Feeding & Nutrition

When choosing a food for your pet, it’s important to consider many factors, from your dog’s age to his size to any special dietary needs he might have – and that’s just the beginning. Consider Your Dog's Life Stage Puppy At this key developmental stage in a dog’s life, your pet needs special nutrient blends that include DHA to support proper vision and brain development. Adult Dog Our foods contain nutrient and energy levels designed to help keep your dog in ideal body condition when fed properly, with a glossy coat and plenty of energy. Senior Dog Your senior dog may require a special nutrient formula to maintain lean body mass and help keep his mind bright Feeding Adult Dogs A balanced diet is essential in full-grown dogs to ensure they remain in peak health and condition. What a Dog Needs Once your dog reaches maturity, it’s time to settle into a regular feeding routine. To maintain an optimal body condition, your dog’s diet needs to include the right balance of the six major nutrient groups: • Proteins; • Fats and oils; • Minerals; • Vitamins; • Carbohydrates; • Water. Any good-quality, manufactured, complete pet food should provide your dog with this basic nutritional balance. Whether you serve canned or dry, or a mixture of the two, is really a matter of personal preference – yours, and your dog’s!

Feeding your small dog How to meet your small dog’s feeding needs, to keep him physically strong and visibly healthy. Your small dog is unique. He might share the same nutritional needs as other dogs –protein to help him grow and thrive, carbohydrates for energy, and vegetables for vitamins and fibre – but his size makes him very special. Small dog breeds, such as the Shi Tzu, Jack Russell terrier and Chihuahua, have very particular nutritional needs and your small dog’s ideal feeding plan will depend on his age, his breed, his lifestyle and how active he is. Small but mighty A super-fast metabolism means that small dog’s burn energy much faster than large dog breeds. They need more calories per kilogram of body weight, so it is very important that you choose a nutritionally complete feeding plan that is calorie-rich and specially designed to suit the needs of small dogs – particularly when your young small dog is still growing and developing. Essential ingredients Active small dogs need a feeding plan with quick-release energy sources – these include high quality animal or fish protein sources (such as beef, chicken, turkey or salmon) and easy-to-digest carbohydrates. The essential fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, are another important ingredient because they keep your small dog’s kidneys healthy, help to boost his immune system, promote good brain and eye development, and maintain his glossy coat. Mealtimes with bite Small stomachs and little mouths give small dog breeds a healthy appetite – especially at the puppy stage when your small dog will use up the energy from each meal in a matter of hours. Feeding little and often – up to three or four meals a day – is advisable. Your small dog will appreciate nutritionally complete dry recipes with smaller pieces of crunchy kibble and/or moist meals with small chunks of meat and vegetables – either of which will be easy for your small dog to chew and digest. Live long, live well Many small dogs mature quickly, age more slowly, and live longer than large dog breeds. Some small breeds may be considered an adult from around eight months old, and many small dog breeds may live to the age of 15 or more. This means that your small dog could spend a large proportion of his life as an active adult dog. Although small dogs are less prone to putting on excess weight, your vet can guide you to the ideal weight for your small dog. Choosing recipes with lean protein sources such as turkey, pork and chicken can help to keep your small dog fit and trim at every stage of his long and happy life.

Is your dog not eating dry food? There are a lot of different reasons why a dog may turn up it's nose at their food. Refusing to eat dry dog food could just mean that your dog is a picky eater, but it also could be a sign of a more serious health problem. If your dog won’t eat dry food, here are some steps you can take to help get them eating again. Make sure he’s healthy If your dog normally eats their food with gusto and has suddenly stopped eating, the most important thing to do is rule out any serious health problems. Many dogs won’t eat if they’re not feeling well, especially if they’re suffering from intestinal or dental issues, so you should visit your veterinarian to make sure nothing’s wrong. But if your dog eats other kinds of food (like wet food or snacks) and refuses to touch his dry food, it may mean he’s a picky eater. Break bad habits If you offer your dog a large variety of foods, they may turn up his nose at their regular dry food to see if you’ll offer them something better —especially if you have given them wet food or human food. Stick to the same thing every day and only offer your dog their regular dry food to help curb their picky tendencies over time. Try enhancing his meal Some dogs just don’t like the taste or texture of dry food. If your dog is not eating their dry food, you may want to mix a small amount ofwet foodwith his dry food to make it more palatable. If you do decide to add wet food to his regular meal, remember to scale back the amount of dry food to avoid over-feeding him.

