Dexter: How important is a dog's nutrition?
Dr.Linh: Nutrients are the components found in foods that are essential for the body's metabolism. There are nutrients the body can synthesize and not synthesize itself. For example, dogs can synthesize vitamin C in their liver by themselves, so there's no need to add vitamin C to their diet. However, many other minerals and proteins cannot be synthesized and added to food. Thus, a reasonable diet is a diet with balanced nutrition, sufficient, no excess, and no shortage.
There are 6 main types of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Each class has a different function in the body.
Water is an essential component of your dog's body, which promotes healthy digestion and metabolism, in addition to helping regulate body temperature. Maintaining the right amount of water the puppy needs is mandatory.
Protein is a crucial component in the process of forming, regenerating, and nourishing cells and forming muscle mass in the body. Dogs cannot store protein, so they need a source of protein from their daily diet. Dogs cannot produce essential amino acids on their own, so food supplements are necessary. Proteins provide energy for the body to function when there is not enough carbohydrate and fat. It helps to support the growth of tissue, muscle, ligaments, cartilage, skin, and hair. Participate in the process of making hormones, neurotransmitters, antibodies, and enzymes for the daily activities of the body.
Fat provides the dog with the most energy with twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrates. Fatty acids are essential: omega-3, omega-6 helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, promoting a healthy nervous system.
Vitamins help the dog's body grow and function normally. Dogs can store fat-soluble vitamins and use them gradually, but they need to continuously supplied with vitamins in the water through the diet.
Essential minerals help support the growth and maintenance of dog organs (life support). Several crucial minerals, including calcium and phosphorus, help with bone growth, blood clotting, and muscle development as well as nerve functions.
Dogs can synthesize glucose from fat and protein in their diet, and carbohydrates are the only nutrient not necessary for dogs.
Nutrition is an essential factor in the development of a pet. A wrong diet will lead to various diseases like malnutrition and obesity. Providing inadequate food for pets, especially in the early stages, will significantly affect the development of the skeletal muscle system as well as development. In the opposite direction, providing too much nutrition leads to obesity causing many types of cardiovascular disease, cough due to organ compression ... This is especially serious for older pets. Therefore, a balanced diet will bring the best health for your baby.