Summertime Paws: Nurturing Your Furry Friend in the Heat!
The summer is upon us and with that comes the anticipation of great fun, amazing memories and of course the roaring temperatures. Just like humans, diet and weight can be a little wonky for our furry babies reflected in a lack of appetite, tiredness and fatigue. Let’s learn more about summer dog nutrition to fully enjoy the summer months ahead, together!
As pet parents, we know that everyday attention is given to your pet’s diet. However, it’s hard to anticipate seasonal fluctuations in daylight and temperature that have been found to alter our pet’s metabolism and the amount of food they need to stay happy and healthy.
It’s quite normal if your dog doesn’t want to eat in the hot weather. If this is the case, make sure that you are aware of how much they’re eating and adjust their daily portion accordingly. Warmer days might mean you have to feed your dog more or less food. It’s important to remember to feed your dog in a cool area for them to relax and enjoy their delicious treats and meals. If you just recently took them on a trip to the park where your dog ran around with their best buds, avoid feeding them immediately after the walk. Try to wait for an hour or two before attempting to feed them. If you notice your dog has no appetite at all, take them to the vet. This can be an indicator that he may be nauseous or that there’s something more serious going on.
Also, make sure your dog has constant access to fresh, cold water. It’s summer, adding in a few ice cubes into their water will surely win your fur baby’s heart. Don’t be afraid to add Pet Bowls around the house and in the garden. A general guideline of how much water a dog should drink is between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of your dog’s body weight a day to avoid dehydration. Make sure your pup doesn’t drink too much water too quickly, as it may lead to vomiting.
Your dog can beat the summer heat with a nice treat for overall well-being and gut happiness. Our McLovin’s Pet premium quality Freeze-Dried Dog treats are sure to win over your dog’s heart. These single-ingredient treats can be served straight out of the bag or rehydrated with water and are the most convenient and safe way for dogs to eat raw.
Also look for foods that emit energy, nutrients and vitamins like McLovin’s Pet Premium Freeze-Dried Dog Meals that preserve the freshness, original flavors, and nourishing qualities of fresh chicken, meat, fish, fruits, and veggies that you can feed your dog all year long. Freeze-dried dog foods are a great way to ensure they get the nutrition they’re supposed to be getting because they scarf it up.
So what kind of changes in your pet should you look for? The best indicators for whether or not you should feed your pet more are their weight and activity level. If your special fur baby does nothing but nap in the sunshine in the summer, then you should feed them less. If they frolic in the yard all day, then you might want to feed them more.
Try to choose the right feed moment: prefer the fresher hours during the day like morning and evening to meet a higher appetite and to help digestion, which will be way more difficult and slowly when hotter.
Your vet can advise you about a healthy weight for your pet and best feeding practices. As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t be able to see their ribs but should be able to easily feel them if you push gently on their torso. They’ll also know how much to feed your pet and if you should increase or decrease their caloric intake during the summer.
