Many people prefer to have miniature dogs in their homes. Some prefer the breed of toy terrier. In this article we will talk about how to properly feed such pets.
What natural foods can I give?
The owners themselves make up a diet for their pet, which will consist of either natural products or industrial feed. In the first case, for a toy terrier, meat is an excellent option. It is better to choose beef or rabbit meat. Chicken can be included in the menu only if the dog is not allergic to chicken protein.
Pieces of meat should certainly be subjected to heat treatment. They do not need to be cooked, it is permissible to just scald with boiling water. Raw meat should not be given, as it may contain pathogens.
Also, for representatives of this breed, offal, including the lung, liver, heart or scar, will be a good option. They must be boiled first. In the diet, you can use sea fish.
But it must first be boiled and removed from it all the bones that can harm the health of the pet.
Sour-milk products (fermented baked milk, kefir, low-fat cheeses, yogurt, cottage cheese) are also suitable for adults. For puppies, you can use milk.
Often toy terriers are given rye bread. But it should be dried in advance. Do not give your pet food that contains a large amount of salt. If you still decide to use such an ingredient, then it is better to choose sea salt.
Various groats are suitable for dogs of this breed: buckwheat, rice, and oatmeal. Such products are pre-soaked and boiled.Sometimes an animal can be given egg yolks and honey, but in small quantities, otherwise these ingredients can cause allergies.
Vegetables should also be included in the diet. More often they take slices of carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini. You can give greens.
Various berries (blueberries, strawberries) and fruits (pears, apples, watermelon, melons, bananas, apricots) are added to the menu. All these products are acceptable to give in the form of small pieces, but it is better to rub them on a fine grater. Sometimes vegetables are cooked, but this procedure is not necessary.
Occasionally, small quantities of toy terriers can be offered seeds or unsalted nuts. Once a week, dogs are advised to give several garlic heads - they need to be chopped. The product acts as a strong anthelmintic and antiparasitic agent. Often a little vegetable oil is added to food.
The diet of the toy terrier should be one third of the meat fillet containing a large amount of the required protein. Two-thirds of the menu should consist of cooked cereals, vegetables, fruits and sour-milk components.
To make the diet as balanced as possible, it also includes special multivitamin supplements.
Before buying a suitable composition, you first need to consult a veterinarian. As a rule, such additives can improve the condition of the coat, help strengthen joints, teeth. In addition, they are used to maintain the health of small puppies, pregnant and lactating individuals, for elderly animals.
There are products that are strictly forbidden to be given to toy terriers:
- grapes (raisins);
- smoked meats (sausages, sausages);
- citrus;
- pasta;
- potatoes (high starch content may cause allergies);
- peas;
- tea;
- coffee;
- pork (too fatty meat);
- River fish;
- pickled or spicy foods;
- sweet products.
Overview and selection of finished feed
To date, you can make a list of ready-made feed for toy terriers. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that For this breed, only super-premium feeds are suitable. Consider the most popular of them.
Royal canin
This brand offers food designed specifically for miniature dog breeds (Mini Adult). Such a food can stimulate a pet’s appetite and contribute to improving the condition of hair and teeth.
The basis of nutrition includes poultry meat and cereal components. Also in the diet you can find flour from cereals, soybean oil, fish oil and yeast.
Hills science plan
The manufacturer produces food only for small breeds (Canine Adult Small & Miniature Lamb & Rice). It is based on lamb meat. This diet helps to improve the condition of the oral cavity, digestive system, skin integument. This food contains a high level of antioxidants, which helps maintain the dog’s immune system in good condition.
Monge
The main component is chicken. Minor foods are rice grains and corn. The food contains an additional vitamin complex and fatty acids.
Almo nature
The products of this brand are distinguished in that they are less processed during manufacture. The composition includes poultry, vegetables, fruits, cereals and a mixture of rice grains and oats. The feed also contains rosemary oil and a complex of vitamin elements.
Bosch
This German brand produces feed consisting of meat, fish fillet, meat flour, egg powder. The main source of fiber in the diet is beet pulp, flax seeds.
The menu also includes fish oil, which saturates the animal's body with the necessary amount of acid. It also contains yeast, providing the supply of B vitamins.
Arden grange adult
The British brand offers dry food, which is based on chicken meat, corn, rice, beet meal, fat.There is a small amount of fiber in this diet, but when it is consumed, your pet will have a better coat condition, it will become more shiny, and its activity level will increase.
Barking heads
The food is made from natural meat, flour from lamb fillet, pieces of trout. Brown rice and seaweed are used as secondary products.
In addition, substances containing vitamins A, D, C are added to the food. Also, it contains sufficient amounts of iron, zinc and manganese for toy terriers.
Eukanuba
It is made from freeze-dried poultry or lamb meat. Frequent use of it provides acceleration of metabolic processes in the body. This diet is considered a budget option.
Bozita
This Swedish company produces chicken feed. The primary components are corn and flour. Most often, the brand’s products also contain arctic fish, a mixture of oats, animal fat and additional vitamin and mineral supplements.
