Type
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Dry food. Feed having the appearance of characteristic granules. Their main advantages are ease of use and storage, ease of dosage, as well as profitability: “drying” is more nutritious than canned food, which allows you to manage with smaller portions, and besides, it can be sold in large packages. Some believe that such food is harmful to the dog and is less digestible than canned food; but high-quality dry food will definitely not do any harm, the main thing is that the pet has constant access to drinking water.
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Canned food. Canned food, unlike dry food, contains a significant amount of water and usually has a soft texture. Due to this, it is believed that they are absorbed and digested better than “drying”. On the other hand, canned food is more expensive and not very convenient from a purely household point of view: an open jar or package cannot be stored for a long time.
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Milk substitutes. A special food that satisfies the needs of small puppies as much as possible, if for some reason they cannot get natural mother's milk. Depending on the specific product, it can be used from the first day of life until the time the puppy is weaned (about 3 weeks).
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Delicacy. As the name suggests, treats are not meant to be fed all the time, but to pamper your pet. One of the options for using such feeds is
...to encourage training; however, nothing prevents giving treats just like that, "to cheer up." In addition, specialized (therapeutic, preventive, fortified) delicacies are also produced. Note that you need to give treats little by little; specific quantity limits are usually indicated on the packaging.Quantity
The number of packages, cans per package, or individual pieces in a package of treats (servings of treats). Knowing the amount and rate of consumption of feed, you can roughly estimate how long the package will last.
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.
Ingredients
The main ingredients that make up the feed and determine its nutritional and taste value. In addition to them, various auxiliary components may be included in the composition, however, manufacturers do not always indicate the full composition in the main data.
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.
