Nutrition advice

Serious nutrition advice starts from the dog, not from a dietary ideology. Age, size, neuter status, activity, illnesses, treatments, body condition score, preferences and digestive tolerance all influence the choice. The label, the marketing or the ingredient list taken in isolation are not enough to judge a diet.

For a healthy dog, advice can clarify the portion, the number of meals, the transition between products, the use of treats and how to monitor weight. For illnesses, suspected allergies, kidney, digestive or endocrine conditions and other medical situations, the diet has to be set by the vet, ideally with specialist support in veterinary nutrition.

Home-prepared diets need a complete formulation. Combining meat, vegetables and supplements by guesswork does not guarantee balance. Recipes have to be adapted and reviewed, particularly for puppies, pregnant bitches, working dogs and animals with illnesses.

Supplements are not automatically risk-free. They can interact with treatments, they can double up on nutrients, or they can simply be pointless. Any product given regularly has to be mentioned to the vet.

It can be considered above all for growing puppies, for adults whose weight is changing and for senior dogs or dogs with medically defined needs.

Words such as “natural”, “premium” or “grain-free” do not on their own show that a product suits a particular dog.

the dietary and medical history; assessing the weight and body condition.

setting the plan and the transition; monitoring tolerance and adjusting.

Signs such as itching or digestive upsets, a change in appetite, unusual thirst and weight loss or gain can show how the animal is experiencing the situation.

A preparation sheet should cover the exact labels and amounts, the list of treats and supplements, any relevant test results and diagnoses, and the activity schedule.

More useful criteria are training in nutrition, recommendations with reasons behind them, follow-up over time, cooperation with the vet, hygiene of the instruments and the space, and calm handling with breaks.

Food can be built into training intelligently, but treats have to be counted in the total intake and adapted to the dog's health.

medical cases belong to the veterinarian; a diet is not changed simply because of online trends. Among the risks to be discussed are unbalanced diets, pointless or incompatible supplements, too rapid a transition and delaying the diagnosis of an illness.