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nutritional disorders in dogs

Common nutritional disorders in dogs

You know you’re doing the best for your pooch and feeding her the way you’ve always done it, right back to the first bag of kibbles you bought. Surprisingly, the vet just told you she has a common nutritional disorder. You need to cut back on your dog’s portion sizes and are really not sure how she came to have a nutritional deficiency in the first place.

It could be that you have just adopted a dog, and the new diet should have been followed strictly according to the packaging. Sometimes over-feeding (of essential nutrients) causes weight gain when those essential nutrients are not correctly converted into used-up energy.

Conversely, your dog could be underweight for its size or age because it’s easy to forget that dogs also age – especially when they look as if they’re still in top-notch condition. Puppies become adult dogs and change visibly as they do, but adult dogs turn into senior dogs unnoticed, right in front of our eyes.

Puppy feeding guidelines seem to have all their stuff figured out and while adult dogs also have feeding guidelines, senior dog feeding guidelines are a best-guess, at best. There simply are no regulations governing the ingredients used to feed senior dogs.

In 1998, an article in the Journal of Nutrition stated that “…Nutritional deficiencies are now uncommon as a result of the widespread feeding of complete and balanced pet foods.” The article goes on to discuss deficiencies in fatty acids, zinc and vitamins in ‘isolated’ animal- or product-related instances.

Fast-forward by two decades, and nutritional deficiencies are the norm, not the exception. In addition to obvious health-related illnesses, poor nutrition also causes underlying skin or coat disorders.

What Causes Poor Nutrition in Dogs?

We see from the examples above that poor nutrition is not always about street dogs and rescued puppies. Sometimes our best intentions can get things wrong, too.

Poor nutrition in dogs is caused by many things, including financial restraints, a lack of adequate knowledge about your breed of dog, and marketing-speak (buzzwords used) on dog food packaging.

It may sometimes seem like a chore; as if it requires so much additional effort to do any more than just pour a bowl of kibbles twice a day. Being aware of the essential nutrients a dog’s diet needs can help you navigate the packaging to find the right dog food for your pooch, which already cuts down your time spent on preparing it.

However, if you’re after that “happy dance” moment your pooch gives you at mealtimes and you take her feeding routine seriously, keeping your dog healthy is going to be a walk in the park and will take up no time at all.

Signs and Symptoms of Dog Nutritional Deficiencies

Poor nutrition affects the digestive tract and metabolism. It is a big reason many dogs get allergies, too.

Poor nutrition also places your dog at risk for tooth decay, diabetes, pancreatitis, and obesity. Initial symptoms of poor nutrition in dogs overwhelmingly present themselves in your dog’s coat and skin, often being the first signs you will see that her diet needs attention.

Common Dog Illnesses, impacted by nutrition

Nutrient deficiencies train the body to perform in constant ‘survival mode’, always struggling to patch here, fix there. In turn, survival mode creates an environment where a lot of compromising happens, resulting in allergic reactions to food and could make your dog overly sensitive to her immediate environment.

Nutrition-related skin diseases include mange, which is caused by a parasite. Mange takes hold and results in scaly, crusty, red and itchy skin conditions that are due in part to your dog’s compromised immune system. Mange is highly contagious and deadly if left untreated.

Also parasitic, fleas and ticks cause severe skin, systemic, and allergic reactions in dogs (and humans!). Obviously, environment plays a role in flea or tick infestations, but even a walk in the park can collect these opportunistic bugs. And when eaten (such as when a dog licks itself to relieve an itch) fleas can cause tapeworms, which steal nutrients from food that pass it in the intestine, where it’s attached itself to the intestinal lining.

There are also other parasites and mites that cause terrible skin conditions. In these instances, genetic factors, age, poor nutrition, and hormonal changes are some of the reasons cited for subsequent skin and other diseases.

Contrary to food allergies (which are immune-regulated), food sensitivities are not immune-related, and are more often than not the cause of your dog’s ‘allergic’ reaction to certain foods. Although food allergies do occur in rare instances, symptoms of allergies and sensitivities are quite similar.

Boredom and stress or anxiety can also indirectly contribute to skin conditions in dogs, especially when coupled with a flea infestation. The act of constantly licking and nibbling to get rid of the fleas, while constantly licking and grooming to alleviate stress, can result in severe skin infections that can make your dog susceptible to secondary bacterial or yeast infections, too.

Endocrine glands secrete hormones that regulate body processes and are an integral part of your dog’s healthy coat and skin. Compromised endocrine organs (such as the testes, ovaries, or thyroid) secrete either too little or too many hormones, leading to hair loss or skin conditions.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutrient that plays a critical role in energy metabolism. As your dog’s thiamine deficiency progresses and becomes life-threatening, she may experience neurological symptoms that include muscular weakness and subsequent organ damage.

Anemia is a condition that affects the production and healthy regeneration of red blood cells. Vitamin and mineral nutrient deficiencies can lead to reduced oxygen flow to organs. Noted deficiencies that could cause anemia include copper, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin E.

Liver disease and diabetes are underlying (diet-related) disorders that produce secondary skin conditions in dogs as a result of poor nutrition. This can also lead to skin tissue death in senior dogs, oozing and crusting of open wounds, hair loss on footpads, face, and even the genital region. In some cases, skin disease precedes the onset of underlying diseases.

Canine obesity is linked to insulin resistance and hypertension, both of which are alleviated by weight loss. Risk factors for obesity include age, breed, underlying medical conditions, genetic predisposition, neutering, overfeeding, a lack of exercise, and sex in females who have undergone an ovariectomy.

What Does a Good Dog Diet Consist of?

It begins by knowing what the 6 essential nutrients are that a dog needs:

  • Water – this doesn’t include the water you add to her dog food because its suddenly trending to do that
  • Protein an important source of energy and a vital macro nutrient, this is where you will find all meat-based products listed
  • Fats the omegas for immune support (Omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids
  • Carbs the dominant ingredient in most dry dog foods, this normally consists of rice, corn, or oats in grain-based products and potatoes, sweet potatoes, or peas in grain-free products
  • Vitamins derived from plants and animals, consider these super foods to enhance your dog’s diet
  • Minerals derived from soil and water, check with your vet for dietary supplements that could be beneficial for your dog

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