Dog breeders are often concerned about the balanced nutrition of their pets, because four-legged pets cannot feed themselves. There are heated and endless debates about the safety of feeding animals with fresh and boiled vegetables.
ordinary white cabbage causes doubts and fear ! Let's try to figure out whether this vegetable is really necessary and how true are the fears of careful owners who guard the health of their charges.
Animal's need for vegetables
To understand a domestic animal, you need to remember its distant ancestors: wolves, jackals and foxes. “Relatives” living in nature eat meat in the event of a good hunt. Typically, predators feed on plants, eggs, small rodents, amphibians and insects.
Pasture includes fruits, berries, roots, algae, herbs, bark and even mushrooms . This indicates a genetically inherent need for plant foods in the daily diet of a four-legged friend.
White cabbage
IMPORTANT! A healthy, active dog, not restricted in its diet by a veterinarian, can and should eat cabbage!
The main part of the menu of a domesticated predator consists of 70-80% products rich in animal protein. Vegetables and grains saturated with natural vitamins and microelements occupy the remaining, but no less important place .
Benefit
Cabbage contains natural antioxidants, vitamins and fiber necessary for digestion, is a source of calcium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, beta-carotene and vitamins A, B and C, prevents the development of cancer and improves the condition of the skin and coat.
Dog owners tell how their pets enjoy eating cabbage . There is information that many dogs like to gnaw on heads of cabbage, hard parts of leaves, and play with stalks. After such a feast, undigested pieces appear in the feces of the mischievous people. No need to worry about this.
Vegetative food is poorly absorbed by the dog's body. Their digestive system lacks enzymes involved in the breakdown of cellulose. Question: why feed an animal something it cannot digest?
The content of cabbage in your pet’s diet is very important! The affordable vegetable is rich in vitamins and microelements, so necessary for a living creature, and takes an active part in digestion.
Why is a plant-based diet so important?
Carnivores are not able to extract energy from complex carbohydrates - this is a feature of herbivores . Coarse fiber from raw vegetables and bran is a nutrient medium for the development and formation of healthy microflora, stimulates the functioning of the predator’s intestines and removes excess cholesterol.
Cabbage is a source of slow carbohydrates and dietary fiber, which create healthy microflora and help the animal digest meat.
IMPORTANT! Excluding vegetables from the diet leads to a decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria in the microenvironment of the gastrointestinal tract and their replacement by pathogenic colonies of E. coli and yeast, which cause dysbacteriosis.
Description
The weight of these charmers is no more than three and a half kilograms, so they require much less food than other four-legged relatives. Some can even weigh two kg. Their height is fifteen to eighteen centimeters at the withers. Do not try to choose a very small terrier - he may have health problems. Their muzzle looks touching and cute, their black beady eyes look with an expression of mischief and friendliness. The movements are impetuous, active, the body is gushing with energy.
The fur of these creatures is long and silky, absolutely straight and not thick. Usually the hair all over the body is gray, tinged with blue, and on the muzzle it is golden. They have bangs that need to be pulled back into ponytails to keep them out of the eyes. They lighten with age, but are born completely black. They live quite a long time - from twelve to fifteen years, this period varies depending on nutrition, care and genetics. You should not give them exotic treats, because their digestion is quite delicate.
How often and in what quantities?
But you shouldn’t fanatically put your animal on a plant-based diet. After introducing your pet to this garden gift, it should be introduced into the diet gradually and in small portions . If you like the treat, then it should be consumed fresh periodically and in small quantities.
According to breeders, among their four-legged friends there are real gourmets who love to eat cabbage raw. There is no need to deprive such a dog of the desired treat - the body signals a lack of vitamins . You just have to limit your tummy from overeating, which applies to any product, even a very healthy one.
How much to give
Cabbage is a healthy crop, but it should not form the basis of the diet and replace other vegetables. If your pet eats greedily and asks for more, it means that the body is experiencing a deficiency of some substances, which is replenished by cabbage. In this case, the portion is not increased, but given daily.
It is difficult to give the serving size of the vegetable in question in grams, since this value depends on the weight and age of the animal. When calculating, it is taken into account that the total amount of vegetables does not exceed 1/5 of the diet, but this cannot be cabbage alone.
Is there any harm?
Fresh cabbage eaten in large quantities can negatively affect your health . Usually the glutton ends up with gas formation, seething in the belly, bloating and strong winds. Sometimes this is accompanied by discomfort in the intestines.
Dogs suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland should be given cabbage according to the recommendation of a doctor, in doses, after appropriate treatment. The owner must remember that even in small quantities the plant contains a natural component called thiocyanate , which in large doses suppresses the thyroid gland and leads to hypothyroidism.
