Dogs have been our faithful companions for thousands of years. In the Western world, they are considered as our best friends, since they are dear, loyal and lovely playful friends. Dogs also help us by playing important roles in many different professions, such as police or military as well as aiding the handicapped individuals or providing a rehabilitation support. If you treat your dog with all the care and devotion it deserves you will surely make yourself a good companion, who will always stay by your side. A dog doesn’t ask much, but it needs your time and nurture. If you love animals, that wouldn’t be hard at all.
In order to have a happy and content pet, you need to meet its basic needs, in the first place. The very basic needs of every dog are nutrition, accommodation, healthcare and physical activity. Meeting these conditions is not difficult and fulfilling them you’ll make your pet happy and healthy. Learn about their nutritional needs in our articles regarding dogs and kale and the page you are currently on.
Taking care of a dog’s nutrition
A dog must always have access to water. The water should be fresh and clean and regularly changed. The best advice is to change it at least two times a day. During warmer seasons it should be changed more often. Dogs are usually very active and they need water to cool themselves, especially when the weather is hot. This would prevent them from the heat and hot flashes. Make sure that your pet does not during water from other vessels or places that are not designed for it. The pools or toilets are full of bacteria, so you should keep your pet away and to let it used to drink water from the toilet.
When it comes to the food, you can choose only commercially prepared food for dogs or you can make it yourself. It mostly depends on your ability and desire. Every option is good and you can’t go wrong neither with finished products for dogs nor with homemade food. Mix of the two can also be good. However, it is advisable not to change the food your dog is used to. Frequent changes would upset their tummies and make them serious digestion problems, as their intestinal need to quickly adjust to new food. You can include new elements in the diet plan of your dog, but only gradually.
If you decide to feed your dog prepared commercial food, check your dog’s nutritional needs and always serve the food according to manufacturer’s instructions. The diet plan and amount of food depends on many factors, such as dog breed, size age and other criteria. Always pay attention f your dog is allergic to the material of a particular product.
Adding quinoa to dog’s diet
First of all, let us say something about quinoa. Quinoa is often mistaken for a type of a grain, but it is actually a seed. According to historical and archaeological evident it has first been grown and harvested in South America. Quinoa is considered to be at the top of the list of the healthiest food for humans. Nowadays, quinoa is extremely popular and praised by many medical and food experts, thanks to its enormous nutritional benefits.
So, quinoa is nutritional for humans, but what about dogs? Quinoa gets a green light to be included in a dog’s menu. It is not toxic to them, but only if it is prepared in a proper manner. Uncooked quinoa could cause your dog severe digestive problems.
Quinoa is rich in nutrients and has amazing healing properties, both for humans and dogs. It contains nine of the essential amino acids, so it is one of the most important ingredients in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. It is also low in fat and cholesterol free. Quinoa is full of iron, magnesium, vitamins and dietary fibers. Well, dogs are not vegetarians, but they benefit from all the good properties of quinoa seed.
Quinoa on the menu
Dogs can only digest cooked quinoa. This seed is very high in fiber, so it can sometimes cause diarrhea to your pet, especially first time introduced. Therefore it should be incorporated gradually, as well as any new food. It should always be properly and fully cooked.
Before cooking quinoa for our dog’s meal, you should rinse it thoroughly. After that, add one part of quinoa to two parts liquid and cook it. Bring it to boiling and then turn heat lower. Quinoa is finished when it absorbs all the liquid. You can cook it in water or in a vegetable broth.
Cooked quinoa should be added to a dog’s diet gradually, due its high fiber content. Too much quinoa could easily upset its stomach and cause it diarrhea, so keep to very small portions. The best option is to incorporate it in its regular food. A spoonful of cooked quinoa mixed into regular meal would make the best results. If made in a proper way, quinoa will be a healthy enrichment of a dog’s diet.
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