All You Need To Know About Life-Stage Diet

A trip to the petcare aisle in the supermarket will have familiarized you with petfood targeted at specific stages of your pet’s life. The dietary requirements of your pet changes from birth to old age. Life-stage diet is tailored to meet the different nutritional requirements of each stage. The nutrients essential for a pup’s growth is no longer necessary for an adult dog. Similarly, an old dog’s dietary requirements differ from an adolescent dog’s. Let’s take a look at the different stages and related dietary requisites of a dog’s life-

Your pup’s energy needs are quadruple that of an adult dog’s. Extra protein is required to facilitate the formation of new tissue. An energy rich diet that includes protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus is essential for a growing pup.Small breed dogs need higher levels of nutrients whereas large breeds need less of them to control their growth rate. An improper amount of nutrients may cause problems in the dog’s skeletal structure and even lead to obesity.

When the dog reaches its approximate adult height, at about 2 years – it is time to change its diet to an adult food formula. Its new diet will depend on its breed and activity levels. Here, dry food can help keep the dog’s teeth healthy and provide calorie density to larger breeds.At this stage, small/medium sized dogs without any overarching medical condition should eat high quality, animal based protein for muscle maintenance. Fiber should be eaten for a healthy digestive tract. Essential vitamins and minerals should be consumed for the immune system. Further, their diet should contain vitamin rich fish oils and healthy grains. The former will ensure a healthy coat, skin and look after the overall health whereas the latter will give it energy.Large breed dogs will need food containing glucosamine and less fat to maintain their joint health.

A pet enters seniority in the last third of his life expectancy. Although, most pets remain healthy well into their old age, a balanced diet can help counter detrimental physiological changes that it may undergo. Senior dogs need a diet which is low in calories, protein and fat but higher in fibre as most are no longer active. Obesity and kidney failure may set in.Different food & supplements are available to fight different age-related issues in your pet. Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping him active will extend his life-span and ensure he spends a couple extra years in his loving owner’s care.