Ideal diet for the Caucasian Shepherd – Food and Supplements
The decision of adding a dog to your family comes with plenty of preliminary preparations and questions that are seeking to be answered. One of them is concerning the ideal diet for the specific breed of the dog, in our case the Caucasian Shepherd, and if there is any need of supplements of vitamins or calcium that the dog needs in his diet.
With a 15+ years of experience in breeding Caucasian mountain dogs at our Titans Family kennel, we love to keep close contact with the people who buy dogs from us and give the recommendations according to each pup. We do not recommend giving vitamin supplements to your dogs, unless it is necessary for a medical recovery. Otherwise, diet, movement and a good quality of life are the key factors for a healthy dog. Let’s look at the topic more in detail.
Choosing an appropriate breeder
One of the best things you can do for your pup and for your future wellbeing by his side is to choose carefully the breeder from which you buy the Caucasian Shepherd puppy. A professional breeder will have all the details about the dog’s lineage and behavioral patterns to provide to you and also all you need to know about health and nutrition.
From our experience and testing grounds, our Titans are fed right now a premium brand dog food from the moment when they stop suckling from their mother and until the age of six months. This dry food gives them all the vitamins and minerals they need, plus the daily movement and walking routine, and also time spent in the sun, which are essential for a healthy life.
We recommend our clients to switch to a raw dog food diet after the pup reaches adulthood, or a combination between premium kibbles and raw food. Also, we keep connected with most of the owners of our pups and receive videos from time to time with their evolution. This way we can observe if there is any case for a deficit of calcium in their bones, by looking at their paws and the way they walk. We can recommend specific calcium and vitamin supplements if that is the case.
Feeding Premium food
On the long run, one of the best investments you can make is the one in buying good quality food for your dog. You might think there are commercial interests involved when advertising for an expensive brand, but at the same time the difference in the quality and nutrients of the food is considerable.
Your breeder will generally advise you for a specific brand but of course you can make your research and check with your vet for the best choice. It is advisable to avoid food based on grains and on poultry and focus on kibble for large dogs that contains rice and lamb, veal, fish or game.
Support in case of medical issues
It might happen that your dog suffers from an accident or an unexpected disease. In this case, your vet will tell you to add supplements to your dog diet, in order to help the immune system be boosted and to get your pal in his best shape again.
Also, if you have a pregnant female your vet might recommend you to help her with supplements after she gives birth, to keep her in best shape for the pups. Senior dogs can also benefit from vitamin supplements if their bones are weakened.
Having a vet who knows your dog
All in all, having a dog and a vet who lives nearby and who knows its medical history is very useful and important. This way, you can perform yearly checkups and stay up-to-date to the needs of your Caucasian Shepherd dog and you will know if it is the case to add extra vitamins to its diet.
A vet will also temper owners who worry too much and tend to add things to a dog’s diet only to feel that they are preventing and keeping the dog safe. You should know that giving extra supplements to a healthy dog can harm your dog’s health, so be tempered and talk to a vet about that.
We hope that we answered your question regarding diet and vitamins for dogs and wish you and your pups all the best! Please also check out our Ovcharka Bouletin video on the same topic.