Greyhounds require extra effort when it comes to feeding.
Greyhounds can make wonderful family pets because they are docile, loving, quiet and clean and they do not shed much. While their behavioral maintenance is low, they do need a high-quality diet due to their unique physiology, and highly active lifestyle.
What to Feed Your Greyhound
Dry food is the best for your greyhound's teeth and digestion. The main ingredient in the food needs to be protein from a meat source. The ideal percentage of protein varies according to who you ask, but the majority put the amount in the 21 percent to 27 percent range. Greyhound Welfare says it should be at least 30 percent while Heart of Texas Greyhounds says 21percent protein is good enough. The next major ingredient should be fat, and these amounts and percentages should be listed on the bag. Some brands that meet this criteria are ProPlan, Wellness, DVP's Natural Balance and Canidae, to name a few.
What Else You Can Feed Your Greyhound
Wet food is okay on occasion and you can add things to their food to supplement, such as boiled chicken (boneless), rice and cooked veggies. A spoonful of plain yogurt in their food once in a while is beneficial to their digestion and olive oil or vitamin E supplements are good for their coat.
Feed Your Greyhound
The amount you need to feed your greyhound should be listed on the food bag according to the dog's weight. Feed them 2 to 3 times a day, at the same time every day. Food and water should be placed on a raised platform so that your greyhound isn't straining its neck to eat. You must also make sure your greyhound doesn't get too much activity for at least an hour after it eats. If your greyhound eats too quickly, you should put a sturdy toy like a rubber ball in its food, or purchase the type of food and water bowls that have smaller sectioned off areas. These extra precautions may seem strange, but they are necessary for excellent health and to help prevent a condition known as bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV).
More on GDV
Greyhounds, with their deep, narrow chests and smaller lower abdomens are at high risk for bloat or gastric torsion. While gas is uncomfortable to people, for greyhounds and dogs with this physiology it can be lethal. The gas in the digestive tract causes the organs to twist till blood supply is cut off. It is a serious condition. Veterinarian Holly Nash states on PetEducation.com that :Even with treatment, as many as 25 percent to 33 percent of dogs with GDV die." Proper feeding habits are crucial in preventing this condition.
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