Feeding Your Dog Our recommendations for your dog will vary depending upon your dog’s age, breed, activity level, metabolism and your own schedule. Whether you feed your dog once or twice daily, make sure to feed him at the same time each day and provide fresh drinking water at all times. HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU FEED YOUR DOG? Follow the feeding guide on the back of the pack, but remember the guide is only there to give you an idea. Every dog is an individual, so the most important consideration is to feed enough to maintain a lean, healthy condition. Always provide a bowl of fresh drinking water. If you feed biscuits or treats, remember to reduce your dog’s main meals accordingly. Treats should never constitute more than 15 per cent of your dog’s diet. DOG FEEDING CHECK-LIST: • Feed your dog once or twice a day, as part of a regular routine. Deep-chested breeds such as the Doberman will particularly benefit from two smaller meals. • Serve food at room temperature to ensure your dog can taste and smell it properly. If you are feeding canned food, warming up an opened can may take up to two hours once it has been taken out of the fridge. Alternatively, you might consider microwaving wet foods (out of the can) for a short time. But avoid serving food that is either too hot or too cold. • If feeding a dry complete food, store it in a dry, clean environment. Resealable packaging or an airtight container keeps it tasty by sealing in the aroma. • Your dog should be fed in a quiet place away from interruptions and away from where you eat. It’s always a good idea to feed on a surface that is easily cleaned, like a tiled floor or a mat. • Don’t allow children to interrupt your dog when he is eating or he may mistake them as a ‘predator’ trying to steal food and react aggressively. If you have more than one dog, feed them separately to avoid bullying or fighting. • Try not to feed your dog immediately before or after exercise. Many dogs are susceptible to a twisting of the gut and blocking of the stomach, which requires immediate veterinary attention. About an hour’s grace either side is advisable.

Dogs can get food poisoning too, so to make sure it doesn’t happen to your pet, either use manufactured pet food or take note of our practical tips. SAFETY FIRST Your dog depends on you for a good diet and the right nutrition. So it’s important that you pay special attention to the quality and freshness of the food you provide. After all, food poisoning does occur in dogs. Illness from manufactured pet food, however, is very rare thanks to stringent quality assurance and safety checks throughout the manufacturing process. However, it’s always best to check the use-by date to ensure maximum freshness. You do it for yourself when out shopping, so why not for your dog, too? Starting with the selection of raw ingredients right through to warehousing and delivery, the manufacture of pet food is closely monitored every step of the way, and processes, additives, ingredients and product safety are all regulated. MANUFACTURED DOG FOOD – COOKING Regulated and automated, the cooking process kills off all living organisms present in the ingredients (bacteria and moulds). Cans and pouches are cooked by sealed-in pressure cooking. Dry foods are extruded (flash cooking a dough at high pressure) or baked. Finished products are segregated from the incoming raw materials to prevent cross-contamination. MANUFACTURED DOG FOOD – PACKAGING Canned foods are sealed to prevent any further contact with external micro-organisms or exposure to oxygen, which could cause spoilage. Lacquered linings for cans and the foil of pouches protect the food and metal from interacting. Damaged cans are at risk because the protection seal may have been broken, so look out for swollen cans and pouches. Dry foods remain fresh over many months because bacteria can’t grow and spoil food when moisture levels are low. Dry food packaging and the fatty coating of biscuits help prevent the entry of moisture and oxygen that can cause food spoilage during storage. Once opened, store dry foods covered in a cool dry place. Do not store moistened dry foods as moulds may grow, which can harm your pet. MANUFACTURED DOG FOOD – INGREDIENT SELECTION AND QUALITY Every ingredient used in commercially produced food must meet established levels of quality. Suppliers use standardised analytical techniques to ensure ingredients conform to regulations and are free of, or meet the minimal safe levels of, toxins and metals, as well as offering the correct nutrient content. Fallen animals or spoiled cereals are excluded from pet foods, as are certain organs like brain, spleen and spinal cord. Meats are delivered to factories frozen or chilled to ensure quality. Any additives used have to conform to regulations and be certified as safe. DOG FOOD SAFETY AT HOME Storage– Dry food should be stored in an airtight container, which keeps it tasty by sealing in aromas and keeping out bugs. You can leave a serving of dry food in the bowl, as it won’t spoil, but beware of attracting ants and rodents. Feeding– Place your dog’s bowl on a surface that is easy to clean, like a tiled floor or a mat. Feeding bowls should be made from metal (easy to clean), ceramic (not easily knocked over) or plastic (although these might get chewed and the teeth marks can harbour germs). Food safety-is about good feeding practice as well as hygiene. For example, don’t exercise your dog an hour before or an hour after feeding. Some dogs eat their food too quickly and are prone to choking, so raising their feed bowl and choosing a dry food that has larger pieces can help. For more information on dog food safety please contact our Purina Pet Care Advice Teamhere.

