Feeding Your Dog Well

A complete and balanced diet

Dogs need a diet that provides the right balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water for their life stage. Getting that balance right supports growth, maintains muscle and immunity, keeps the coat healthy and helps prevent disease later in life.

A quality commercial diet labelled “complete and balanced” for the correct life stage is the safest foundation for most dogs, because it has been formulated to meet known nutritional requirements. Home-prepared diets can work well, but only when they are properly balanced — an unplanned mixture of meat and rice, however well intentioned, is rarely complete.

If you would like to feed a home diet, speak to us first. We can help you build a plan that covers all the essentials and avoids the nutrient gaps that cause problems over time.

Feeding through life stages

A dog’s needs change with age, size and activity, so the diet should change too.

• Puppies need energy- and nutrient-dense food formulated for growth, fed in measured meals several times a day.
• Large-breed puppies benefit from controlled growth — overfeeding can strain developing joints.
• Adult dogs need a balanced maintenance diet matched to their size and activity level.
• Senior dogs often need fewer calories but more support for joints, kidneys and digestion.
• Pregnant and nursing bitches, and working or very active dogs, have higher requirements and need specific feeding plans.

Weight is a health signal

Being overweight is one of the most common and most overlooked health problems in dogs. Carrying extra weight increases the risk of joint disease, diabetes, heart strain and breathing difficulty, and it shortens comfortable life. Because weight creeps on gradually, owners often do not notice until it is significant.

You can check your dog’s shape at home. You should be able to feel the ribs easily without pressing hard, see a waist when viewed from above, and see a slight tuck in the belly from the side. If the ribs are hard to find, your dog is likely carrying too much.

At every wellness visit we assess body condition and weight trend, not just the number on the scale. If your dog needs to lose weight, we will build a realistic, kind plan with you rather than simply saying “feed less”.

Practical feeding habits

Small, consistent habits make good nutrition far easier to sustain.

• Feed measured portions at set times rather than free-feeding, so you notice changes in appetite.
• Keep treats to a small part of the daily calories, and account for them.
• Provide constant access to clean, fresh water, and wash bowls regularly.
• Transition to a new food gradually over about a week to avoid digestive upset.
• Weigh your dog periodically, or bring them in for a weight check, and adjust portions as they change.
• Keep food stored correctly and out of reach; a dog that raids the bin can become seriously ill.

Foods and habits to avoid

Some common foods are genuinely dangerous for dogs, and some feeding myths cause real harm.

• Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and anything containing caffeine.
• Grapes, raisins and sultanas, which can cause kidney failure.
• Onions, garlic, leeks and chives, which damage red blood cells.
• Xylitol, a sweetener found in some sugar-free products, which can cause dangerous low blood sugar.
• Cooked bones, which can splinter, and rich or fatty scraps that can trigger pancreatitis.
• A sudden switch to a completely new diet, which often causes diarrhoea.
• Feeding only meat or only table scraps, which leaves serious nutritional gaps.

When to see us

Book a nutrition consultation if your dog is overweight or underweight, if it is a fussy eater, if it has a medical condition such as kidney, heart or joint disease, or if you want to move to a home-prepared diet. We will help you get the details right.

Contact us promptly if your dog stops eating, develops vomiting or diarrhoea, or if you suspect it has eaten something harmful. Changes in appetite and weight are often the first sign that something else is going on.

Good feeding is not about strict rules — it is about a plan that keeps your dog comfortable, at a healthy weight and enjoying its food for life.