How to Choose the Best Dog Food for the Bolognese
The charming Bolognese has been capturing hearts since its first mention in ancient literature in the 13th century. A small breed dog, the Bolognese is sweet natured, curious, loving, and affectionate, making it an excellent family companion, particularly for families with children.
A breed sometimes referred to simply as Bolo, the Bolognese is friendly and eternally happy, looking forward with great anticipation to any and every adventure with its family. A dog that bonds deeply to those it loves most, the Bolognese is excellent company whether time together is spent napping on the couch, playing in the yard, or simply going for a car ride.
The Bolognese takes its name from the city from which it traces its origins: Bologna, Italy. Though the first recorded references to the breed occurred in the 1200s, it is believed that the Bolognese’s history traces back several thousands of years previously. The Bolognese was always intended to serve as a cherished family companion, first as a beloved pal to the aristocracy and later as a pet to the common man as well.
The Bolognese is a breed of great intelligence. Easy to train, the Bolognese takes great delight in learning new skills. The breed requires only moderate daily exercise; however, free feeding should be avoided as it can easily lead to this adorable little pooch becoming overweight.
The best dog foods for the Bolognese should be comprised of a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Bologneses
The delightful Bolognese is not a highly active dog but still requires a high quality diet to achieve and maintain excellent health. The best dog foods for the Bolognese provide helpful hints in how much to feed this dog type through suggested serving sizes listed on the side of their packaging. Owners may use these as a starting point, making adjustments to reflect the dog’s age, weight, activity level, and appetite until the correct portion has been found.
Since the Bolognese can be predisposed to gaining weight if overfed or underexercised, it is important that this dog type never be free fed. Instead, all food should be weighed and all intake monitored to ensure a healthy body weight is attained.
Dietary Requirements for Bolognese Dog Foods
The Bolognese, like all dogs, is a carnivore, and thus benefits from a diet that is based on a lean meat-based protein. The best dog foods for the Bolognese prioritize the use of a whole meat or meat meal as their foundation ingredient. By-products are commonly utilized in many commercial formulas but can be very difficult for dogs to digest and can trigger allergic reactions in some. These are best avoided.
Likewise, the plant-based proteins corn, soy, and wheat are not nutritionally beneficial for the Bolognese. Other ingredients to avoid in any commercially prepared dog food for the Bolognese include chemicals, additives, fillers, preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors.
Carbohydrates play an important role in a well-rounded diet for the charming Bolognese. These can be taken from fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Of primary importance in any included carbohydrate is its high concentration of dietary fiber and antioxidants to encourage a healthy immune system and good digestion. Bologneses that have previously expressed food sensitivities may do best on a grain-free food formulation.
From healthy fats the Bolognese receives many benefits including fuel for energy reserves and support for coat and skin health. The ideal sources of these fats are animal-based and include such foods as chicken fat and oily fish. The plant-based oils coconut, canola, and safflower are also excellent alternatives, offering ample servings of these vital essential acids the Bolognese needs to enjoy optimal health.
Supplements added to a food can be a great help to the Bolognese. The most beneficial supplements to look for in a food include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Bologneses
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best food for a Bolognese:
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Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
For the Bolognese to truly thrive, this breed needs a diet that is based on a lean meat-based protein. Experts agree that a whole meat is the best choice, but meat meals also offer ample amounts of the nutrients the Bolognese needs from its daily diet.
By-products and plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are ill-suited to support the health and wellness of this charming small breed pooch as they can be difficult to digest and can be common allergens for many dogs.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to the Bolognese. Diets which include these items should not be fed to this breed.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
Supplements added to a food can greatly boost a diet’s efficacy. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for the Bolognese are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Bolognese should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.