It’s Getting Cold! What About Your Dog’s Diet?
As winter is approaching, it’s time to prepare our animals for it. For new comers that are from cold winter climates, Hong Kong may seem mild and delightful. One small factor to consider however is once the thermometer falls to 10 degrees or for Americans, 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it gets cold for the body. It is after all below the normal human body temperature of 98 degrees F. and 36 Celsius. Now, think about this for your furry friend. Sure, it has a nice fur coat, but this is normally used to protect its skin, which is only about 5 layers thick while human skin is about 17 layers thick. Yes, the fur will help to keep him or her warm, but they also need a little extra help. Sure, you can put a fashionable sweater on him or her, but what else can you do?
What do we humans usually do when it gets cold? We tend to eat more and that makes us feel good. We always gain a little weight over the cold months and that gives us the great excuse to do the gym or go outdoors in the spring to do more exercise. Our little furry friends can and may need to have more food in the cold winter months as well. Even if you put that sweater on your pet, it may still need to have more food. The extra food helps it to generate heat for its body. The extra calories are required to help maintain body temperature when it gets cold, even for long-haired dogs. Research on feeding your dog about 10% to 20% more food indicates that this does not put extra weight on the dog. Additionally, a little extra fat on your dog during the winter months will actually help it to stay more comfortable, warmer and will help it to keep the body heat internally rather than being radiated out.
Also, try adding more oil in its kibble. The best is of course safflower oil. Just a tablespoon of this will do for medium size dogs and double that for large dogs (40kg or more). A teaspoon each meal is enough for small breeds (less than 5kg). If you cannot find safflower oil, then the next best choice is sunflower oil, which can be found in any grocery store or supermarket. This has a nutty flavor and your dog might like it. You will know if you’ve given your dog too much oil if its feces become soft and runny. Upon seeing this, simply reduce the amount of oil by one half. This oil does a double job of adding calories for warmth and an essential oil for the health of its skin.
I recommend finding a dog food that offers a full balanced nutritional feed. Some feeds even have the extra oil already in the feed mix. Upon improving your dog’s diet in this way, you will quickly notice their fur to have a nice shine to it and a shiny fur coat is the best indicator that it is getting the proper essential oils and nutrients it needs!
Jin Hay is an advisor for nutrition in dogs and has extensive experience working with dogs throughout Hong Kong, both as a groomer and nutritionalist. He recommends his clients to integrate Chudley’s Premium Dog food into their dogs’ diets. Simply call 2555 2243 to have a bag of Chudley’s delivered straight to your door.