The Right Diet to Feed Your Poodle
It’s important for proper care of your poodle that you get off on the right foot with your poodle’s nutritional needs. A dog receiving the proper nutrients is a happy, alert pet with a shining curly coat and a lust for life. A dog receiving poor nutrition is often sluggish, tired, and has a lackluster coat.
Puppies
When your poodle first comes to you as a puppy, it’s smart to continue the diet the poodle pup is used to. After all, the poodle is already going through so many changes, it seems almost unfair to add another. Ask the breeder what he or she has been feeding the pup, and purchase that type of food.
After a few weeks, you and your vet may want to reevaluate the breeder’s choice, especially if the pup isn’t gaining weight as expected or has experienced a few episodes of vomiting or diarrhea.
If you change your puppy’s food, do so slowly by gradually mixing small portions of the new food into the old. As time goes by, slowly increase the proportion of new food until finally the puppy is not getting the old food at all anymore.
Because puppies’ bodies are growing, good poodle care dictates that you need a food rich in nutrients. Some dog foods on the market are specific to the needs of pups.
Adult Dogs
At approximately one year of age, your poodle reaches its growth and is considered an adult. At this time, it might be wise for you and your vet to look at another dog food change. Since your poodle is no longer growing, it no longer needs all of the calories it did when it was a puppy. Continuing to feed it puppy food could lead to obesity.
There are several foods on the market to help adult dogs maintain a healthy weight and good nutrition. You and your vet can decide which of these is best for your dog.
Older Dogs
As your puppy grows older and slows down, its calorie needs decrease yet again. If you notice your older poodle gaining weight, talk with your vet. Your vet may advise you to decrease the number or amount of feedings, or advise you to switch to a food designed specifically with the needs of the older dog in mind.
What about BARF?
No, BARF isn’t what your poodle does after he’s been eating grass. BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and/or Bones And Raw Food. This diet, developed by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, discards commercial foods in favor of raw foods such as chicken necks, beef, lamb flanks and even veggies. Bones of course, are also included. Some owners claim that this diet has made their dogs happier, healthier, and even more resistant to illnesses and parasites. For more information, of if you want your dog to become a BARF dog, check out Dr. Billinghurst’s book, “Give Your Dog a Bone.”
Whether or not you decide to go the raw foods route, there will be times when you want to give your poodle a special treat. The next section looks at some delicacies you can cook for your poodle.
