Should you add salt to your dog's food? Should I salt my dog's food?

The feasibility of introducing salt into the dog's food.

The diet of dogs is very different from the diet of humans. This is due to the physiological characteristics of the body and the need for certain minerals and trace elements. The question arises, do dogs need salt? This is what we will try to figure out.

In general, there are several theories as to whether it is necessary to salt a dog's food or not. As for industrial feed, which is sold in the form of canned food, everything is clear here. Manufacturers themselves made sure that the food contains sodium and chlorine ions. Usually, a small amount of salt is added in production. Accordingly, such food does not need additional salt.

Can you give your dog salt?

If the question concerns natural nutrition, when the dog’s diet includes meat, fish, cereals that are prepared on their own, then the situation is different here.
In most cases, experts argue that the lack of sodium, as well as chlorine in the body at a young age, leads to a deterioration in skeletal growth, and acute disorders.
Sodium is a microelement that is involved in the formation of bone tissue, cartilage of the skeleton, this usually occurs before the age of one year.
With Accordingly, during this period, it is still necessary to introduce a small amount of salt so that the dog has enough of it.

Do dogs need to salt their food?

If the dog is old enough, then it is necessary to consider all options, evaluate what the dog eats. If it is raw, fresh meat, then salt is not necessary. The composition of fresh meat mainly contains blood, in a small concentration it contains sodium chloride. This is usually the saline that makes up the blood of dogs and humans. Accordingly, along with the blood, part of the sodium chloride enters the pet's body. This also applies to by-products.

Do dogs need to salt their food?

It is necessary to evaluate how often the dog eats from the master's table. This refers to how often a pet gets a variety of goodies, such as herring, cheese, or a piece of dry-cured, smoked sausage.
The fact is that these products contain a huge amount of salt, so 1-2 pieces per day for a dog will be enough to make up for the deficiency of sodium chloride.
Remember that such foods spoil the stomach and intestines of the dog, so it is necessary to treat the dog with them very rarely. Sometimes it is recommended to give hard cheese, it also contains a large amount of sodium chloride.

Do dogs need to salt their food when cooking?

If you treat your dog with food from the refrigerator, processed foods, and meat products, then there is no need to salt the food you cook.

Do I need to salt food for dogs when cooking:

If, nevertheless, the dog is on a natural diet, but at the same time there is very little fresh meat in the diet, mainly boiled cereals, bone broths, and soups, then it is necessary to introduce salt, but in a small amount.
It should be about 3 times less than for yourself. That is, salt is needed, but in much smaller quantities. Please note that salt is white death, and indeed the consequences of an overdose for a dog are much worse than for a person.
If we can afford to regularly consume large amounts of salt, and for a long period of time not to observe chronic ailments of the bladder, as well as the kidneys, then in dogs the disease develops and proceeds much faster.

salt poisoning in dogs

It is enough just to overfeed him with salty food a few times, the reaction will not take long. In most cases, there are very serious troubles with the work of the kidneys and bladder.

Salt poisoning in dogs:

Stones may appear in them, or the waste of fluid worsens, with the formation of edema. Please note, if you do add a little salt to your food, be sure to take care of a bowl of water. There should be a lot of it, because after taking salt, the dog can dry out. It is necessary that it must make up for the lack of fluid.
Remember, if you give your dog fermented milk products, that is, kefir, cottage cheese and cheese, then there is no need to introduce additional salt. Many radicals say that wild dogs- relatives of dogs and wolves, do not consume salt and live a long life.
In fact, the body of domestic dogs is significantly different from wild ones, but at the same time, wild animals also get salt. It is found in large quantities in the blood. Since the main diet of wild animals is small living organisms, mainly rodents, rabbits, their blood contains sodium chloride. It is the basis of all fluids in the body.

Can dogs salt their natural food?

Another thing is that a pet cannot consume raw meat every day; not all dog breeders have the means to purchase such products. If it's meatsold on an industrial scale, in stores, then in most cases it contains salt.

