PROBLEMY ŻYWIENIOWE PSÓW RAS DUŻYCH I OLBRZYMICH. CZĘŚĆ I. SZCZENIĘTA

Abstract

Feeding dogs is not a simple matter. Dogs are one of the most diverse animal species in the world. Thousands of years of evolution of the species of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris L.), have resulted in the fact that nowadays there are hundreds of dog breeds that differ not only in color, type of coat or character, but above all in size. No domestic animal has had a richer history of evolution in direct human contact than the domestic dog. Due to the growing awareness of the caregivers, the pet food market is changing dynamically. Foods are produced that are adapted to the dog’s age, lifestyle, physical activity and breed size. Despite this, often the animal’s diet is inadequate balanced. The caregivers make the mistake of choosing a food that is not adapted to the age and size of the dog. A common problem, for example, is to give puppy food to adult dogs of small breeds, although representatives of these breeds reach maturity more quickly than large breed dogs. Furthermore, the current nutritional guidelines do not provide recommended minimum and maximum amounts of any given nutrient based on the breed size of the dog. The purpose of this article is to characterize the most important nutrients, especially important in the nutrition of large and giant breed puppies.