Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Feeding Your Greyhound


Greyhound Dog Racing Tips.

Owning a greyhound involves increased responsibility when feeding. These dogs can have very sensitive stomachs. What you choose to feed your greyhound will greatly affect his performance if he is an athlete. Greyhounds are very active dogs and their diets need to reflect this. Read the following guidelines for feeding your greyhound.

Choose a food with around 23-27% protein. Protein is especially important for very active greyhounds. Become familiar with reading the labels on the dog food bag to ensure that your dog is getting the protein that he needs. Greyhounds tend to tolerate food with higher protein better than lower protein formulas. Dog food formulas high in additives will be hard on the digestion system. Retired racing greyhounds need much less protein, so look for food with around 17%.

Add in raw beef, vegetables, and other delicacies. Consider adding these ingredients into your dog's diet once or twice a week. This adds to the nutrition value of your greyhound's diet. Your greyhound will thoroughly enjoy these meals.

Avoid changing the dog food formula often. If you have found a food that your dog likes and that he tolerates well, there is no need to change weekly. Changing food means an inconsistent diet. This can be very hard on your dog's stomach. It will be hard to pinpoint allergies to certain ingredients if you are continually changing your dog's food. If you do change your greyhound's food, do it gradually. Discontinue feeding if the dog show signs of an irritated or upset stomach. Food allergies may be present if your dog has continuous loose stool. Be on the lookout for watery stools. This could signal dehydration.

Avoid feeding your greyhound table scraps. Feeding your greyhound table scraps is not recommended. Greyhounds do not tolerate certain foods well. Greasy foods will be especially hard on the dog's stomach. This also encourages your dog to have bad manners such as begging. It is best to refrain from feeding your dog table scraps if at all possible.

High quality snacks are important. Everyone loves a good snack. Your dog is no different. Choose high quality packaged snacks for ease of feeding. Also, your greyhound will enjoy a high quality bone to chew on throughout the day. Avoid feeding your dog chocolate or other sugary snacks. Overloading your dog with this type of food will cause him to get very ill. Chocolate is poison to greyhounds.

Greyhounds need a special diet high in protein. This is especially true if he is an athlete. Choose your greyhounds food according to his lifestyle. The more active he is, the higher the protein value of the food should be. Avoid changing your dog's food. Once you find a food that works for your dog, stick to the food. Consistency is best for greyhounds because of their very sensitive stomach. Choose high quality snacks that your dog will enjoy but do not feed him table scraps. Once you develop a balanced feeding plan for your dog, he will be healthier and happier.

Greyhound Dog Racing.