What and how to feed a pug?

In order to preserve the health and activity of the pug for many years, from a very early age it is necessary to ensure a high-quality balanced diet. Let us dwell on the most important aspects of feeding this funny pet.

Pugs are funny animals that seem to be well-fed, but constantly hungry. This is a mistaken opinion - in dogs of this breed, the muscles are quite elastic, and under them ribs and spines are clearly visible. These are very active dogs, so the diet in terms of the quantity and composition of food must necessarily take into account not only the age of the dog, but also the characteristics of its physical activity.

Many owners make a fairly common mistake - they feed the animal to such an extent that it begins to have problems with digestion, it causes shortness of breath - all this leads to heart problems and premature aging.

To date 2 schemes of correct feeding of dogs of the Pug breed were proposed - this is nutrition with natural products and dry food. The first method is considered more laborious, since it involves an independent search for products and the preparation of mash bags based on meat or fish with the addition of cereals, vegetables, and lactic acid products.

There are several rules to follow when organizing pug feeding.

• It is forbidden to mix natural and industrial feed. If you give your dog store granules in the mornings, and in the evening, offer her porridge - soon you will encounter problems such as eating disorders and weakening of immunity. If you do not adjust the diet in time, it can lead to serious health problems requiring expensive and long-term treatment.
• Any new product in the diet of the animal should be introduced gradually, so that the final replacement occurs within 10-14 days.
• If you prefer ready-made feeds, be sure to read the information on the packaging - preference should be given to products that do not contain vegetable fats, salt and soy components.

Natural products can be offered to the dog at any age. About 70% of the diet should be meat and offal, the remaining 30% is:

• fillet of white sea fish, lean;
• vegetables;
• fruits;
• juicy greens or germinated grains;
• whole grain cereals;
• lactic acid products;
• the eggs.

From meat, preference is better to give beef or veal, 1-2 times a week it can be replaced with chicken or turkey meat. It should be borne in mind that with more frequent inclusion of poultry meat in the diet may develop allergic reactions. Up to 15% of meat can be replaced with high-quality offal (heart, liver, udder, as well as broth or aspic from chicken legs).

Of the cereals, preference should be given to rice and buckwheat, it is desirable to refrain from consuming corn and wheat - they are poorly absorbed by the dog’s body, therefore causing heaviness and eating disorders in the animal. Unlike dogs of other breeds, many pugs react poorly to oatmeal - it causes diarrhea and, in some cases, even vomiting.

About 5% of the total volume of the mash consists of vegetables and fruits - they should be injected chopped. Best of all, animals perceive mashed potatoes of steamed carrots, pumpkin, zucchini or cauliflower. It will be useful to add chopped greens and germinated cereals.

The mixture should be filled with vegetable oil, which is perfectly absorbed by the pug's body and compensates for the lack of fat in the finished feed mixture. Vegetable fats, unlike animal fats, do not cause obesity.

Once a week, you can replace meat with fish - cod and hake are suitable for dogs, but fatty red fish varieties are contraindicated for dogs. You also need to abandon the river fish, because it contains a lot of small bones, and besides, it is often affected by worms.

Some pugs eagerly eat fruit - in this case they should definitely include their favorite delicacy on the menu. Once a week, dogs should be given low-fat cottage cheese or kefir, as well as chicken egg yolk.

We draw attention to the fact that when feeding natural products to dogs it is required to additionally provide vitamin-mineral complexes, which are very important for the body of pugs:

• vitamin A - it is necessary for puppies, and also adult animals in the period of mating, pregnancy and lactation;
• vitamin b - maintains the condition of hair, skin and muscles;
• vitamin C - strengthens the immune system, prevents diseases of the teeth and gums;
• vitamin D - warns rickets of a young dog;
• vitamin E - needed for the formation of a healthy reproductive system.

Of the mineral elements, dogs need intake of phosphorus, calcium, zinc, selenium, chromium, iodine and many other trace elements.

If you are not able to devote enough time to buying products, measuring proportions and making mash, then it is better to stay on the finished feed - they are offered in stores in a wide range.

The use of such products greatly facilitates the life of the breeder due to the fact that the manufacturer usually specifies all the necessary dosages of feeding the dogs, depending on their age. In addition, within each brand there are always several lines - for puppies, for adult dogs, elderly animals, as well as a series of medical foods.

The finished feed can be granulated dry and wet gel. When using dry food, it is unacceptable to dilute it with natural food, and the wet product can be mixed with cereals.

Choosing food preference should be given to products. premium and super premium, the most caring owners buy holists for their pets. These categories of feed are made from the highest quality meat with exact observance of the prescribed dosages. There is no place for preservatives, flavor enhancers and flavors, and the composition of the product is extremely transparent.

