How to Choose the Right Food for Your Dog

Only a good diet, containing all the appropriate nutrients in proportion and quantity, positively influences the health of the dog.

But what factors ensure a good choice of food for our dog?

As obvious as it may seem, the first thing is that the food is formulated for dogs, since the nutritional needs of other species are not the same as theirs. Of course, here we must include all human foods, both for their ingredients and their way of preparation.

The next step is that it is formulated for the characteristics of the dog in particular. Thus, the first thing we must take into account is the age and size of the animal. This is because the puppies have different nutritional needs than the adults and, in turn, that the nutritional needs of a puppy of miniature size are not the same as those of a giant-sized puppy. This is determinant because the phases of development according to their estimated adult size are also different.

In this regard, at Royal Canin we have determined five large dog groups according to their adult size: dogs under 4 kilos (X-Small), dogs under 10 kilos (Mini), dogs between 11 and 25 kilos (Medium ), dogs of 26 to 45 kilos (Maxi) and dogs of more than 45 kilos (Giant).

Also, regardless of the size of the dog, the passage of time makes it enter its senior phase, which requires a specific food. As happens with the change from the juvenile to the adult phase, the step to maturity varies according to size, much earlier in giant dogs than in miniature.

Another characteristic to take into account to choose a suitable food for the dog is its physiological state, that is, if it is neutered, since the nutritional needs of a dog that is sterilized are very different due to the changes that occur in its metabolism after the intervention.

After these basic questions, you should also take into account characteristics of the dog as the amount of daily exercise that does and if it presents some sensitivity. Some examples are working dogs or with skin problems.

Due to the advance in nutritional studies of the dog, it has been proven that many breeds have their own nutritional needs and therefore specific foods have been developed for some of them. A couple of very illustrative examples are the foods for the Miniature Schnauzer, which help prevent the formation of urinary stones, and for the Labrador Retriever, which are able to satisfy a particularly gluttonous appetite without the ration being greater.

Of course, the state of health also influences when choosing the food of our dog, since many disorders require a diet adapted to combat them. However, the choice of food for a dog with some disease should be made by the veterinarian after making the diagnosis of the disorder.

Finally, the choice of a suitable food for the dog according to everything described would be useless if after that the daily ration adequate to each dog is not measured.

Do you want to see it with an example? What would be the most suitable Royal Canin food for a three-year-old dog that weighs 19 kilos and has just been sterilized? Actually there are two, the Medium Sterilized and the Neutered Adult, sold in specialized stores and veterinary clinics, respectively. As you can see, in both cases the species, the size of the dog, its age and its condition are taken into account; then you should give the recommended ration for your body weight according to the package.