Feeding Your New Puppy

The basic principle to be understood in the feeding ofrequirements for their dogs, mentioning that they
dogs is that, with only minor variations, they havehave heard somewhere that the feeding of eggs will
the same nutritive requirements as man. A dogencourage a glossy coat.
apparently has less need for starches, and itsThis belief is incorrect. Vigorous dogs that are
digestive juices do not handle fatty foods well. Thus,properly cleaned and groomed will have glossy coats
the dog's meat should always be quite lean,whether or not they have ever been fed eggs.
otherwise it will commonly cause a stomach upsetUnhealthy dogs, or those that are improperly cleaned
with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.or groomed, will not have a good, shiny coat no
The best foods for the dog are milk, meat, andmatter how often eggs are fed.
vegetables. Most dogs will enjoy milk and digest itEggs, however, are a perfectly wholesome food for
readily. Some breeds, however, such as the Bostondogs and are an excellent source of protein. But,
Terrier, often do not seem to be able to handle milksince meat and milk are equally rich in this nutrient
and will vomit it. Where this occurs, milk shouldand are generally cheaper, eggs are usually
naturally be avoided.considered to be a good, though uneconomical,
But with most breeds this difficulty will not besupplementary food for dogs.
encountered. With a little experience the individualAs for the tremendous variety of dry or canned
dog owner can determine what the situation is withcommercial dog foods, most animals will get along
his particular animal.perfectly well on them, though it is often suggested
In regard to meat: beef, lamb, or horsemeat areby the most competent authorities that the best
generally considered best, while pork is usually notresults will be obtained if dog foods are fed only in
recommended. Lamb or horsemeat are best servedcombination with fresh foods.
cooked, while beef may be fed either cooked orGreat strides have been made in the improvement of
raw.commercial dog foods in recent years. Their formulae
Whether meat is fed cooked or raw depends bothare specially prepared by trained scientists to meet all
on convenience to the owner and on the preferenceof the dog's needs, and all nationally known brands
of the animal. It will make no difference, however, toare guaranteed by the federal government, on the
the health of the dog which way the food is fed.basis of careful experiment, to furnish normal
As far as vegetables are concerned, most dogsmaintenance diets.
generally handle them quite well. However, as withThis means that the dog can live its entire life
milk, the owner will have to determine on the basiswithout eating anything but dog food. For those
of actual experience which vegetables the animalowners within the low income brackets, or those
prefers or which it can properly digest.with the very large breeds, the feeding of dog food
In most cases, diced lettuce and tomatoes will beexclusively would certainly be the most economical
found to be the most readily accepted.method and, as far as the dog is concerned, such a
Dog owners often raise the question of the eggdiet is quite adequate.