Can dogs salt food on a natural diet:

Many vendors soak the meat in salt water to increase its weight. Accordingly, it is not necessary to introduce additional salt in this case. If the meat is bought from the hands of a farmer friend, then it is necessary to add salt to such food.
Let us give an example that in all Soviet kennels dogs were fed with the introduction of salt. When cooking, it was added in the amount of half of the norm that people inject themselves. All dogs grew up healthy and strong.
Accordingly, a small amount of salt is still acceptable. In no case do not salt, how much in yourself. Introduce sodium chloride in a small amount so that it hardly tastes.

Do dogs need to salt their food when cooking?

Many people think that the dog also needs to taste food, and without salt, it is completely tasteless. In fact, the taste buds in a dog are different from human ones, they are less sensitive.

Is it necessary to salt food for dogs when cooking:

If you add more or less salt, the dog is more likely to not understand. Therefore, salt in this case is added only as a way to introduce nutrients such as sodium and chlorine.
Chlorine is a harmful chemical element, but it is involved in all processes in the human and dog body. With its help, hydrochloric acid is formed in the stomach. Therefore, without this component, there may be problems with digestion.
Sodium whole blood kidneys chlorine brains skin light whole blood kidneys and liver.

Salt dog food or not every day?

If every day some of the salty foods enter the dog's diet, then there is no need to introduce additional salt. This rule only applies if offal and meat are given raw, that is, they are not boiled.

To salt food to a dog or not:

Many fans of natural nutrition argue that wild breeds did not consume salt. Many note that the dogs that guarded the sheep were constantly with the shepherds, receiving practically no food.
Almost everything they ate was of natural origin. These are small animals, insects. Often the shepherds fed their helpers with cakes soaked in whey. Accordingly, salt was present in large quantities in such food.
If the dog is on factory feeding, then salt is not necessary. If from the table, at the same time you feed the dog with goodies, you do not need to add additional salt to the food that you cook. If you strictly follow the dog's diet, do not give anything even as a reward from your table, then you need to add salt only in a small amount, about 3 times less than you add yourself.

Whether to add salt to dog food: reviews

If you additionally give the dog vitamins prescribed by the veterinarian, there is no need to introduce salt. Usually chlorine, as well as sodium in the required quantities are contained in vitamin preparations.Below you can find reviews of dog owners.

Whether to add salt to dog food, reviews:

Eugene. I have German Shepherd so I cook my own food. I do not buy food, I think it is not the highest quality. I don’t salt my food, as my girl’s diet often contains a large amount of raw meat. I think that my dog feels great, it is not necessary to introduce salt.

Elena, Pekingese owner. I buy food for my dog, very rarely I give treats from the table, such as cheese and sausage. I try not to abuse it, because once my Zhuzha got poisoned from such food. I do not salt food, I feed mainly food.

Alexey, owner of a husky. When I got a dog, I had no idea that a large number of questions and problems would arise. Initially, we kept the dog on the stern, but then the financial situation worsened, now we cook on our own. Often we introduce raw meat. I eat a little salt. I add a very small pinch, 3 times less than myself. The dog is healthy.

As you can see, the responsibility for the health of pets lies with their owners. Everyone decides for himself whether it is necessary to give salt to the dog or not. Veterinarians, as well as specialists, have not come to a consensus regarding the additional introduction of salt into the dog's diet.

VIDEO: Salt dog food

Many dog lovers are still arguing on this topic and cannot find a clear answer. Why is that? Now let's look at all the facts for and against.

Arguments

One of the books contains a quote from an experienced veterinarian and scientist, where he talks about an interesting case. The dog came to the vet with a serious illness - rickets. Interestingly, the treatment did not help. Doctors, no longer alone, almost carried the dog in their arms and could not figure out what was going wrong. As a result, it turned out that serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system were the result of a lack of ordinary salt in the animal's body. Let's take a look at the benefits of salt.