Summit
The Swedish company produces dry food from poultry, lamb or salmon. Minor components are special dried seaweed, oatmeal, brown rice grains, choline, and flax seeds.
Mineral and vitamin supplements that make up the feed enrich the body of the terrier with manganese, iron, sodium, calcium and copper.
They also contribute to the normal development of small puppies.
Bit care
The Czech company makes dry rations based on flour from beef, lamb or chicken. Raw materials are obtained by careful processing and grinding of offal (heart, lung, liver) and meat fillet. Wherein completely absent corn, aromatic and flavoring additives.
Purina
The company offers a menu including meat of thoroughbred turkeys, chicken, sea fish. Some varieties also contain eggs, chopped and processed greens, slices of fruits and vegetables. In the manufacture of some feeds, cartilage and offal are used.
All feeds of a super-premium class differ from other ready-made diets in a high content of antioxidants, medicinal herbs, and minerals.
Food of other classes for toy terriers is better not to use.
Features of feeding puppies
A monthly puppy of a toy terrier should be fed breast milk. If it is not enough, then it is necessary to organize additional feeding.
In specialized stores you can buy substitute for canine mother's milk for your puppy. They are produced in the form of dry mixtures, diluted with clean filtered water according to the instructions.
Some owners prepare a mixture for their pets at home. To do this, you need to mix powdered milk without sugar with cow. It should not be too fat, it should be boiled in advance.
Also, for the preparation of a milk mixture for a puppy, you can mix natural fresh milk with chicken egg yolk.
When the puppy is 20 days old, he should gradually introduce liquid porridge of liquid consistency, diluted baby curd, kefir mixed with low-fat cottage cheese, chopped pieces of beef into the menu.
At the age of 2 months, puppies of this breed become as active as possible and begin to require more food. Pets should also receive breast milk during this period. In addition to it, the diet should include calcined cottage cheese, minced meat, pre-boiled, broths, whole goat or cow milk.
If before this, pets were fed with ready-made mixes from the store, then at the age of two months it is not recommended to change the diet strongly, so as not to cause stress of the body. In this case, toy terriers need to be given some ready-made canned goods for small breeds and a ready-made milk mixture.
When puppies reach 3 months of age, they must receive the first vaccination.
During this period, in addition to mother's milk, they require fermented milk products, boiled minced meat or some raw meat, buckwheat or rice porridge. A great addition would be a vegetable soup cooked in meat broth.
If you feed your pet with ready meals, then at 3 months of age he should be given a ready-made liquid mixture, canned food for miniature breeds. You can also give special semi-moist food.
At 5-6 months old, toy terrier puppies need sour-milk products (you can give cottage cheese in large quantities), boiled lean meat (beef), and a cleaned scar is also suitable.
Raw or boiled eggs will also benefit puppies at this age. And you can use both chicken and quail eggs.
You can give vegetable slices, but first they should be boiled. Offal is also perfect for a diet (liver, lung, heart).
From 6 months to 1 year, the dog's menu can be significantly expanded. It includes:
- meat;
- boiled fish;
- offal;
- various types of broths;
- greens;
- bran;
- vegetables (except for boiled potatoes and raw cabbage leaves);
- cereals (buckwheat, barley, rice);
- fruits (bananas, pears, apples, melons).
If you feed your pet with ready meals, then at the age of 6-8 months he should be given semi-moist and moist food, as well as dry pieces of food soaked in water.
After a complete tooth change in a dog, it can be transferred immediately to a dry, wet or semi-moist diet.
At an early age, puppies are fed 4-5 times a day (the night break between meals should not exceed 8 hours). As the pet grows older, the regimen is gradually reduced to 2-4 times a day. For normal development, you can give a toy terrier additional vitamin formulations (Omega-3, Omega-6, fish oil, B vitamins).
How to feed adult dogs?
For adults, 2 feedings per day will be sufficient. Moreover, between them should not give the dog a small treat. The diet for 2/3 should consist of protein (meat, dairy products, eggs, boiled fish), 1/3 of cereals. Slices of fruits and vegetables act as additional ingredients in the dog’s diet.
The size of each serving for a pet will depend on the body weight of the animal. For every kilogram of weight, 50-80 grams of food is required.
Recommendations
Many veterinarians advise feeding toy terriers daily at the same time. In addition, the pet's bowl should always have enough clean filtered water.
Food for toy terriers should be at room temperature. It can be preheated a little. Remember that it is better not to feed animals from the master's table.
All food for your pet should be prepared only from fresh and high-quality ingredients. At the same time, salt and various spices should not be added to it.
Keep track of your pet’s food intake.
If you notice that there is always a little food left in the bowl, then you should reduce the serving size, as terriers in this case get too much food.
Nutrition has a great influence on the appearance of the animal. If he has a shiny and soft coat, clean and healthy eyes, good appetite, then the diet should not be changed, it contains all the ingredients and substances necessary for the dog's body. For any adverse events, contact your veterinarian.
About what is better to feed a toy terrier, see further.