If a dog cannot imagine life without a tasty treat and wants to eat it often and a lot, then it is better to boil the vegetable before consumption in order to neutralize the unwanted substance.
Reasons why you can't
Cases of individual intolerance to white cabbage in dogs are quite rare. Small species are characterized by difficult digestion of plant foods and difficult gas separation. In this case, the cabbage should be steamed, stewed, boiled and served in small portions .
Attention to the animal's diet is required for certain forms of diseases and allergies. Typically, such pets are under medical supervision and strict dietary control.
ATTENTION! Add new products gradually, observing the dog's reaction.
What to do if your pet has eaten too much and feels bad?
In case of overeating, and such cases are unique and isolated, some symptoms may occur :
- Difficulty in digestion caused by excessive consumption of food;
- Excessive gas formation, accompanied by bloating and pain in the intestines;
- The animal is inactive, lies for a long time, stretches unnaturally, whines;
- He does not allow himself to be examined due to pain in the peritoneal area.
The owner should contact a veterinarian, not self-medicate and not give any medications , blurring the overall picture of the condition. At the appointment, describe in detail the dog’s behavior from the moment the illness began, trying to indicate as accurately as possible the time and cause of the deterioration in health.
Characteristics of the disease
This pathology belongs to the group of infectious diseases caused by viruses. In the practice of pediatricians, this disease is one of the most common. The source of rotavirus are sick people or virus carriers. The mechanism of transmission of pathogens is fecal-oral, but transmission of infection can occur through food and drinking water. Clinical symptoms of rotavirus infection develop when a virus of the genus Rotavirus containing RNA enters the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. It is important to take care of the rapid recovery of the intestines after rotavirus infection.
Clinical symptoms
From the moment rotavirus enters the body until the first symptoms appear, the so-called incubation period lasts from 12 hours to 5 days. In the symptoms of rotavirus infection, manifestations of intoxication and acute gastroenteritis come to the fore. Respiratory manifestations of rotavirus infection may or may not be present. In all cases, this disease has an acute course and can occur in mild, moderate and severe forms. In addition to intoxication of the body and gastroenteritis, the clinical picture of rotavirus infection includes the following symptoms:
Puppies, pregnant or lactating
Feeding a mother before and after childbirth depends entirely on her appetite, her condition and food preferences. Usually it is milk porridge and meat puree with vegetables.
Boiled or stewed cabbage with meat is an important component in the presence of calcium, vitamin C and other necessary elements. You can forget about the vegetable in its raw form, because babies get absolutely everything that their mother eats, and excess gas formation is extremely undesirable for her, either “before” or “after”.
Attention! It is important to accustom animals to natural feeding in a timely manner. After getting acquainted with milk, cereals and meat supplements, vegetable soup appears on the children's menu, to which a pinch of finely chopped raw cabbage is added with boiled cereals and finely chopped steamed meat.
Puppy meal options:
- vegetable soups;
- porridge in vegetable broth with meat and cabbage;
- separately cooked meat with vegetables.
Chop or finely grate all plant foods, add a little butter or sour cream.
An irreplaceable vitamin supplement in the form of a mixture is also served as an independent dish. When the puppies grow up and get stronger, the diet includes a salad of fresh vegetables with vegetable oil.
The benefits of root vegetables
Vegetables are slow carbohydrates and are important for mammals. They are indigestible coarse dietary fiber. These elements are needed to form a prebiotic environment that promotes better digestibility of meat products.
In addition, vegetables contain the following beneficial components:
Vegetables contain many essential nutrients
Acids have a beneficial effect on the digestive process, and phytoncides destroy harmful microorganisms. Vegetables contain protein, which is the building material for the creation of new cells.
Characteristics of vegetables according to the content of useful elements in them:
Root vegetables and edible parts of plants with yellow pigment have antioxidant effects and protect against radiation.
Raw potatoes are considered a useless food for feeding dogs.
Raw, boiled, stewed or pickled?
Precisely because a dog is not able to completely digest cabbage, this product, as the main source of fiber, is involved in the processes of feces formation, intestinal motility and maintaining favorable microflora. Question: in what form should I give it?
It makes no difference how you offer vegetables - finely chop them or puree them. The main thing is to focus on health characteristics, veterinarian advice, the preferences of the dog, the state of the digestive system and teeth.
For better absorption of vitamins, the product is crushed or ground. Can be boiled or boiled by adding other ingredients.
Feed alternation
- grind in a blender;
- grate;
- cut in small pieces;
- cut into cubes or cubes;
The dog happily eats diced vegetables, independently chopping them to a size that is convenient for him.