Kitchen salt has a simple formula - NaCl. It can be seen that it consists of two chemical elements, the presence of which in the animal's body plays an important role. Sodium takes part in the processes of excitation of all cells of the body. With its help, most useful substances enter or leave the cell - amino acids, glucose, etc. With a lack of Sodium, Calcium is absorbed very poorly, and therefore problems with the skeleton arise.

Chlorine, together with Potassium, takes part in the processes of inhibition of the nervous system. This element is part of the gastric juice, and also activates most of the enzymes that digest proteins.

Another point of view is that salt should not be allowed to dogs in any case. And this is also correct. If you overdo it, then the pet may eventually develop stones in the urinary tract, cystitis.

Output

It is possible and necessary to give salt to a dog, but the amount of salt consumed must be monitored carefully.

How to make a diet?

Those dog lovers who are against salt have a good argument: wild animals do not eat it and are healthy, so domestic animals do not need it. And now let's remember how dogs eat in nature: they catch food for themselves - birds, rodents, hares, etc. Their natural source of salt is animal blood.

Those dogs that eat food also get enough salt, since purchased food already contains all the substances that are useful and necessary for pets.

Animals that are fed natural meat do not get enough salt because there is no blood in the raw carcass.

Many dog lovers notice that dogs eat salted food much more willingly. So food can be salted. In the production of feed, the dose of salt is calculated as follows: for one kilogram of a puppy - 530 mg, for an adult dog - 22o mg. Some may think that this is quite a lot.

A very simple way to find out if your pet is getting enough salt or not: you need to put two bowls of water. Salt one, do not touch the other. This can also be a solution for those who are afraid of salting their pet's food.

Porridge in the dog's diet should take from 25 to 40%. Porridge is a source of carbohydrates and fiber. For a complete diet, the dog must eat porridge.

Your pet will certainly appreciate your concern for his health with the help of a delicious varied menu.

Do you want to know which ones are acceptable and which are not? Get cool recipes for dishes and a description of each of them? Or do you need to know the proportions of porridge and meat in a dish?

All this in our article, read soon!

What are useful?

Let's figure out which cereal is best for the daily diet of large and small breeds. be sure to consult a breeder or veterinarian about his proper nutrition. Large breeds can eat almost any cereal without compromising health.(for example, which adapts to any diet).

If you have a small dog or one that has digestive problems or some health problems (for example, decorative, these breeds have a long way of genetic mutations behind them), then porridge must be strictly and carefully selected. The choice is often limited to buckwheat, and then in small quantities. If an allergy begins (, skin itching), then the cereal component is excluded.

Buckwheat

The healthiest porridge. It contains many trace elements, vegetable proteins, B vitamins, as well as rutin. The iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium contained in cereals have a positive effect on the circulatory system of the animal. Normalize the nervous system, helps to strengthen the skeleton. Buckwheat helps fight excess weight. For dogs buckwheat prepared without salt and spices, the ratio of water should be 2:1.
Masters, let's have some porridge!

How to cook buckwheat porridge?

Pour grits cold water at night, and in the morning drain the settled husk. For cooking, take 1 part of buckwheat to 2 parts of water. Porridge is boiled for 15 minutes, after which it is infused in a saucepan. Vegetable oil can be added to a warm dish if the porridge is cooked in water or vegetable broth.

Rice

Rice is rich in vitamins E and a whole group of vitamin B. Porridge is rich in trace elements such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Rice porridge contributes to the perfect functioning of the heart, bones, blood vessels, and the genitourinary system. The fight against aging is also due to the nutritional properties of rice. Brown rice is considered the healthiest because of the shell, which is very beneficial for the dog.

Cook rice in such a way that it remains fluffy. Only if the dog has been poisoned should rice mucus be given and used to treat diarrhea, remove toxins, and vomit.

How to cook rice?

Rice should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water, especially if polished rice is cooked. Then prepared rice is poured into boiling water and boiled for 30-35 minutes. Then the porridge is covered and insisted. Broth, vegetables, meat are introduced into the finished dish. Rice porridge can be slightly salted and add a spoonful of vegetable oil to avoid sticking.

