Nutrition
At Southern Storm Kennels, we now feed a strictly raw diet! If you are interested in doing so, here are some tips to help you get started.
Your Dog’s Appetite
Surprisingly, appetite is one of the most common problems I deal with and usually one of the simplest to figure out. Concerning your dog individually, I need much more information so I will discuss this problem in a general manner. The first step in appetite problems is to really see if your dog is losing weight due to inappitance. In general, they are not. The dog is self-regulating his body weight. Often, this can be due to calories from outside sources, such as bait. The next step is to establish an eating pattern that does not alter. This consistency will "teach" the body to be hungry in anticipation of the coming meal. These are both mental and physical components to the feeling of "hungry."
Next, I recommend a twice a day schedule by putting the food down and picking up any remainder in about twenty minutes. Very quickly the dog will realize that those who snooze lose. Chose a food that is appropriate for the activities, stress levels and the individual dog's metabolic needs. I will discuss some of these concepts in later issues.
Lastly, keep weight records on your dog. It is the rare individual who can tell if a dog has gained or lost three to five pounds. By weighing your dog every three to four weeks you can determine exactly if he is losing weight due to not eating but, most importantly, you can adjust his food to fit his weight. Every dog requires varying amounts of calories and every feeding regimen should be tailored to the individual dog.
Gary Cotton, D.V.M.
