There are many potential ingredients in dog food. Meats make up the majority of the protein content, and can be derived from chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, and duck. These proteins can be pure meat or meat-derivatives, but the label must state the source.
Some meats are more allergenic than others, and therefore if your Springer suffers with itchy skin, venison and duck are better than common meats, such as chicken or beef. Fish proteins are excellent sources of omega-3 and omega-6, which, as discussed earlier, contribute to healthy joints, skin, and coat. In addition to meat ingredients, there are usually many different types of grains, vegetables, and sometimes fruits.
Grains can make some dogs gassy, and anecdotally, can cause skin reactions. Therefore, they may not be suited to all dogs; however, if your dog does not react to grains, they can be excellent sources of dietary fiber to keep your dog regular.
Vegetables and fruits are ingredients which contribute most of the minerals and vitamins to the diet. You will most commonly see potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, and carrots listed on the ingredients list. These are all excellent sources of vitamins A, B, and C, as well as magnesium, potassium, and iron. In combination, this will help keep the eyes and brain healthy, keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm, boost the immune system, improve the production of red blood cells, and aid in nerve conduction.
These details are per gram of ready-to-eat food, and therefore cannot be directly compared without first doing some calculations.
In conjunction with the ingredients, once you have adjusted the guaranteed analysis, it is a great tool to analyze the food. If you are struggling to keep your Springer at an appropriate weight, you should seek the advice of your veterinarian or veterinary nurse. They will be able to advise what would be the most appropriate weight of your dog. Often, it is as simple as feeding the recommended requirements on the packaging for the target weight, rather than the actual weight of your dog, which will help adjust his weight.
The best way to monitor weight, though, is not through figures, but instead, body condition scores. An ideal body condition score is 4 to 5, and the range goes from 1 emaciated to 9 obese. The scores are standardized for anybody to use, and are easy and repeatable from dog to dog.
Springers will require hands-on assessing, as their luscious long fur may obscure the outline of the ribs, waist, and abdominal tuck. These are the descriptions of the following scores:. Ribs, lumbar vertebral projections, and bony prominences around the pelvis are clearly visible. There is severe loss of muscle and no body fat. Ribs can be felt with ease and might be visible. Not much fat present. The abdomen tucks up at the flank and a waist can be seen from the top.
Some bony projections can be seen. Easy to see top of lumbar vertebrae. Minimal fat over the ribs and can easily feel them. Waist and ribs are visible when standing above the dog.
Tucked abdomen when viewed from the side. Fat present over ribs and need some pressure to feel them. Fat deposits over rump and around tail base. Cannot easily view waist. Abdominal tuck present but slight. Lots of fat around the base of tail, spine and chest. Puppies require large amounts of food in relation to their bodyweight, although do remember that their stomachs have a very limited capacity. As a guide, puppies need 2 -3 times as much food as an adult dog, because they need to supply energy for maintenance and activity, in addition to the materials needed for growth and bone development.
As a guide, an ESS up to 18 weeks old should be fed four meals a day at regular intervals. Thenfrom 18 weeks up to 9 monthsthree meals a day at regular intervals. Over 18 months old only one meal per day is required, however,often it works best to split the meals into two smaller feeds, given morning and evening, as this can help to settle the dog better.
You must decide what is best for your dog; your own daily routine andthe amount of exercise your dog is having, so that you can feedthem accordingly. Adults should be fed a high quality, well balanced nutritional diet, appropriate to their specific needs. For example, dogs which are working gundogs, hounds, terriers, police, sheepdogs, sled dogs etc have higher energy needs than pet dogs of the same breed type, size, sex and age.
Dogs living outside in kennels especially in winter will require more food to maintain bodyweight than in other seasons. Careful consideration and understanding should be given to the feeding of breeding bitches before, during and after mating, increasing food intake and quality of food particularly in the latter stages of pregnancy and during lactation feeding puppies.
Stud dogs too need to be kept in the peak of health and fitness, and maintenance of a good diet is also important for them. The older dog, as it perhaps becomes less active, also needs to have adjustments made to its diet, especially should there be health issues that arise because of its age.
For the older, and sometimes sick dog, the guidelines are the same as for puppies and adults - provide a specially formulated diet which is tasty, digestible and which has appropriate nutrient content. Some older dogs can suffer temporary loss of appetite, making it more likely for them to lose weight because of inadequate energy intake.
This may require the addition of supplements of extra vitamins and minerals. You should speak to your Vet about this. Specific illnesses in dogs too require special dietary treatment. For instance, the diabetic dog will require consistent energy and carbohydrate intake; dogs with kidney problems, a protein diet containing high quality protein; and dogs with heart problems, a low salt diet. All of these, of course, are likely to be needed in conjunction with other treatment s , and Vets will often prescribe special proprietary diets, together with specific medication.
There are 37 essential' nutrients that dogs must eat in their food. Remember to speak to your vet about the possibility of allergies and whether the food your buying will be suitable for your dog:. If you are feeding from your plate, there are several foods that humans can eat that you should try to avoid feeding a springer as they are bad for all dogs. Disclaimer Myspringerspaniel. We aim to provide you with information to enable you to make a good decision when making a purchase or to care for your dog.
All content is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Read More ». Skip to content. Are you looking for the best dog car crates for a springer spaniel? If so, this article is perfect for you!
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