Chewing raw cabbage helps prevent plaque formation and freshens breath .
This form of feeding is not suitable for puppies and adult pets transitioning to natural nutrition from dry food. Children are not able to chew food, and the animal, not accustomed to innovations, chooses meat, leaving pieces of vegetables untouched.
Vegetables can be given raw, boiled or baked . Many of them contain beta-carotene, which is digestible only when stewed with a small amount of animal fat, sour cream or kefir. These include: carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, eggplants, turnips and beets.
TIP: Does your dog enjoy fresh cabbage with pleasure and without consequences? To preserve valuable properties, there is no need to heat treat the product.
If desired and possible, you can pamper your little animal with a delicious vegetable casserole :
Ingredients vary according to pet's preferences:
- carrot;
- pumpkin;
- zucchini;
- cabbage;
- tomato;
- a raw egg;
- cheese;
- sour cream, kefir;
- vegetable oil.
Cooking method:
- Grease the mold with vegetable oil;
- Peel vegetables from hard skins;
- Cut the products into cubes;
- Add the egg and sour cream, then mix everything;
- Sprinkle grated cheese on top and mix again;
- Pour kefir into this mass and mix;
- Place in a preheated oven at 190 C for 15-20 minutes.
You can also give your dog vegetable stew with cabbage . When preparing such dishes, you need to take into account the animal’s taste preferences. There are dogs who don’t eat this green product at all, others love it stewed. If the animal shows a negative attitude towards an unfamiliar thing, then it is better to create a combination with meat.
Accustoming to a new food is to mix vegetables into the minced meat, bringing it from a minimum to normal. If you categorically refuse plants, bran can be an alternative.
It is important to give a few tablespoons of sauerkraut, rich in ascorbic acid, 2-3 times a week.
ATTENTION! Under no circumstances should your dog eat any fried food!
Ready-made diets for Yorkshire terriers
Despite the fact that dry food has become a part of the lives of dog breeders and the diets of their pets, there is no consensus on feeding Yorkshire terriers with it. Many veterinarians categorically do not recommend feeding a Yorkshire Terrier puppy only dry food. But the owners found a way out of this situation by alternating dry granules with a canned product.
You should choose high quality food - premium or super-premium. Given the size of Yorkies, this should be a small breed diet.
Among the popular brands that are most often chosen by owners of Yorkshire terriers are the following:
- Royal Canin - in the line of these French foods you can find two diets suitable for Yorkies - Mini Edelt 27 for small breeds and Mini Sensible for small dogs with digestive problems.
- Orijent is a Canadian product whose manufacturers care not only about the benefits, but also about the taste of the diet.
- Mera Dog - food from the USA contains a number of antioxidants that protect dogs from unfavorable external conditions.
- Acana is a food from Canada that is of high quality.
The advantages of the food are obvious - they are developed taking into account the needs of certain breeds, they contain the maximum balance of various ingredients and the calculation of portions is extremely simplified. The same cannot be said about natural products.
The owner chooses what to feed the Yorkshire Terrier at home, however, it is worth focusing on the needs and taste preferences of the four-legged friend.
Is it possible to feed a colored one?
Many are afraid of this vegetable, and in vain! This variety is much better than others, but it should be steamed, stewed or boiled. The lower content of coarse fiber does not irritate the gastric mucosa and the product is easily digested. This cabbage increases the secretion of bile and promotes regular bowel movements, which is recommended for gastrointestinal diseases, liver and gallbladder diseases.
Cauliflower is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Contains: C, K, PP, B2, and also: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.
It has anti-inflammatory properties and prevents obesity. These properties are important for older dogs with musculoskeletal problems and immobility. But we must, as always, observe moderation.
Character
Of course, each individual is unique, but there are some character traits that are common to all of them. Most often they are active, smart, attentive and can get what they want.
They are easy to train, but at the same time independent, which is why when training you need to first establish contact with them and set your own rules before the dog does. Families with small children should not have them, because they can accidentally squeeze them too hard or drop them, and these creatures are very fragile. They get along well with other pets, but hate rodents.
Representatives of this breed are very emotional, passionate and capable of chasing any small rodent or bird encountered on a walk. They are courageous and cocky, but they are wary of strangers. They are characterized by tenderness and affection, they have common sense and some stubbornness, they are cheerful and good-natured. However, despite all his kindness, if you offend a Yorkie, he is ready to bite, so the best solution is to treat them calmly and affectionately. Try to protect him from stress, otherwise he will become nervous and start mischievous; besides, stress is bad for your health.
