Feeding Whites Premium

Whites Premium will provide your dog with all the goodness needed to maintain well being and good health. When changing from another brand to Whites Premium we recommend that you do so over a few days by mixing it in with the old food and gradually increasing the amounts. This will help prevent any stomach upset. Changing flavours across the range should not normally cause any problems.

A small dog (Westie) can be fed for approx 20p/day; Medium dog (Border Collie) approx 42p/day; Large dog (Labroador) approx 65p/day

Making a start

Start off by giving your dog the smallest quantity of food for his weight and seeing if he eats it all. If he finishes every meal and looks like he is loosing weight slowly increase the amount you feed until he looks healthy. If your dog always leaves food you could be giving too much. However, some dogs cannot eat all they require in one sitting so these dogs need to be fed a smaller amount twice a day.

Remember that a dog carrying the right weight will have more energy, be healthier and will probably live longer. Should your dog be overweight or prone to gaining weight try feeding him Whites Senior/Light which has been specifically developed for those dogs requiring less calories.

A good way of determining whether your dog is fit is to look down on him from above; you should be able to see a waistline, unless he is a very longhaired breed in which case you could try feeling for the waistline.

However, if you can easily see his ribs then your dog is too thin, unless he comes from a breed that is usually like that such as a whippet or greyhound. Working and active breeds will benefit from being fed Whites Premium Vitality Muesli as it contains the calories and carbohydrates they require to maintain their correct weight. It is, of course, prudent to have your dog checked over and weighed regularly by your vet.

A quick test to see if your dog is overweight!
	VERY THIN Easily visible ribs, lower back and pelvic bones. No visible covering of fat, obvious waist and abdominal tuck. Absence of any muscle mass.		OVERWEIGHT Ribs felt but with an excess covering of fat. Waist still observed from above but not as prominent. Abdominal tuck may be absent.
	THIN Easily felt ribs, minimum covering of fat, waist easily noted when viewed from above and visible abdominal tuck.		OBESE Ribs not easily felt under a large covering of fat. Waist and abdominal tuck not discernible. Fat deposits on lower back and base of tail. May observe signs of obvious abdominal distension.
	IDEAL Ribs felt but without excess fat covering, waist noted behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed from the side.

As long as your dog is lively and healthy he should always have a good appetite. If one or two meals are missed ever it should not cause concern. However, if your dog usually has a good appetite and suddenly stops eating, or has symptoms such as diarrhoea, contact your vet for advice.

Dogs need a good routine and should be fed the same type of food at every meal. If they are given lots of different things to eat they can suffer from stomach upsets and become picky with what they will eat. It is best to put their food down for them without any fuss and to leave them to calmly eat it. If after around 15 minutes they have eaten most or all of the food they can then be praised and petted, anything left over should be quietly thrown away. It is not good practise to fuss over dogs at meal times as they can easily learn that not eating is a good way of getting attention.

Neutering and food

It is widely believed that neutering makes dogs fat. Although this is not strictly true neutered dogs often need fewer calories. After your dog is neutered keep an eye on his waistline to see if there are any changes and if necessary reduce the amount you feed him. If he looks like he might be getting too heavy try him on Whites Premium Senior/Light to reduce his calorie intake without reducing the nutrients he requires.

Older dogs and their food

As dogs get older their nutritional needs change. They need a more digestible food lower in calories. You will need to watch your dog’s weight carefully to prevent middle age spread! Older dogs, like us humans, can suffer from joint stiffness and can be prone to arthritis. As well as containing less calories and being made with easily digestible fish for its protein source Whites Premium Senior/Light contains the supplements Glucosamine, Chondroiton and MSM to reduce joint wear, fight arthritis and elevate joint pain and stiffness.