The recommended products include the following products.

Among the feeds of this brand there are specialized lines for pugs - they are labeled “pug”, which means “flat nose” in English. Such feed pellets are made in the shape of a trefoil, so that owners of a flat muzzle can easily capture them. Royal Canin has balanced composition, the food is made from the highest quality meat, does not contain preservatives.

This food produced in the USA belongs to the holistics.It contains all the substances necessary for the full growth and development of the pug - natural meat, meat flour, vegetables grown in an environmentally safe way, as well as herbal extracts and probiotics.

Another holistic, which 60% consists of natural meat. Additionally, the composition is enriched with vegetables, fruits, medicinal herbs and vitamin-mineral complexes. Holists do not contain by-products and fat substitutes. The product has a beneficial effect on the pug's digestion and improves its overall health.

Super premium Austrian-Canadian food. It consists of three types of meat, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. All products included in the feed are categorized. Human Grade, which means "human quality standard."

For pugs, feed from the category of holists is preferable; they exclude negative reactions of the dog's organism to the proposed food. However, these products are very expensive, and you can only buy them in specialized stores by prior order.

Not all products are well absorbed by the body of pugs. So, from the diet should be completely excluded:

• pasta;
• bakery products;
• semolina and wheat porridge;
• boiled and raw potatoes;
• all kinds of sweets - pastries, sweets, chocolate;
• sour cream, cream;
• smoked and spiced foods;
• mushrooms;
• all types of citrus;
• legumes;
• soy and corn;
• grapes;
• all kinds of pickles and pickled products;
• wieners, sausages and sausages;
• products containing sharp tubular bones;
• fried foods.

As practice shows, most owners of pugs prefer natural nutrition for their pets. Usually for dogs at home prepare porridge mash, which include:

• lean meat - 30-35%;
• vegetables - 30-33%;
• cereals - 30-33%;
• vegetable oil, vitamins with mineral additives -1-2%.

Bags to dogs are necessarily freshly prepared and only in the form of heat, all uneaten remnants of a portion must be disposed of. Meat and offal are cut into small pieces, then dabble with boiling water or boil.

To teach puppies to a balanced diet is necessary from an early age. In the first weeks of life, the animal feeds on mother's milk, but there are situations when for whatever reason such feeding is not possible - then breeders have to look for an alternative.

Usually, veterinarians are advised to use dry mixes that replace breast milk. Starting from the second month of life, you can gradually add chopped to a puree state products. Puppy Bags are usually made liquid.

The daily rate of nutrition of small pugs is divided into several feedings, the number of which, depending on age, is:

• from 1 to 2 months - feed is given 6-8 times a day;
• from 2 to 4 months - 4 times a day;
• from 4 to 6 months - 3 times a day;
• from 6 to 10 months - twice a day.

The amount of food calculated for the daily dose for a pug is calculated from the ratio of 6-7% of the total weight of the animal.If a puppy, for example, weighs 2 kg, then the amount of feed per day should not exceed 140 g. Thus, you can easily calculate the volume of one serving for a pug.

After six months, the amount of food is reduced by 2 times - such puppies quite enough 3-4% of the weight of the dog. For example, a 10-kilogram animal requires about 350 grams of natural food per day.

The first supplements are usually introduced in a month and a half, the best way to use low-fat cottage cheese, kefir or yogurt. When the baby gets used to the new food, you can supplement the menu with stewed vegetables, rice or buckwheat porridge on the water. The quality of food can be judged by the behavior and condition of the pet - if it grows well and gains weight, it means that the diet is correct.

Meat products are administered from the age of three months. At the same time, dry food is introduced, in case the host does not have the opportunity to feed his pug with naturalk.

Keep in mind if you purchased a dog in the kennel - be sure to ask the seller how the animal fed. In the first week, you must stick to the previous menu, and only then gradually transfer to your diet. The transition from one type of feeding to another must be smooth.

Sterilized and neutered pugs are very often prone to obesity. The situation is complicated by the fact that pugs are by nature ready to eat all the food they offer until the very last crumb, and besides, they often beg for food from the table. Indulging such tricks is strictly prohibited, as well as arranging snacks for your pet between main meals.

Usually, a healthy dog ​​is a muscular, dense dog, but after sterilization or castration, animals often experience problems with digestion, which can trigger rapid weight gain. This causes cardiovascular diseases and ultimately affects the life expectancy of pets.

To avoid such adverse effects, It is necessary to reduce the proportion of foods that are sources of carbohydrates - croup. Also, at the first signs of obesity, it is necessary to reduce the volume of the proposed rations, it will be useful to visit the veterinarian and with him to choose a special dietary food for the animal.

Recommendations for feeding a pug dry food, see below.