What to feed a puppy and an adult Alabai? Daily diet

What to feed Alabai - briefly about the dog breed

Alabaya is a massive, large dog bred in Turkmenistan to protect people and animals. Among the common people, they were given the nickname wolfhound, and all thanks to their lightning-fast reaction, fearlessness and devotion to man.

Representatives of this breed are practically omnivorous, so they can be fed both natural and dry industrial food.

The Alabai diet should include a sufficient amount of phosphorus and calcium, which contributes to strong teeth and proper bone development. The ratio of these elements should be 2:1. If the owner neglects this rule, then over time the pet may develop disorders in the musculoskeletal system, weaken ligaments, slow growth and develop dysplasia.

But, you should not increase the dosage of vitamins, since their excess can negatively affect the functioning of the four-legged friend’s body.

Important! If your pet has health problems, you will need to take a biochemical blood test at the clinic. Based on its results, the veterinarian will tell you how to properly replenish the balance in the blood.

Dependence of appetite on the activity and physique of the dog

The question of how much Alabai eats per day worries every responsible owner. Feeding depends on the activity and body type of the pet. An adult dog that is quite active throughout the day is fed three times a day. If the pet prefers to spend time leisurely, then it is fed 2 times a day.

It is strictly forbidden to overfeed representatives of this breed, since an excess of food is harmful to their health.

Alabai's daily diet must include meat

Basic feeding rules

The owner of the Alabai needs to follow simple feeding rules so that as the pet grows older, it follows the usual ritual.

Meal place

It is customary to keep Central Asian Shepherds in spacious enclosures, where a warm booth will be installed, near which the owner will place a bowl for food and water. It is necessary to feed your pet in the same place. To feed the dog, you need to call it exactly where its food bowl is.

Stand and utensils

To feed an adult dog you will need large, deep bowls with a volume of 2.5 liters. It is best to purchase a bucket for water. For puppies, you will need to buy smaller bowls and use them until the dog is older.

Particular attention must be paid to the material from which the utensils are made, so:

ceramic dishes are not suitable due to the fragility of the material and impressive weight;
plastic is dangerous when in contact with hot water due to the active release of toxins;
The best option would be stainless steel utensils.

Bowls must be installed on a bracket with stands, the height of which should be at the level of the animal’s withers or elbow. As the Alabai gets older, it is necessary to increase the distance from the ground to the bowls, since it is unacceptable for the dog to hold its head down while eating; on the contrary, it should stretch up.

It is necessary to develop a unique feeding ritual

Limited access to food

It is unacceptable for a four-legged friend to have constant access to food, since in this case intestinal motility suffers, constipation occurs, appetite is distorted and the dog begins to actively gain excess weight. That is why, after feeding, food must be removed, even if the dog has not finished it - this will help form a routine.

Important! It is useful to give your pet fasting days, completely eliminating food, but before making such a decision, you need to consult a veterinarian.

Pure water

With water the situation is the opposite. It is the availability of clean, or even better filtered, water that is a mandatory requirement.

How often to give food, how much

The frequency of meals depends on the age of the dog:

up to 2 months, the puppy needs to be fed at least 6 times a day;
from 2 to 6 months of age, the frequency of meals should be 5 times a day;
at six months of age, puppies must be fed 3 times a day;
From 10 months, 2 feedings will be enough.

For an adult Alabai, the average serving size is two liters of food, but how much the dog will eat depends on a number of factors:

Subtleties of choice and feeding rules

Dry food for Alabai puppies should have a maximum of useful substances and exclude additional sources of vitamins, so it is better to choose 1 of 2 options: super-premium and holistic.

IMPORTANT! Holistic foods enriched with proteins are not suitable for all pets. Consult your doctor before purchasing food to understand which one to choose. If you have urolithiasis or other kidney-related diseases, the holistic class should be avoided.

In order to choose the right dry food for Alabai, conduct an experiment on the smallest package. The first experience should show possible negative reactions. Once you find the perfect brand, choose the maximum weight for further savings. Don't forget about age restrictions. Granules for older pets have a softer structure, and food for puppies has a higher calorie content.