Wheat

An ambiguous product, because digested much worse than other cereals. Therefore, wheat porridge is rarely used and only as a "cloth" for the dog's intestines. You can give wheat porridge only to adult dogs and rarely.

The main thing is to boil it well for up to 1 hour, so that the grains boil to a slurry, and then leave it under a closed lid to infuse.

Porridge is rich in vitamins such as PP, C, E, A, B. The dog's diet will be rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium and other minerals if wheat porridge is used as food.

oatmeal

Is oatmeal good for dogs? Oats contain proteins, fats, amino acids and iron salts, in addition, they are cheap. But it is worth noting that a high protein content can cause stomach upset in a dog. It is better to choose flakes that are not too refined, because. they are too high in calories.

Porridge is prepared exclusively on water, even rather steamed, without salt and spices, in order to preserve all the minerals. You can add a small amount of olive oil. Feed oatmeal no more than once a week.

Recipes: how to cook?

From which cereals to cook porridge, we figured out. Let's move on to how to actually cook a tasty and healthy porridge:

With vegetables

1.5 cups of any porridge,
1 ripe tomato,
1 medium carrot
1 medium potato
soup chicken set.

Pour water into the pan and throw in chicken skeletons or heads. As soon as the water boils, add chopped carrots, potatoes and maybe a little cabbage. It boils a little - I lay down the cereal.

If the dog likes, you can put fresh herbs. As you know, greens are a whole bunch of vitamins. Put diced vegetables into ready-made warm wheat porridge. The perfect summer meal for your pet is ready.

Important! Do not store this dish, but let it be freshly cooked so that the vegetables do not drain and retain all the vitamins.

Boil vegetables:

Cauliflower
Carrot
Potato
Parsley
spinach leaves

Add a glass of buckwheat to the vegetable broth and cook for 10-15 minutes. Then leave covered for 1 hour. When the soup is warm, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Hearty healthy soup is ready.

dog rice

300 grams of any lean meat. Possibly turkey, chicken.
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup grated fresh carrots
1 cup diced vegetables (whatever your pet likes)
2 tablespoons olive oil

How to weld:

Cut the meat into pieces so that the dog is comfortable to eat. Such a nutritious mixture of rice and vegetables will delight your pet at least for breakfast, even for dinner.

herculean

Oatmeal is exactly what can serve as both a full meal and a delicacy.

2 cups whole oatmeal
2 parts lean meat (chicken, beef)
1 grated carrot
1 tbsp olive oil.

Boil oatmeal, add pre-boiled meat to the state of mucus. For a pet, this will be a fortified version of dinner or breakfast.

What grains should be avoided

Porridge is undoubtedly good for a dog, but there are some that should not be given. These are barley, semolina, dairy, corn, barley. Consider how harmful these cereals are to pets.

Barley grits is poorly digested and can cause constipation in dogs. Also, cells are difficult to digest and are considered heavy on the stomach. The dog may feel heaviness in the stomachs and will be significantly reduced in activity. This fact can lead to overweight and bone disease. How to cook barley - no way for dogs!

Semolina absolutely useless mess. It contains practically no trace elements. For that vitamin B in excess. Consequently, the pet gains weight very quickly, not having time to absorb vitamins and other useful substances coming from other products. Semolina clogs the stomach very much. This leads to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Milk porridge often causes bloating in dogs, which is completely unacceptable. Many dogs are lactose intolerant, resulting in severe allergies. An allergic reaction to the protein may also occur, causing vomiting and indigestion of other foods. Veterinarians note that it was milk that often became the cause of intestinal volvulus. It does not depend on the fat content of the product. So before pampering your pet with a dairy product, you should consult a veterinarian. In addition to milk, a dog can have cheese and dairy products in a certain amount.

Corn porridge not well absorbed and causes bloating. In order for the pet not to suffer, you should refrain from this cereal. If, for some reason, you had to give your pet corn grits, you should dilute it with vegetables 1: 1 and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Thus, the balance is normalized and the dog does not suffer. But, nevertheless, even taking into account our recommendations, it is worth consulting a doctor, since all indications are individual for each pet.