Our Global Nutrition Philosophy We’re pet lovers ourselves, and we believe all pets deserve nutrition that goes beyond industry standards. From advancing the way kibble is made to employing over 400 scientists and nutritionists globally, we work continually to push pet nutrition forward for dogs everywhere. DISCOVER OUR GLOBAL NUTRITION PHILOSOPHY What Do Dogs Need to Thrive? Dogs, just like humans, have complex nutritional needs. It can be hard for owners to understand every facet of what their dog needs, but they needn’t look beyond their pet food. Purina complete pet foods provide a 100% complete and balanced diet for pets. At Purina, we reflect dogs’ natural needs using our quality ingredients. One common misconception is that dogs are carnivores. The reality is that even their wolf ancestors eat only 70% meat. Today’s dogs are omnivores, built to consume a more balanced diet – and that’s a good thing. Depending on the breed, dogs can live twice as long as wolves. To understand your dog’s needs, let’s look at his physiology: PHYSIOLOGY

Nature, a highly cited interdisciplinary scientific journal, recently announced the discovery that novel adaptions allowing early ancestors of modern dogs to thrive on a starch-rich diet was a key step in the dog’s evolution from the wolf. The idea that dogs have evolved to eat starches – a carbohydrate fraction found in foods like wheat, corn and potatoes – is making waves among pet owners, as well as within the scientific community. Why? It challenges the rising belief that dogs should eat a limited diet, one that doesn’t include carbohydrate sources like wheat and corn. The belief that dogs shouldn’t eat starches has always perplexed the nutritionists at Purina, as our decades of research have consistently suggested the opposite. We even recently came out in support of therole of grains in a dog’s diet. Now, there is genetic proof that dogs evolved to eat grains. Reference: The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet • Erik Axelsson,1Abhirami Ratnakumar,1Maja-Louise Arendt,1Khurram Maqbool,1Matthew T. Webster,1Michele Perloski,2Olof Liberg,3Jon M. Arnemo, • Åke Hedhammar6&Kerstin Lindblad-Toh1, 2 • Affiliations Contributions Corresponding authors Nature495, 360–364 (21 March 2013) doi:10.1038/nature11837 Received 01 July 2012 Accepted 11 December 2012 Published online 23 January 2013

Dogs have three main protective systems that work together to protect, support and promote health and wellbeing. These are the skin and coat, digestive (gastrointestinal tract), and immune system. The performance of each is interlinked to the other. Less than optimal performance in one often leads to adverse effects in the other systems. The skin and coat system is the largest organ in the body. The skin is the main organ through which the body interacts with the outside environment. The skin and coat have a variety of protective functions including providing a physical barrier for the rest of the body against the external environment. The digestive system works to protect the dog in two ways. The first is by digesting and absorbing essential nutrients that can be utilised by it and the other protective systems to promote overall health and wellbeing. Secondly, the digestive system plays an immunologic role to defend against bacteria and toxins that have entered the body from the outside world. In fact, the digestive system is the primary site for the body’s immune system response, containing as much as 70% of the body’s immune cells. The immune system is central to all the dog’s protective systems. It is a complex network in the body designed to provide the dog with protection against foreign invaders that can trigger disease, negatively impact health, or affect overall wellbeing. It is the role of the immune system to recognise invading agents and then repel or destroy them. Each of these three systems operates at its peak efficiency only when supplied with vital nutrients at an appropriate level from the dog’s diet. That’s why PRO PLAN®provides high quality food, made with high quality ingredients, that will help ensure constant replenishment of all the vital nutrients necessary for the protective systems to function at peak performance.