The food bowl should be at chest level

You should read the ingredients and manufacturers on the packaging. Meat products and proteins should come first. Canadian feed is famous for its high-quality composition and undergoes strict control by government departments. When choosing dry feeding, it is important to follow the following rules:

Do not mix the granules with other foods. Natural food provokes gastric and intestinal disorders. Only administer vitamins after veterinarian approval;
Make sure you have enough fluid (not <50g of water per 1kg of weight). If natural food contains water, then the granules need an additional source of liquid;
purchase special chew toys. Lack of meat products requires additional stress on the fangs;
place the bowl at the level of your pet’s chest, changing the height as it grows;
follow the recommendations on the packaging. The number of grams will depend on the brand, age, weight, activity and size.

Small puppies will have to be given dry food 6 times a day, and adult dogs - 2. Alabai, weighing 60 kg, should be given 420 grams of dry food per day with low activity and 640 grams with high activity. In addition to activity, changes should be made if you are prone to obesity. In this case, the rate should be reduced by 20%. A puppy should increase his diet by 50% up to 7 months of age. For pregnant and lactating bitches add 25%. Older dogs should reduce their diet by 30%.

Activity after meals

Some owners mistakenly assume that after eating it is useful to take the dog for a walk, where it can spend the calories it receives. However, within 1-2 hours after feeding, active games and training sessions are contraindicated for the pet. During this period, the dog needs to relax and sometimes sleep.

Beneficial physical exercises

A few hours after eating, it is useful for Alabai to spend time doing physical activity. Of these, you can choose swimming or running, as they help improve intestinal motility and promote their rapid release.

What to feed Alabai, diet

To feed Alabai, you can choose industrial feed or natural food. If, as a rule, there are no difficulties with industrial food, then there are a number of requirements for natural food:

it must be freshly prepared;
food must be served warm;
food should be moderately thick.

Important! If the Alabai is on a natural diet, then a prerequisite is the addition of vitamin and mineral complexes to the diet.

The owner also needs to know what foods should be included in the four-legged friend’s diet.

The dog can be fed both natural products and ready-made dog food.

Meat, sea fish

It is acceptable to include the following types of meat and fish in the diet:

veal;
beef;
horse meat;
lean lamb;
sea fish;
squid.

Important! The idea of feeding river fish should be abandoned due to the risk of developing helminthiases.

By-products

Beef should appear regularly in a dog's diet:

kidneys;
liver;
heart;
scar;
udder;
lungs;
spleen.

Important! By-products cannot be a complete replacement for meat, so you can give them to your pet no more than 2 times a week.

Milk

Whole milk is allowed only until the age of 4 months.

After 4 months, puppies stop giving milk, otherwise they can cause harm to health.

Dairy products

The following fermented milk products can be offered to alabai:

low-fat cottage cheese;
kefir;
curdled milk;
serum;
calcined cottage cheese.

Vegetables fruits

Vegetables and fruits are healthy at any time of the year. It is imperative to give your dog the following foods:

fresh or boiled cabbage;
carrot;
zucchini;
pumpkin;
beets.

Puppies can be given:

apples;
garlic.

Eggs

This product is allowed only at an early age if it is part of milk and egg shakes.

Greenery

Puppies can be offered to taste the tops of inedible plants, and an adult dog can be offered Jerusalem artichoke.

Alabai's diet should be balanced

Prohibited Products

To avoid poisoning, the development of gastrointestinal pathologies and metabolic disorders, you should not feed your small shepherd dog the following prohibited foods:

fatty meat - lamb and pork;
sweets;
pasta and white bread;
all types of leguminous plants;
fried, salted, smoked, pickled, spicy foods;
raw cereals (except rolled oats);
porridge from semolina, millet, pearl barley;
citrus fruits;
tubular, boiled, bird bones;
potatoes;
salt.

What not to eat

The owner must know not only what to feed the Alabai as an adult or as a puppy, but also what is strictly forbidden to feed to representatives of this breed.

It is strictly forbidden to feed pets the following foods:

tubular and bird bones;
pork;
citrus fruits;
fatty lamb;
sweet;
raw cereals, with the exception of rolled oats;
smoked meats;
spicy and fried foods;
pasta;
legumes;
white bread.