Dry and instant

Ready-made porridges are gaining great popularity.

Hot Dog

The benefits of cereals are obvious to those who value their time. Four dogs will need 5-7 minutes a day to prepare porridge. Pets always have fresh food that is fully digestible. Hot dog porridge contains only natural ingredients, plus the vitamin composition required by the dog every day. Porridge has no preservatives and artificial additives. Affordable price will please every owner of several dogs.

Hot dog porridge is made from a quality grain mixture, which is crushed and thermally treated under high pressure. All treatments are gentle, so all components retain their shell, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Gourmet

Instant flakes are made from premium grains. Production consists in short-term processing at high temperature. Thanks to this, the entire vitamin composition is preserved. Instant flakes are very well absorbed. The dog after eating is energetic and full of energy.

Vermicelli gourmet

Instant vermicelli is made from low gluten flour. When the product is ready, it is subjected to heat treatment. Flakes and vermicelli are made from environmentally friendly products, free of flavors, dyes and salt. Porridge is packaged in buckets weighing 400 g, 1, 4 and 13 kg, as well as bags of 400 g, 1 and 3 kg and bags of 15 kg.

Is it necessary to salt?

The age-old question of all dog breeders is whether you need to add salt to your pet's food. Every caring owner is concerned about how to diversify the dog's food supply, and how to please it. If the pet is happy to eat food with the addition of salt and refuses unleavened food. That, most likely, is not spoiled, but a lack of salt in the body. Animals are very smart and know what is best for their body. But there are also pets who do not disdain a salty sausage, and the owners will certainly pamper their pet.

Important! Too much salt in your dog's food can kill him!

Salt is important in the life of a dog, as it is responsible for blood formation and promotes the secretion of gastric juice. Salt should be in the diet, but should not be tasted. If one piece does nothing, then four such pieces can lead the dog to poisoning, kidney disease, and urinary tract disease. Kidney stones and cystitis are the result of salty pet treats. In the event that the dog regularly eats fresh meat, then it already contains as much salt as the body needs. When cooking meat, 1/3 of the dose that you would add to yourself should be added to the broth.

If you can't decide whether to add salt, think about how many goodies are coming from your table. For example, cheese, sausage, meat. If there is a lot, then you should not get carried away and salt the main food of the pet, because most of it has already been received with treats.

Mmm, porridge with meat

It is well known that the dog must have fresh water in sufficient quantity. It must be taken into account that if the pet consumes something extra that contains salt, it is necessary to increase the daily dose of salt.

Do not mindlessly give or not give salt to your dog. It is necessary to consult with a veterinarian, who will definitely prescribe a biochemical analysis. It is the results that will make it clear whether it is possible to add salt to the diet or whether it is contraindicated for the animal at all.

It is worth noting that when cooking porridge, you should add a little vegetable oil. It is very beneficial for the coat and for the eyes. You can add some salt. Unless completely contraindicated by a veterinarian. This usually happens if the dog has kidney disease or urolithiasis.

Additives

Vegetables. It will be useful and tasty for the pet to add vegetables to the already prepared porridge. If vegetables are subjected to heat treatment, they will lose their entire vitamin composition. Ready-made porridge with the addition of carrots, beets, pumpkins, cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes diversifies the taste of porridge and gives a portion of vitamins to the pet. It is optimal to add 1/3 of the vegetables from the entire serving.

Meat. It is worth adding to porridge in the same amount as vegetables. It is better to cut into small pieces or pass through a meat grinder. Meat is added to the porridge during cooking, raw or boiled. Minced meat will be to the taste of the pet, both raw and processed.

Important! Give pork only after heat treatment, as pork is carrier of plague pathogens. Dogs are also prone to this disease. Offal should also be given only boiled.

How much to give?

Now that we have decided on cereals, let's calculate how much cereal to give the dog for one feeding? The main dish - porridge with meat products and vegetables, is given to pets at the rate of: 60-70 gr. feed per 1 kg of body weight per day. This rate is divided into 2 or 3 doses.

