Dogs are omnivores who eat mainly meat. Eating meat has many benefits for the dog’s body. If the protein content in the dog food formula is too low, it will easily lead to malnutrition in the dog and affect the development of bones and muscles
1. Benefits of dogs eating meat:
1. Increase muscle mass: For dogs with relatively weak bodies, meat is a high-quality food that increases muscle. Eating more meat can make dogs stronger and more energetic.
2. Enhance immunity: If your dog has a poor physical condition and often gets sick, you can usually eat more meat to supplement protein. This, combined with appropriate exercise, can help your dog improve its immunity.
3. Improve hair: Nutrients such as protein, amino acids, and fat in meat are necessary nutrients to promote hair growth, so eating some meat appropriately can make your dog’s hair smoother and shiny.
4. Protect the skin: Ingesting a certain amount of fat from meat can promote the secretion of the protective layer of skin oil, making the dog’s skin less susceptible to damage and reducing skin itching, allergies and other problems.
So, is eating more meat better?
of course not.
Although there are many benefits to dogs eating meat, excessive meat intake will also bring a greater physical burden to dogs.
2. Disadvantages of feeding too much meat to dogs:
1. Calcium deficiency
Excessive meat intake will lead to an imbalance in the calcium and phosphorus ratio of dogs, which is prone to osteoporosis, fractures, bone deformities and other problems. Especially for large dogs, you should be careful not to feed large amounts of meat too early, otherwise they may develop O-shaped legs or X-shaped legs.
2. Get angry
Dogs who eat too much meat are prone to symptoms of internal heat, which are mainly characterized by severe tear stains, excessive eye feces, constipation, etc. At this time, pay attention to feeding the dog more boiled water, and also giving the dog some fruits and vegetables to supplement dietary fiber.
3. Picky eaters
If a dog eats meat for a long time, it is easy to develop the habit of being picky. If you want to continue to feed it dog food later, the dog may refuse to eat. In the long run, it may easily lead to chronic malnutrition in the dog, which will affect the dog’s body. Development and overall immunity.
4. Bad breath
You can also prepare some teeth grinding bones or dried chicken snacks at home, which can also clean your mouth.
Since meat can easily clog the dog’s teeth, if it is not cleaned in time, bacteria can easily breed and cause bad breath. Therefore, pet owners need to brush their dogs’ teeth regularly. They can also give their dogs some molar bones and teething toys. Help your dog clean his mouth.
5. Obesity
If a dog eats a lot of meat on a normal diet, it will be more likely to become overweight. Many dogs themselves are prone to gaining weight. If they eat meat frequently, they may develop fatty liver due to excessive weight. Diseases such as heart disease, pancreatitis, diabetes, arthritis, etc.
Therefore, it is recommended that the dog’s daily diet should be a combination of meat and vegetables and have balanced nutrition. This can help the dog balance the acid-base levels in the body and reduce the loss of calcium.
In addition, dietary fiber, plant protein, pectin and other nutrients in vegetarian food are not found in meat. These ingredients can promote intestinal peristalsis and metabolism in dogs, and can prevent diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia in dogs. Correspondingly, dogs should not consume too much starch and plant protein, otherwise they are prone to malnutrition, digestive abnormalities, edema and other symptoms.