Our health checklist will help you monitor your dog for any signs of sickness or pain. MONITORING MATTERS Prevention is always better than a cure and your dog’s health is no exception. Every month you should check your dog carefully for early signs of illness. Just remember that some dogs are very good at hiding illness or pain, so you need to be vigilant. DOG HEALTH CHECKLIST • Body condition – you should just be able to feel the ribs and no more; there should be a “waist” between your dog’s ribs and hips and the belly should not sag. Watch for signs of weight loss or weight increase. • Ears – your dog’s ears should be clear of any thick brown or green wax with no smell. Some long-eared breeds benefit from regular ear cleaning with special ear cleaners. Be careful what you use to clean the ears – the skin is very sensitive – and don’t clean too deeply or vigorously, as the eardrum can be easily perforated. If in doubt, ask your vet for help. • Eyes – eyes should be bright and clear, with no signs of runniness, redness or soreness. Your dog should not shy away from light as if it hurts the eyes. Eye problems can sometimes be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. • Nose – Don’t be concerned if your dog’s nose isn’t wet and cold – it is common for healthy dogs to have dry noses. Instead make sure there is no crusting on the surface of the nose, runny discharges or bleeding. If you have any concerns, ask your vet for help. • Breath – bad breath is not just a cosmetic or social problem (we all know dogs with bad breath can be less than pleasant company). Bad breath can indicate a digestive problem or bad teeth, or gums which could potentially lead to organ problems if left untreated. Teeth should be white with no excess tartar, which looks thick and brown. The gums should be pink or black, not red or swollen. • Skin and coat – your dog’s skin can be various colours depending on the pigments normally found in the breed. The coat, meanwhile, should be thick (depending on breed) and shiny with no broken hairs. Your dog should be free of any scruffy dandruff or sores. Hair can be shed all year round, but it’s normally worse in summer and autumn – having a good vacuum cleaner is useful. Some breeds like poodles don’t shed, although they need clipping regularly. • Nails – these should be smooth and can be white or black. Nails that are roughened and break easily may require attention. When checking the nails, remember the dewclaws found on the inside of the leg just below the wrist. Some dogs have them on the front legs only; some have them front and back; and some don’t have any at all. • Digestion – keep an eye on your dog’s appetite – are there any noticeable changes? This can be very difficult to tell if the dog is new to you, or very fussy. There should be no sickness or choking when eating and stools should be a normal colour, with no diarrhoea, constipation or mucus (clear jelly) passed. • Thirst – if your dog suddenly becomes thirsty or starts drinking more than usual, consult your vet. • Attitude – your dog’s general attitude to life can tell you a lot. If you notice the head and tail are down, it usually means your dog is feeling under the weather. Poorly dogs can also skulk in corners, or even dig holes in the garden to lie in. If you’re worried, ask your vet’s advice. For more information on keeping your dog health please contact our Purina Pet Care Advice Teamhere.

If you ever need to change your dog’s brand of food – be it for nutritional, medical or life-stage reasons – it’s important to make the transition as smooth as possible. CH-CH-CH-CH CHANGES There are a host of reasons why you may need to move your dog onto a different food: nutritional requirements alter as dogs get older; a medical condition may require a special diet; and occasionally dogs get fussy and just go off their usual brand. Because dogs can often be sensitive to changes in their diet, try to make the transition as smooth as possible. A slow transition process will help your dog to more easily digest the carefully formulated ingredients and nutrients of the new brand by naturally adjusting the enzymes in the digestive tract. MAKING THE SWITCH Start by mixing the new food with your usual brand, then gradually increase the proportion over one week to 10 days, until your dog is only eating the new food. Don’t be surprised if your dog has an upset tummy to begin with. This is not unusual. Day 1:Add one part of the new food to nine parts of your dog’s usual food. Day 2:Add two parts new to eight parts of the old food. Day 3:Add three parts new to seven parts old, and so on until… Day 7 - 10:You are only feeding the new food. CHANGING FROM CANNED DOG FOOD TO DRY Provide plenty of drinking water. There is naturally far less moisture in dry food. CHANGING FROM PUPPY FOOD TO ADULT FORMULAS Transition puppies to an adult formula at approximately 12 to 24 months, depending on the size the dog will be when fully grown. Large and giant breeds take far longer to mature. Don’t be tempted to switch too soon. CHANGING FROM ADULT DOG FOOD TO SENIOR Dogs of seven years and older should be fed a specially formulated senior food, designed to provide the optimum balance of key nutrients. Click here to check out our specially formulated senior range.

