How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Borzoi Puppies
The elegant Borzoi puppy carries itself with dignity and grace. A breed with a regal air, it is not difficult to imagine this self-assured pooch roaming the halls of the palaces in Russia where it spent its days on hunting expeditions with its owners and as a pampered family pet. Today, this gentle-natured breed has largely moved from the field to the living room where it contentedly spends its days lazing on the couch next to its owner or out enjoying an adventure together.
The Borzoi puppy was built for speed; however, the breed is best at shorter jaunts not possessing the stamina or interest in endurance runs. A dog breed that requires regular daily exercise, the Borzoi is content with a leisurely walk each day after which time, this pooch is perfectly happy to enjoy a life of leisure with its family. If sufficiently exercised and appropriately fed, the Borzoi is not naturally predisposed to gaining weight.
The Borzoi’s gentle nature makes it a natural with children. However, this puppy’s exuberance as a youngster coupled with its immense size means injury can occur if interactions between kids and the dog are not carefully supervised.
The Borzoi’s natural athleticism makes it well suited to many different active pursuits including agility, lure coursing, conformation, Rally, and obedience.
This breed bonds very deeply to its family and does not do well if left alone for long periods of time throughout the day. When this occurs, the potential for the development of nuisance behaviors is high. Because of its size, the Borzoi is not well suited to apartment life. Its natural prey drive also means this pup will eagerly chase small animals, so a safe and secure containment system is a must for this gentle and giant breed.
Sadly, the Borzoi puppy can be predisposed to a number of different health ailments including hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, heart problems, and more. To provide an excellent foundation for good health, it is recommended that the Borzoi puppy be fed a large breed puppy food designed to encourage additional help for the eyes, heart, and joints.
The best dog foods for the Borzoi puppy contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat. In addition to this, it is vital that the diet for this breed include the correct proportions of calcium to phosphorus: 1.2 parts calcium for each included unit of phosphorus. This important ratio supports a healthy rate of bone growth.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Borzoi Puppies
Trying to determine portion sizes for the Borzoi puppy can feel like a monumental job. Thankfully, the best dog foods for Borzoi puppies list suggested serving sizes based on age and weight on the side of their packaging. These can be used as a starting point with adjustments made gradually based on the puppy’s body condition, activity level, and appetite until the correct amount is found.
Though not predisposed to weight gain, the Borzoi puppy still should not be free fed. Careful measuring and monitoring of intake is the key to achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.
The Borzoi puppy does not reach full maturity until almost three years of age. Because of this extended maturation period, the Borzoi pup should be fed a large breed puppy food until it reaches one year of age or 75 percent of its full adult size. Following this, the pup should be transitioned to an appropriate adult diet.
As a giant breed puppy, the Borzoi is predisposed to developing bloat. Bloat is a life threatening health problem that is believed to be brought on by eating too much or too quickly. To prevent this from happening in the Borzoi puppy, experts recommend feeding this pup a large breed puppy food since this type of diet contains big enough pieces of kibble to encourage careful chewing and swallowing of each bite.
Dietary Requirements for Borzoi Puppy Foods
As natural athletes, the Borzoi puppy is a carnivore and requires a diet based on a lean meat to enjoy optimal health and wellness. The best dog foods for Borzoi puppies are based on a whole meat or meat meal. By-products and plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are common ingredients in many commercially prepared diets, but unfortunately, they are not of sufficient nutritional quality to meet the nutritional needs of the growing Borzoi pup.
Chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives are commonly found ingredients in many dog foods. These ingredients can trigger allergic reactions in some dogs on a recurring basis and are also difficult to digest. For this reason, diets containing them are best avoided.
Carbohydrates help the Borzoi puppy to develop a strong immune system and good digestion. These can come from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or a combination of the three. The primary role of any included carbohydrate is its high concentration of antioxidants and dietary fiber.
From healthy fats, the Borzoi puppy gains fuel to enjoy the active lifestyle, support for brain and eye development, and assistance with achieving optimal coat and skin health. These fats are best found in animal-based foods such as chicken fat and oily fish. The plant-based oils canola, safflower, and coconut also offer powerhouse servings of the essential fatty acids Borzoi puppies need from their diet.
Excellent quality diets include powerhouse supplements in their recipe to boost the nutritional content found in their food. The best supplements for the Borzoi puppy are glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Borzoi Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Borzoi puppy:
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Lean, meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The basis of any diet suited to the Borzoi puppy should be a lean meat. Whole meats or meat meals offer the best options. By-products and plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, and soy are not of sufficient nutritional quality to support the growing Borzoi pup’s needs.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, flavorings, fillers, and mystery ingredients are not nutritionally sound additions to any diet. Many of these items can lead to allergy flareups in the Borzoi.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
The ideal supplements for the Borzoi puppy are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
The AAFCO seal of approval certifies that a food has been inspected, assessed, and found to be worthy of the declaration that is a complete and properly balanced food.