Age
The age for which the food is intended.
Dogs of different ages have different nutritional needs. So,
puppies need easily digestible food with a lot of "building material" for growth. It is for puppies that the largest number of nutritional gradations by age has been introduced (from 1 month, 8 months, 12 months, etc.). Young animals require a lot of energy, and in old age it is not uncommon for dental problems to develop. All this is taken into account when creating feed.
Age categories are most often distinguished as follows:
- Puppies - from 2 weeks to 2 - 3 months.
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Young(juniors) - from 2 - 3 months to 10 - 12 months.
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Adults - from a year to 6 - 8 years, depending on the breed and characteristics of the body.
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Elderly - from 6 - 8 years.
Note that this classification is rather arbitrary, and in some brands of food, the age limits may be different - for example, food for puppies may have the designation "up to 5 - 6 months." These details should be specified separately, especially if the dog is in a “transitional” age, between categories.
Dog size
In this case, not a specific breed is meant, but the size and weight of the dog. The division into "weight categories" is primarily due to the difference in metabolism between animals of different sizes. So, small dogs have a faster metabolism than large ones, they have a higher need for calories per kilogram of weight; and a large breed puppy needs more "building materials"
for bones and muscles. In addition, dry food (see "Type") for different breeds can also differ in the size of the granules: the larger the dog, the larger the granules can be.
The approximate division of rocks by size looks like this:
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Small — weight up to 12 kg, height up to 40 cm (
dachshund,
Yorkshire terrier, cocker spaniels, miniature schnauzer).
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Medium — weight 10 – 20 kg, height 40 – 56 cm (
Dalmatian, Staffordshire Terrier, Chow Chow).
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Large — weight 20 – 30 kg, height 56 – 65 cm (collie,
boxer, doberman,
german shepherd).
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Giant — weight from 50 kg, height from 60 cm (St. Bernard,
Great Dane, Newfoundland).
Calories
The energy value of the food is the amount of energy (in kilocalories) that the dog's body will receive when eating 100 g of food. Knowing the calorie content, as well as the daily energy requirement of the pet, you can estimate the amount of food he needs per day. A dog of medium size and build needs about 370 – 480 kcal per day, but this figure is very approximate — a lot depends on the breed, constitution, mobility and other factors. A specific energy requirement can be determined using special sources — tables, calculators, etc. It is highly advisable not to deviate from these recommendations: a lack of calories leads to lethargy and weight loss, an excess leads to excess weight.
