Dogs have specific nutritional demands for healthy growth and development, each phase of our furry’s life carries with it different requirements for protein, fat, carbohydrates and other nutrients.

Pet food for different age groups is characterized by being an increasingly developed niche and with great potential in the market, however, it is necessary to take special care with the ingredients to be used in its formulation so that the nutrients are available to be absorbed and used effectively by the body of dogs.

Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals and vitamins, must always be present throughout their life cycle, what varies is the proportion of each one, let’s see what is necessary for this friend who does not stop being our darling.

If you have a pet dog or if you are a food manufacturer, this information may interest you.

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF ADULT DOGS.

In order for the dog to be fed as an adult dog it must preferably have reached 90% of its expected adult weight.

The breed of our furry, along with the age and frequency with which he exercises, will be decisive in deciding the amount of food eaten. For example, a dog that exercises generally needs 20% to 40% more food than a dog that has little movement.

An adult dog, on average, needs to ingest at least 10% of calories from protein, 5.5% from fat, and 50% from carbohydrates, including 2.5% and 4.5% fiber, daily.

Therefore, when formulating food for this age, it is necessary to take into account this balance of nutrients.

The type of food must also be taken into account, that is, dry foods have more nutrients per bite, therefore, a lesser amount will be necessary to meet the nutritional requirements of the pet.

Wet or canned foods have about 68% to 78% water, these formulations also have a greater amount of meat, fish, poultry and textured protein than dry foods. This higher moisture content is ideal for dogs that have urinary tract problems. In addition this type of food is also a good option for dogs that are overweight since the feeling of satiety is greater.

Another important consideration is that dogs can consume both animal and vegetal protein.

The high quality ingredients are those that guarantee the supply of nutrients necessary for your age.

Protein quality matters more than its source. Therefore it is possible to balance a vegetarian diet for dogs, as long as they choose formulations that guarantee all the essential amino acids for animal development and that the proteins contained have high digestibility.

Oils obtained from animal sources such as chicken oils, pork fat, among others, used from fresh raw materials are great sources of fat for dog food formulations. Because they are of animal origin, they have high digestibility and palatability, in addition to guaranteeing essential fatty acids for the development of the animal.

As a protein ingredient, hydrolyzed chicken protein is presented as a great option, it guarantees a process free of toxic solvents, it is also more environmentally friendly, it is also of animal origin, it has all the essential amino acids and it is a highly digestible ingredient, guaranteeing good absorption by the animal’s body, reducing the volume of feces.

Dogs have complex organisms, therefore, their nutritional needs vary according to their age. For this, it is necessary to know their needs guaranteeing food that allows a healthy development of the animal.