Book about dogs (Ruquerol Georges V.)

The proportions of the products are as follows: 50% sinewy meat and offal; 30% porridge; 20% vegetables and fruits. Thus, per kilogram of dog weight you need 30-35 grams of meat, porridge - 20-25 grams, and vegetables and herbs - 5-10 grams per day. A dog that weighs 15 kg, with two meals a day, should eat 150-190 gr. porridge for one feeding or 300-375 gr. in a day.

How and why should you cook with water and not with broth?

Every owner wants the dog to be not only healthy, but also tasty. Because of this, the question arises, is it possible to cook porridge not on water, but on broth? The fact is that due to prolonged cooking, unsplit fats and much more remain in the water, which will not benefit the dog.

All elements enter the liver directly from the stomach and affect the cells. Dilution of gastric juice adversely affects digestion. The broth can develop erosive gastritis. If the broth is low-fat or third cooking, then you can sometimes give it with porridge. Just mix it, and not boil the cereals in the broth. The main food should be based on cooking cereals in clean water..

How to teach to eat?

Try adding some dry food or vitamins to the porridge that the dog loves. Then gradually reduce the amount of food, and increase the portion of porridge.

Useful videos

Cool video recipes:

Nutrition rules

Feeding should not last all day. It is necessary to remove the plate of food in the refrigerator after 15-20 minutes, from the moment you offered the pet a meal.
It is enough to feed the dog twice a day and in equal portions.
You should purchase a pet stand for plates. With it, you can adjust the plates and place them against the dog's chest.
Don't overdo the salt. It is in every product in sufficient quantity for the dog. You can add a little if you are sure that the product is completely fresh.
The dog should always have fresh water and in sufficient quantities.
If one feeding was missed, for whatever reason, then the next meal of the meal for the dog should not be increased. Feed as much as you normally would.
If the dog licks the plate thoroughly, then most likely it has not eaten, and it is worth slightly increasing the dose of food for the next feeding. Do not give a double portion, otherwise you will have to walk those extra pounds.
The dog's diet should be varied in order for the pet to be healthy and cheerful.
You can not feed your pet two hours before an active load, and one hour before a regular walk. And also do not feed the animal an hour after physical exertion.
If the dog growls while eating, this is directly related to the wrong regimen. It is necessary to set the exact time and amount of food and then the dog will stop growling, because it will intuitively know when it will be fed.

In order for your pet to be cheerful and healthy, feed him in a balanced way, walk and pamper him with your attention, and he will not remain indifferent to you. Share your experiences on how you feed your pet, how often you walk, and what your pet likes the most.

Few of the owners of four-legged pets did not once think about Should you salt your dog's food?. There are situations when an animal, eating in a certain way, suddenly refuses some of the usual dishes and shows with its whole appearance “it doesn’t taste good to me”, although it happily waits for the treasured piece of dry-cured sausage or cheese to arrive from the owner’s dining table. Is it worth it to torture the animal and wait until it gets really hungry and begins to gobble up everything that is in the bowl with appetite? Or is it enough to salt a little unleavened porridge or a piece of meat so that the pet stops neglecting unleavened breakfasts?

What the experts say

The issue is controversial and there is no consensus in the literature on this issue. Some scientists believe that a lack of salt in the diet is a direct path to the development of abnormalities in the skeletal system in puppies at the stage of their active growth and development. Therefore, its artificial introduction into food is necessary. Adherents of another point of view argue that the dog should receive salt directly from food in the form in which it is there by nature, and not artificially. But both sides still have something in common: there shouldn't be too much salt otherwise the dog will die.

Do I need to salt the dog's food - the decision is up to the owner

A loving owner always tries to make the pet's life better and try to bring more joyful moments into it, because the age of the dog is short, and you want to give it the maximum of good.