There are some dogs that simply use more energy every day, whether because of their temperament, their job or their owner’s lifestyle. Rather than just feeding them more and more food to keep up with their increased energy needs, it is better to provide them with a special diet that is highly digestible and energy dense. PRO PLAN® Performance is the perfect choice for your high energy dog because it contains more calories in every mouthful than regular PRO PLAN® adult dog formulas. PRO PLAN® Performance is formulated with higher protein levels to nourish muscles, a higher fat level to provide a high power energy source, anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids and contains high quality chicken. WHAT TYPE OF DOGS MAY BENEFIT FROM PRO PLAN® PERFORMANCE? If you enjoy an active lifestyle and like to exercise with your dog every day, or your dog participates in sport like agility or sheepdog trials, it is likely they will require specialised nutrition such as PROPLAN Performance to keep them in ideal body condition Some dogs have a faster metabolism or a more nervous temperament, which means they burn more calories just doing everyday things and keeping condition on them is harder. Dogs with jobs that require them to be very active, such as police dogs, working farm dogs or search and rescue dogs, will often need a higher energy diet. Dogs with short coats that live outdoors, may need extra nutrition to stop them losing weight during the coldest months of winter. PRO PLAN® Performance is an All Life Stage formula, which means it is also suitable for pregnant or nursing bitches and for feeding puppies. For more information on highly active dogs please contact our Purina Pet Care Advice Teamhere.

There has been a recent trend towards products and diets which target a specific breed of dog. The idea of feeding a food, which is apparently designed just for your dogs breed, may be very appealing to some owners. But is breed specific nutrition really the answer? PUPPIES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES! All puppies have an enormous amount of growth to accomplish during a relatively short period of time. The difference between large/giant dogs and smaller sized dogs is the rate at which they grow. Small-size breeds can be considered mature as young as six months but are generally considered to be adults by 12 months, while medium-size dogs attain mature size at approximately 12 to 16 months of age and the large and giant breeds types reach mature adult size between 18 and 36 months of age. It is the growth rate differences that have implications for the type of diet that is fed, the feeding practices that are used and how and what type of exercise can be introduced into a puppy’s life. High-quality puppy food like PRO PLAN® OPTISTART takes the weight of the dog at maturity into account and the size-based formulas are designed to help dogs of different sizes grow and develop at the rate most appropriate to their fully grown size, regardless of whether they are purebred or mixed breed dogs. WHAT ABOUT OTHER GENETIC DISORDERS? Veterinarians and scientists agree that there are genetic differences between breeds which result in a predisposition to certain diseases. For example, it is well known that Beagles are more likely to have hypothyroidism as they age than Chihuahuas and miniature Poodles have more eye problems than Great Danes. However, veterinarians and scientists know that these persistent breed differences are the result of ill-planned breeding and genetic mutation and rarely influenced by nutrition. Genetic diseases which can be influenced through nutrition include: diabetes, certain gut diseases or insufficiencies, certain skeletal diseases and a few skin diseases but these diseases most often require very specific therapeutic diets which can only be prescribed by a veterinarian. There are some health conditions which can be based on the phenotypic expression of genes and the environment. For example, many small dogs have a predisposition to dental problems because they have too many teeth or have retained puppy teeth and this can be exacerbated by eating habits. The same is true for other bone diseases. Large dogs may be predisposed to osteoarthritis, however, the lifestyle that a dog has will dictate the age at which symptoms may become clinical. As the average age of dogs shifts upwards, the incidence of osteoarthritis continues to increase, regardless of breed. Skin disease, like gut disease, is a general term which encompasses disease of genetic and environmental origin. There are some dogs which are more predisposed to skin disease than others; however, most skin diseases can manifest in any breed of dog. Finally, bloat or Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV) has long been regarded as a disease of certain breeds of dogs; however, new research shows that not only is environment and lifestyle a component of the predisposition of bloat, but also mental well-being. Dogs that are nervous or under stress will be more likely to bloat than “happy” dogs. Placing dogs in categories based on breeds is easy, convenient and a helpful way to for pet food companies to assist owners in choosing a pet food. However, there is not sufficient clinical data available that supports breed specific nutrition. Currently veterinarians and nutritionists agree that maintaining a cat or dog in ideal body condition and providing the type of complete and balanced high-quality nutrition that reputable pet food manufacturers offer is the most effective way of keeping your pet happy and healthy for many years to come. For more information please contact our Purina Pet Care Advice Teamhere.