To maintain your adult dog's good health, you need to feed it a complete and balanced diet. Such a diet should provide protein from meat and bone meal to help build and maintain strong muscles, whole-grain carbohydrates for energy, and fiber for good body condition and stamina. Fat should be included for healthy skin and coat hair. Calcium and phosphorous in proper amounts will help develop and maintain strong bones and teeth. Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the proper amounts should be included to complete the dog's diet. Feed your normal, healthy adult dog once a day at the same time each day. If your dog is quite active or a large breed, it may be fed twice a day. If obesity is not a problem, dry food can be available at all times. There are some exceptions to these recommendations. For example; *Dogs that spend most of their time outdoors during cold weather may need additional food. *Active dogs, and certain breeds of dogs need more calories than others. *Digestive problems can develop if your dog is fed immediately before or immediately after hard work. *During the female's pregnancy and while she is nursing, she should be fed a diet that is complete and balanced for all life stages. * Avoid table scraps and real bones for dogs of any age, and always have plenty of fresh water available in a clean bowl. *Like people, dogs are individuals with individual food requirements resulting from different metabolic rates. For more information, talk with your veterinarian.
