Food for sterilized dogs: what to look for

Possible problems after surgery

Immediately after surgery, the dog's condition may be severe due to general anesthesia. Some animals tolerate sedatives easily, while others require a long time to recover. In any case, it is better not to feed your pet during the day.

The next week the diet should be light, preferably soft food. It is advisable to soak dry granules in warm water. Or you can temporarily switch your dog to the same brand of canned food.

In the future, due to a decrease in hormonal levels, old diseases may worsen in animals or new ones may appear. Veterinarians warn about the possible risk of urolithiasis, but this problem is more typical for cats, for example, British cats and Maine Coons. Dogs have a wide urethra, so salt deposits do not occur. Urolithiasis can develop indirectly, as a result of a sedentary lifestyle.

It is obesity and low activity that are the main problems that provoke other possible diseases. Large breeds, such as Chow Chows or Labradors, are prone to arthritis, brittle bones, hypertension, and diabetes. Medium and small dogs, such as dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers, and shih tzus, are also not immune to joint dysplasia. All breeds can suffer from inflammation of the pancreas.

Features of feeding sterilized dogs and cats

Sterilized animals are prone to obesity and the development of urolithiasis. Therefore, it is important to avoid mixed feeding: if you feed dry food (you need to use special diets for sterilized animals

), then the animal is fed other feeds. Monitor the animal's weight.

Milk and dairy products including cottage cheese, cheese.

CAN:

Lean meat, preferably boiled.

Owners castrate their pets for a variety of reasons. Some people have to do this for medical reasons, some resort to this measure in the hope of influencing the behavior of the animal, and others simply want to avoid unnecessary offspring. Whatever the reasons, after surgery you cannot feed the dog as before. It is necessary to use food for neutered dogs.

Basic requirements for composition

Dry food for neutered dogs should be low in calories, because after surgery the animal's metabolism decreases by ten percent. And your appetite increases by fifty.

Development companies produce special series for sterilized and low-active animals. The volume of lipids in these formulas is reduced by 12-13%. The amount of proteins, on the contrary, is increased so that the animals do not feel hungry.

To maintain health, fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants are additionally added to the composition.

Squirrels

Dry and wet food for sterilized dogs uses easily digestible proteins. Particular concern for animal health is characteristic of corporations producing holistic and super-premium formulas. They produce mixtures of natural ocean fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb.

Additionally, L-carnitine is added to the composition, which promotes fat burning.

Lipids

The fat content in diets is reduced. Along with carbohydrates, they are the main source of calories and the cause of excess weight. But neutered animals need healthy omega-3 and 6 fats. They are obtained from flax seeds, ocean fish, and vegetable oils.

Carbohydrates

The diet of dogs who have undergone surgery should contain a large amount of fiber, but a minimum of starch. Coarse fibers improve digestion and provide satiety. It is good if brown rice, oats, and barley are used as grains in the feed.

Wheat and corn are grains that are too difficult to digest and are not suitable for castrated animals.

Make sure that grains are not in first place on the list of ingredients.

Additional components

Pets that have undergone sterilization need to be additionally fed with vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics. All these components are already contained in mixtures of elite brands. The composition contains substances that accelerate metabolism and protect against urolithiasis.

Composition of food for spayed/neutered dogs

All manufacturers produce specialized feed, knowing how important it is to feed animals the right food.

The main composition of the feed includes: proteins 27-30 g, fats 8-10 g and fiber 8 g per 100 grams of product. The rest is easily digestible vitamins, macro-microelements and additional ingredients: cereals, legumes, peas and alfalfa.

Squirrels

The basis of dog nutrition: they give strength to the pet and keep the body in balance. Protein sources can be different: animal and plant. Animal protein is added to the feed in the form of chicken, turkey, lean beef and eggs. It provides the necessary amino acids, without which the development of puppies and the activity of adults is impossible. Vegetable protein is made from cereals and legumes.

Lipids

Provides the dog with Omega fatty acids. Sea fish is rich in lipids, which is often added to animal feed and vegetable oils obtained from sunflowers and cereals. The lipid component in food is very important for sterilized animals and should be indicated on the food packaging. Omega improves the dog's coat, plays a major role in the formation of the nervous system and is indispensable for the proper development of the puppy. It accumulates energy in the body obtained from food and allows the pet to become full faster while consuming less food.

Carbohydrates

Fiber is rich in carbohydrates and is necessary for the normal functioning of the intestines. Carbohydrates that are easily digestible by dogs are obtained from cereal crops: rice, wheat and corn. If your pet doesn't move much and is prone to a lazy lifestyle, carbohydrates will give you a feeling of fullness between feedings with a minimum amount of calories. The presence of fiber in food for adult dogs that are susceptible to stomach and intestinal disorders is important.

