Supplementing Your Dog’s Diet

People supplement their pet’s diet for different reasons. Some of these reasons might include:

• To increase palatability or add variety
  
  
• To feel assured the pet is receiving complete nutrition
  
  
• To enjoy a larger role in "preparing" the pet’s meal
  
  
• Supplementing can unbalance the diet.

It is important for concerned dog owners to realise that a quality dog food is carefully formulated to meet the caloric needs of the animal. In addition, the food provides the essential amino acids, vitamin-rich fish oils and minerals specific to the nutritional requirements of the dog. Quality foods are complete and balanced for a specific life stage or lifestyle. By adding table scraps or other supplements, the delicate nutrient balance can be disrupted.

The interaction between different minerals is very complex. Fortunately, this is an area of nutrition that has been the focus of extensive research throughout many years. Research has shown that not only are the individual levels of minerals in a diet important, but so is the correct balance. An excess of one mineral may affect the absorption of a second, and lead to a deficiency in that second mineral.

One common supplement is feeding additional meat. However, because meat contains 20 to 40 times more phosphorus than calcium, adding meat to a balanced diet will upset the calcium to phosphorus (or Ca:P) ratio which is important for proper bone development and maintenance. This may prompt the animal’s body to absorb calcium from the bones in order to reach the right balance. This is often the case in older animals that experience tooth loss due to the readsorption of bone from the lower jaw. Ca:P ratio should range between 1.1 to 1.4 parts of calcium for each 1 part of phosphorus.

Excess amounts of calcium have been associated with several bone diseases affecting growing puppies. Owners of large breed puppies, in particular, believe that their puppies require extra calcium for proper development of large bones. Adding yogurt, cottage cheese, or calcium tablets to the pup’s diet will only upset the body’s delicate mineral balance. Remember that large-breed puppies will consume more food and receive the calcium their bodies need by eating the recommended portions. The best way to support a normal growth rate is to feed growing dogs adequate, but not excessive, amounts of a balanced diet using a portion-controlled regime.

The pet food industry has established certain nutritional requirements for dogs. These requirements are published in the guidelines of the European pet food industry association, FEDIAF.

Supplementing a high-quality, complete and balanced diet with vitamins, minerals or other foods is unnecessary and can upset the delicately balanced nutritional requirements of the dog.