If a pet flatly refuses to eat insipid food and starts dinner with pleasure, if a little salt is added to the bowl, you should not torment a living being. But it must be remembered that in this case it is very difficult to observe moderation and calculate exactly the dosage that will be harmless or better beneficial. It is important to understand that salt is a great danger to the life and health of a dog if the owner systematically and thoughtlessly includes it in the pet's diet.

What is important to remember, if all the same "yes"

Salt is necessary for a living organism, since it participates in hematopoiesis, promotes the secretion of gastric juice, affects the processes of protein breakdown and increases appetite. However, a small pinch of salt is enough for the normal functioning of the canine body, i.e. it should be, but not taste.

Salt is dangerous for dogs in large quantities and its use leads to death. And even if nothing happened from one oversalted piece of sausage, then frequent overdoses of this substance will eventually lead to irreversible processes in the animal's organ systems, in particular, to severe diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. Cystitis and kidney stones are common diseases in dogs eating salty foods, and they are very difficult to treat, accompanied by further exacerbations.

If the dog regularly eats fresh meat, it already contains enough salt. In the meat of a freshly killed animal (for example, on a hunt), the salt content is quite high, since its main concentration is in the blood. But what if the owner feeds the dog with boiled foods, porridge? In this case, during the cooking process, you can add a pinch of salt (half, or even 1/3 less than if you added it to yourself), since its natural amount is washed out during heat treatment.

When deciding whether to salt food for a dog, it is worth considering how often and in what quantity the pet "falls" from the master's table. For example, cheese or pickled herring, sausage contain a lot this substance. So why then salt the main meal, if a large dose is already received with a treat?

All dog lovers know that The dog should always have fresh water. and in sufficient quantity. So, after increasing the amount of salt with food consumed, you need to especially pay attention to the filling of the drinking bowl. The dog will drink more and more often, that's a fact.

It is best not to make such a decision thoughtlessly, not to point your finger at the sky, but to take care of the dog from the very beginning, taking it to the veterinary clinic for a biochemical blood test. Perhaps salt is generally contraindicated for her. What if she just wasn't enough?

Finally

There is nothing wrong with the owner wanting to do the best and considering whether or not to add salt to dog food. But in such a case, the risks may not justify themselves, therefore, to make such an important decision, you need to think it over a hundred times. An excess of salt, like any trace element or vitamin, can cost an animal life.

More recently, the question of whether it is possible to add salt to the food of dogs has become an edge. Some newly minted owners actually faced dictatorship from the breeders: "Don't give salt!". There is also a downside, stating that if the puppy is not given salt, the skeleton will suffer and, in general, the dog will develop incorrectly. Where is the truth, and how not to harm your pet? Let's figure it out.

Let us immediately take it as an axiom that any product in excess is harmful. Here is a simple example: a dog cannot be fed pure meat, it will quickly die from this ... a dog must be given meat, otherwise it will get sick and will not live even half of its life. This statement applies to absolutely any type, even the highest quality and most expensive, advertised and praised ... any!

Another axiom is salt is the most famous and cheapest preservative known to mankind since antiquity. It is with this preservative that all low-quality industrial animal feeds are generously flavored, and by the way, salt is not the most dangerous substance that can be found in the composition of an economy product.

Immediately make a reservation, wild dogs get salt from food, not much, not every day but receive. Salt in its pure form, that is, sodium, is present in the metabolic process of any dog (wild and domestic). So should you add salt to your dog's food? If you are guided only by this argument, the answer will be negative ... plus a dozen nuances.

Can a wild dog get sausage, cheese, store-bought milk? No, he can not. Do you feed your pet these foods? Even if you consider that you strictly follow the diet and do not give sausage, cheese and milk are allowed. How much salt is in industrial cheese? You can find out only by handing over the product to the laboratory.

The conclusion is simple, there is salt in the dog's diet, even if she lives in an apartment and eats according to a strictly compiled diet! The only exception is if you yourself grow (or otherwise extract) all the food that your ward eats and are sure that they do not contain salts. By the way, plants are "feeded" with additives that contain sodium. A completely different question is how much salt is already present in your dog's diet and is this amount dangerous ... and are there standards?

