Feeding your Dogs during Summer.

Summer is bad for most people, and it’s not an easy time for our pets either. The hot season brings on challenges that can make life very uncomfortable for your dog.

One of the biggest aspects to take a hit is your dog’s appetite. A dog that normally licks his bowl clean might be leaving food behind or skipping an entire meal. Have you noticed any changes in your dog’s eating patterns in these last few weeks?

Tips to feed your dog in the summer:
You needn’t worry if your dog skips one meal; it’s when it seems to become a more regular pattern then you should be concerned. Summers are when your dog’s appetite is worse. Your dog is as it is suffering from heat, exhaustion, lack of energy and overall discomfort. If he doesn’t eat then, it’s only going to worsen the situation.

So, what can you do? Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything special. Just keep some of these tips in mind and before you know it, summer picky eating will be a thing of the past.

Continue giving dog food
Continue feeding your regular dog food as usual. You must, however, decrease the quality of the food you offer. It is better to offer less food but more frequently.

Don’t worry; this will not reduce the proteins your dog is getting. As you read further, you will learn about alternatives that you can offer to compensate for the reduced food quality.

Add curd or buttermilk to dog food
Curd or buttermilk is one of the best foods to help keep the body temperature stable. You can either soak your dog’s food with curd or buttermilk while feeding, or offer it separately.

You can offer up to 250 gm curd or buttermilk daily, whether a pup or an adult dog. Don’t go overboard with the quantity as too much curd can lead to diarrhoea.

Feed vegetable puree with meat
Increaser the quantity of vegetables. Make a vegetable puree and add it to the meat you offer during mealtimes. Reduce the quantity of meat and substitute with seasonal vegetables that are good for dogs. More on that later in the article. You can even cook the meat with the vegetable puree and feed it to you dog.

Have clean and fresh water available
Your dog is losing a lot of moisture through continuous panting and drooling. He needs to be hydrated well at all times. Make sure there is access to clean, fresh and cool water all the time. Do not offer water straight from the refrigerator. Mix it till it is cool and not ice cold. Add broths to their meals if you feel they are not drinking adequate water.

This is when you should feed your dog
11 am to 5 pm is not a good time to feed your dog. Instead, make sure your dog gets access to as much water and other liquids as he wants.

Finish feeding lunch by 11 am and offer dinner after 5 pm. This is done to prevent the body from heating up even more. The body generates heat to digest food and this increases the body temperature even further.

Offer seasonal fruits
Offer cool pieces of seasonal fruits all through summer. Some of the good choices include watermelon, musk melon, papaya (boiled), banana, mangoes, etc. Feed these early in the morning as breakfast.

 

Feed these vegetables in summer
Earlier we spoke about seasonal vegetables. Summer is when the market is full fresh, dog-friendly veggies. Take your pick from spinach, coriander, carrots, pumpkin, cauliflower, cucumber and green beans. Do not feed these raw; your dog cannot digest them. Boil them and add them to the meat bowl or puree them and mix the puree with the food.

 

Stay away from fatty foods
Fatty foods are a terrible idea in summer. These are tough to digest and the body expends more energy just to break these foods down. Plus, foods that are rich in fats are also known to increase body temperature.

 

Other tips to take care of your dog in summer
If you’ve been providing multi-vitamins to your dog, you can continue those medicines. Liver tablets are a great way to control your dog’s body temperature. Also, the supplements keep the liver functioning well.

Don’t forget to deworm your dog is he’s due. Your dog will lick himself constantly in an attempt to cool down, and that’s when he could ingest some undesirable substances which could lead to worms.

Take your dog to his veterinary doctor for regular check-ups or if you feel something’s not right.

 

Conclusion
Take care of your dog’s diet in summer and they will be happy, healthy and beat the heat in no time.