Additional components

Adding alfalfa from healthy herbs, burdock and chicory root to the food will have a good effect on your dog’s health. Many manufacturers add vegetables, fruits and berries to the composition. Green peas and legumes are useful, but in small quantities.

Be sure to have vitamin supplements and minerals in an easily digestible form.

Types of feed

Formulas for post-surgery animals can be dry or wet. All of them are divided into four categories, differing in the quality of raw materials, recipes, and production technology:

economy;
premium;
supremium;
holistic.

It is the last two categories that lead the ranking. Balanced and as close to a dog's natural diet as possible, holistic foods are the best choice. Superpremium lags a little behind due to the larger volume of grains in the composition.

A sterilized dog should not be fed low-quality products. Premium formulas are not able to provide the required level of beneficial nutrients. Economy generally contains bone meal instead of meat. If you can’t choose expensive formulas, feed your pet with vitamin and mineral supplements.

Wet canned food and dry croquettes must be of the same brand. Not all companies produce separate lines for neutered animals. Diet foods, formulas for inactive dogs, to improve metabolism, “weight control” or formulas for aging pets are also suitable.

As a last resort, you can switch your dog to a different brand of formula. But the transition must be gradual. Adhere to the following rules:

Do not give unfamiliar food immediately after surgery.
After a week, when the dog has recovered, begin to gradually mix the new mixture into the old one.
Gradually increase the volume of the selected formula.
Expect the transition to take approximately 7-15 days.
If you have digestive problems, add prebiotics to your diet.

During the first weeks after castration, moisten the pellets.

Remember to always have access to clean water. Wash bowls at least once a day.

Follow the dosage, do not exceed the number of grams. To avoid overfeeding your dog, use a measuring cup.

Approximate diet using natural food

Here is an approximate list of foods that can be given to a sterilized bitch:

Lean beef up to 180 gr. per day (hereinafter - the amount of food depends on the breed and weight). This meat is given daily or every other day.
A dog can eat chicken lightly scalded with boiling water every day.
Once every two days - beef (low-fat!!!) offal. Give liver no more than once a week.
You can also give rabbit meat daily.
Once every three days, give low-fat boiled sea fish.
A mixture of cottage cheese and chicken egg yolk is given once a week.
Give a small amount of boiled vegetables, pureed through a sieve, daily. For the same purpose, you can use baby food in jars.
In addition, once every two days it is useful to add sprouted wheat and/or oats to the food of a sterilized dog. These products are excellent vitamin supplements.

All these products need to be “calibrated” and a daily diet must be compiled depending on the characteristics of a particular animal. And with this question you need to contact a veterinary nutritionist.

Diet selection

The size of the animals, age, and the presence of diseases make their own adjustments to the diet of dogs. Most developers take these features into account and offer separate lines of mixtures.

For large breeds

Specialized food for spayed or neutered large breed dogs must be balanced. Pay attention to the composition. Proteins should come first.

Choose lean meats: chicken, lamb, turkey, fish. For grains, it is better to choose brown rice or oats.

It is important that the food contains a high percentage of fiber and additional substances that promote the breakdown of fats. Since the problem of osteoporosis in giant dogs worsens after castration, make sure that calcium is separately prescribed in the composition to harden the bones. Chondroprotectors chondroitin and glucosamine will strengthen joints.

For small dogs

Tiny pets such as Yorkies, pugs, chihuahuas, and Jack Russell terriers require special attention after surgery. They are mobile, spend a lot of energy, and their stomachs are small and can only accommodate a small amount of food at a time.

Therefore, food for sterilized small breed dogs should be nutritious, satisfying, but not high in calories. Holistic or super premium formulations are suitable. They contain a high percentage of protein. Vitamins, minerals, prebiotics are selected taking into account physiological needs. The shape of the granules corresponds to small jaws.

For older animals

The needs of older pets largely coincide with the needs of neutered animals. They need a complete low-calorie diet with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Diets for sterilized pets contain the necessary levels of calcium, phosphorus, fatty acids - all the nutrients that aging dogs need.

Therefore, when the dog reaches old age, you can leave him on the selected food for sterilized animals.

For allergy sufferers

If your neutered dog has food allergies, choose a grain-free formula with a hypoallergenic protein source. Northern varieties of fish, lamb, duck, and turkey are suitable. Do not take chicken and beef: in sensitive animals they cause dermatitis and digestive disorders.

Rating of food for sterilized dogs

Manufacturers offer the entire age line of food for castrated animals, dividing them into small, medium and large breeds, which differ in the granule fraction.