Everything is possible in moderation!

Those who are familiar with cynology know that absolutely in all service kennels of the USSR, salted food was given to dogs. The norm was measured by eye, about half of the amount that is comfortable for a person. Ordinary rock (trusted) salt was added to the porridge ... not purified, not iodized, not sea. The conclusion is simple: cynologists of the USSR raised and raised thousands of excellent, healthy dogs. Why is there such a drastic ban? If you take contemporary literature, then in every book it will be written that dogs are not allowed salt. What's the catch?

Read also: How to wean a puppy from biting the hands and feet of the owner

Sodium is one of the most important trace elements in a dog's metabolism - that's a fact. Salt is a key substance that helps retain water in the animal's body. i.e. avoid dehydration, which is (among other things) dangerous and deadly. Another job of salt provides neural conductivity, that is, the work of the brain!

Based on scientific, and not "expert" facts, the conclusion is obvious - dogs need salt! The norm of salt in a natural diet (provided that all constituent portions do not contain salt) is 100 micro (!) grams per (0.0001 gr.) per 15 kilograms of weight per day. This norm was established through a study conducted by several large groups of US scientists at once. Further, a number of nuances:

The daily norm of salt is included in all high-quality feeds, that is, at industrial nutrition dog food can not be salted.

On the recommendation of a doctor, the dog can be transferred to salt-free diet(temporarily).

With a tendency to, fish, store-bought products (which may contain salt) and rock salt should be removed from the diet.

A small amount of salt is found in everything “homemade”, there is more salt in factory products than you need. Conclusion: if you buy meat in a store - do not salt the dog's food, if the meat is bought from a trusted seller from your hands - you can add salt.

How to understand that there is a lot of salt?

Salt retains and absorbs water, that is, a dog in which sodium has accumulated in the tissues will . The pet will be thirsty regardless of the air temperature. The natural consequence is . The color of the urine will be lighter than usual. The changes occur as the dog's kidneys work faster, trying to eliminate as much salt as possible in a short amount of time.

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The kidneys will withstand work at this pace for a long time (assuming the dog is otherwise healthy), the first gap, from excess salt, "appear" in cardiovascular system. When one organ speeds up work, the body must adjust. The heart will not be able to work at the limit for a long time even in a dog there will be swelling of the extremities. The next stage is a bowel disorder and diarrhea, and neurological abnormalities.

Even in such a terrifying state, all is not lost. The dog needs to be transferred to a therapeutic diet and help its organs recover. It is necessary to examine and, since there is a high probability of insufficiency or education. The situation will be much more dangerous, one might say, more critical if the dog has eaten salt. The pet will not do this on its own, but if you unknowingly added a lot of salt to the food, it is quite likely.

Note! A dog can suffer from mild to moderate salt intoxication all his life from drinking contaminated water.

Salt poisoning in dogs is fraught with rapid and critical dehydration, since trace elements literally absorb water. As is known, without water, the body can live no more than a day, and according to many doctors, the period is shorter than 24 hours. With a sharp lack of water, the body does not have time to adjust, all organs cannot actually function, the blood thickens and the heart cannot pump it. Salt poisoning is not a myth, but a quick death of a pet. Moreover, forcing a dog to drink will not improve the situation. The only chance for survival is to provide the animal with professional help as soon as possible.

Important! If you suspect that your dog has been consuming or is consuming too much salt, it is a good idea to have a preventive examination to make sure the diet chosen is not harmful to your pet.

The condition can be stopped by intravenous fluid infusions, but this will not do. In parallel, the quadruped needs the support of the heart and kidneys. The problem is that the defective work of the organs will lead to the accumulation of toxins. By pouring saline into a dog, you can only dilute the blood, which will spread these toxins throughout the body ... and the dog will die.

How not to harm?

The only universal advice is to think for yourself, read, consult and analyze. You should not listen to the opinion of the radicals, that is, generously salt food or exclude salt altogether. The experience of thousands of dog owners, both professional and amateur, shows that There are no universal recipes for proper nutrition!