is overweight it maybe time for an exercise habit and some extra walking time.

If your dog is a working dog or a sled pulling dog it may need much more calories than a couch potato dog. 

Dog feedings should contain raw meaty bones, vegetables and alot of variety.  Including some small amounts of grains, like brown rice, some yogurt and milk brewer’s yeast will maintain your dog’s health very well.  I usually get some chicken livers, or gizzards and saute in a pan with olive oil and garlic. 
Mix in some cooked brown rice, and some green beans or steamed carrots and voila a meal fit for your dog.

If your dog is too chubby, try less food at each serving and will save yourself some diabetes treatments from the veterinarian.

Written by:  Teri Salvador