Food for castrated animals

Akana

Belongs to the premium class. The main composition is 40% chicken and beef and 4% chicken eggs. Carbohydrates in the form of legumes, vegetables and fruits. Additionally, it contains minerals: magnesium and phosphorus, which prevents the occurrence of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Royal Canin

Dietary food that does not contain animal protein. The source of protein and carbohydrates in the feed is chicken eggs, soy meat, legumes and corn, which is not advisable to include in the diet of castrated animals. When feeding Royal Canin, it is necessary to add vitamin and mineral complexes to the diet. Suitable for dogs with gastrointestinal diseases and allergies to animal protein.

Farmina

The composition is optimally balanced, no additional fertilizing is required. Farmina contains 30% chicken and egg, minerals and additional components for burning fat, which prevents obesity.

Summit

Belongs to the holistic class. Contains beef and chicken meat, without added by-products. Source of carbohydrates: brown rice and oatmeal in easily digestible form. Chicken fat is used as a preservative, which gives the pet quick satiety. A full complex of vitamins and minerals is added to the composition.

Hills

It is characterized by a high content of protein and carbohydrates, which can lead to obesity in a sterilized animal. The composition contains few vegetables and a large amount of corn, but contains minerals and vitamins in full. The high price of feed is not justified.

Kanide

The most expensive food on the market, designed for dogs with allergies. Made from high quality turkey, chicken and lamb meat. This is the main ingredient. Enriched with a complex of vitamins and minerals. The main source of carbohydrates is peas, white and brown rice, and oatmeal. The packaging notes that it contains potatoes in small quantities; they will not benefit the dog. Additionally, the composition contains a small amount of vegetables.

Brit

It belongs to the premium super class and is sold at a relatively low price. Perfect for dogs after sterilization and with obesity. The optimized composition of chicken meat and brown rice is supplemented with useful components that prevent concomitant diseases during castration.

Grandorf

Premium food, intended for purebred animals and dogs engaged in increased physical activity. Includes a complete diet for your pet. Burns fats in the dog’s body and improves the function of the genitourinary system.

Bosch

Premium line. The food is developed for animals with increased weight, allergies and digestive disorders. Made from chicken, fish and beef with the addition of vegetables, fruits and cereals.

Monge

Belongs to the middle price segment. Thanks to the 30% protein content in the composition, it quickly saturates and maintains a feeling of fullness between feedings. Ideal as a complete diet for dogs of medium breeds with high activity.

Purina

It satisfies hunger well and keeps you full for a long time with a minimum amount of fat, which contains 8%. Contains fibers that are good for stimulating intestinal function. Increased Omega-6 content, which supports the body of older animals in a healthy state.

Eunukaba

The granules contain lamb, turkey, salmon and chicken combined with rice and a full range of essential vitamins. It is produced for dogs of all breeds and has a separate line of specialized food for animals after castration and those prone to obesity.

Go

Belongs to the holistic class. It has a unique formula that provides a complete diet for the animal. Made without grain and using only meat ingredients. It has a rich composition of essential vitamins for a full life. Produced for all breeds of animals.

Abba

Belongs to the premium class. It consists of 40% lamb and turkey meat with the addition of a small amount of peas, rice and corn. Additionally enriched with iron, iodine, copper and zinc, which will have a great effect on the health of a dog of any breed and age. The composition contains natural fiber, salmon oil and fish meal.

Happy dog

Made with reduced protein and fat content from veal, turkey, liver and chicken eggs. Beets and apples will provide the necessary fiber, and flaxseed will improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and saturate the body with Omega 3 and Omega 6. The food contains brewer's yeast and seaweed, so you need to transfer your pet to the Happy Dog with caution and gradually.

Now

Made from turkey and salmon meat, without adding any by-products or bones. Contains a rich assortment of vegetables, fruits, cereals and peas. The potatoes stated on the package will not benefit the dog, and different combinations of ingredients can be dangerous for allergy sufferers.

Chappie

The food belongs to the economy class. Contains chicken and beef meat and a large number of herbs that are good for health. The carrots and potatoes contained in the product are not recommended for overweight dogs. A variety of herbs can cause allergies. There are no small granules suitable for puppies and small breeds.

A wide range of food for sterilized and neutered animals will allow you to choose the best option with a complete composition.

Reviews

Anastasia, Moscow

“My sterilized British cat eats Royal Canin. Therefore, when, after forced castration, my Yorkshire Terrier began to rapidly gain weight, I decided to switch him to a special diet of the same brand. I took the variety for small breeds. York eats it with pleasure. I noticed that he had more strength and a desire to move. Finally, the dog began to take on its former shape.”

Igor, Vladivostok

“Before castration, we fed our Labrador Proplan. After the operation, the dog became lazy and began to gain weight. However, he still has an excellent appetite. At first we decided to switch him to the same brand of food, only with a reduced fat content. But it did not help. You may need to reduce portions or go for walks more often. Otherwise, there are no complaints. We haven’t noticed any special health problems yet, other than obesity.”