Feeding Dogs in Summer

Maybe It's Too Hot To Eat

Feeding dogs in summer can sometimes make us scratch our heads. Let's face it. Summer is hot, and as the song goes...Summertime, and the livin' is easy. It's too hot to do anything very strenuous and the days are long and sleepy.

The hot weather kind of saps your energy and nobody really feels like doing much except going to the beach, or taking a dip in the neighbour's pool.





Our dogs are feeling the heat too.

Even our Teddy ( Chocolate Labradoodle in the pic above ) who is always on the lookout for someone to throw a ball, a stick or a frisbee, just takes the aforementioned throw toy, and heads off to lie down under the nearest shade tree.


When it comes time to feed the dog, really...they couldn't care less. But this makes us stop and think. What's wrong with the dog? He doesn't want to eat. There must be something wrong if the dog doesn't want to eat. Is he sick? No, he's not sick.

If Your Dog Doesn't Want to Eat That Doesn't Mean He's Sick

Well, our dogs are the same as those wild coyotes. In the summer, food is plentiful. No problem to find food. Simply go out and grab yourself a rabbit. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a rabbit for ages either. Rabbit populations are down because the coyotes are full of rabbit.

The point is, whether we're talking about the wild coyotes, or our pet dogs, they're all full of food. They're not really hungry. When the weather is hot, it takes less calories to keep warm. Therefore, the need for food is less.


It's the same for us. In the summer we tend to eat lighter ( don't we? ). Light summer salads, cold soups such as gazpacho, cold drinks, steak and cold potato salad, BBQ chicken and coleslaw. You get the picture.

So pay attention to your dog. If he's not as hungry in the summer, don't be concerned. I tend to feed my dogs 2/3 to 1/2 of their normal portions in the summer, because I know the need for more calories from food is less in the summer. It's already too hot, so they don't need the same amount of calories from food to keep warm.


When the weather turns cold again, we can all go back to eating hearty soups and stews, our dogs can resume normal feeding portions, and those wild coyotes will have to work harder to bring down a deer if they want to eat. They will then gorge on that big kill, because who knows when they might eat again.

Life in the wild isn't easy. No one is giving those wild coyotes deer in a bowl. They will eat as much as they can, in order to put on a layer of fat to use for energy and to keep warm as winter approaches.

When It's Hot ~ Less Is Better

I don't need more calories from ice cream at the best of times, least of all to keep me warm in summer. I already have that extra layer of fat.

Bon appetit!

Sandra

Coaching You and Your Dog to Better Health the Natural Way
Author & Webmaster of www.Dog-Nutrition-Naturally.com Please feel free to share this email with others who maybe interested. Your friends can sign up to receive future issues and get the FREE bonus article entitled The Grocery Store Miracle Food for Dogs.

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