Important! You should not give bones to dogs, but at weekly intervals you can give a puppy over 2 months old a sugar beef bone, which helps to naturally clean teeth and strengthen gums.

Seasonal menu

The diet of the Alabai may vary depending on the time of year, in fact, just like the human diet. None of us eat light salads in the cold winter, since the body requires more serious nutrition at this time. And vice versa - in summer, heavy food is digested rather poorly, so we consume it in minimal quantities.

In winter, your dog should receive increased dosages of complex carbohydrates (by about 30%) and proteins (by about 50%). During the cold period, the dog should rely mainly on porridge and meat or fish products, as well as cottage cheese and eggs. In the summer, you should focus on vegetables, treating your pet with pumpkin, zucchini and carrots. Vegetables should be given raw. Apples are also welcome.

Puppy nutrition from the first weeks

Caring for an Alabai puppy is a responsible process and it is important to avoid mistakes related to feeding.

Diet

For the first 2-3 weeks of its life, the puppy receives all the necessary substances from its mother’s milk, therefore, after weaning, the owner must provide proper complementary feeding.

A one-month-old puppy should receive 150 grams of meat per day in its diet. In addition to meat, it is necessary to have porridges, namely oatmeal and wheat, as well as boiled vegetables. The total volume of the diet per day should not exceed one glass, and it should be based on meat.

Method and frequency of feeding

It is important not only what to feed an Alabai puppy at 2 months, but also how often. So, in this case, feeding should be done every 3 hours. Subsequently, as the puppy grows, the intervals increase.

Important! The break in feeding a puppy at the age of 2 months at night should not be more than 6 hours.

When can you give dry food?

You can switch your four-legged friend to dry food when he reaches the age of 2-3 years. For nutrition, you need to choose food that will suit the age and lifestyle of your pet.

Features of feeding “Asians” depending on age

The dog must be fed taking into account its age and growth/development phase, so you need to carefully read the information on what to feed your Alabai puppy.

At 2 months of age

What to feed a Pembroke Corgi for an adult and a puppy

This period is characterized by rapid growth and development of the dog, so you need to feed the puppy at least 6 times a day.

An approximate diet of what to feed an Alabai puppy at 2 months is as follows:

150 g beef;
300 g low-fat types of cottage cheese;
250 g yogurt;
100 g boiled cereals;
50 g fresh/boiled vegetables.

The diet must also be enriched with vitamin and mineral supplements.

Note! When feeding dry complete food, there is no need for dietary supplements.

Nutrition from 2 to 4 months

During this period, appetite and needs increase significantly. The following diet is used for 1 week:

350 g beef;
500 ml yogurt;
700 g offal;
200 g cereal;
40 g bran;
150 g rye bread;
150 g vegetables;
10 g vegetable oil;
120 g peas;
200 g vegetables.

If necessary, dietary supplements are introduced into the diet.

Diet at 4 and 5 months

At this age, the dog is still actively growing, and the need for food also increases. The weekly diet looks something like this:

600 g beef;
1.5 kg of offal;
380 g cereal;
250 g peas;
1 kg of cottage cheese;
20 g vegetable oil;
1 liter of curdled milk.

Note! If desired, you can add 2 more boiled eggs.

After six months

It’s time to switch six-month-old pets to three meals a day for up to 10 months. After 10 months, twice a day is enough.

Alabais need to be fed the same foods, only in larger quantities. It is important not to overdo it so that the animal does not become obese.

The daily diet of a 6-month-old puppy looks approximately like this: 600 g of offal, meat or fish, 0.5 liters of fermented milk products, 300 g of porridge and 300 g of vegetables, vegetable oil.

Approximate puppy diet

Feeding Alabai with dry food

For owners who are not ready to spend time preparing food for their pet every day, feeding dry food becomes a real salvation.

Feed classes, their features:

Economy class This class of dog food is made from beans and does not contain vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements. The point of such food is only that the alabai will fill the stomach, but will not receive any benefits for the body.
Premium class. This category is intended for daily feeding. You can give such food, but only if the diet additionally includes vitamins, mineral complexes and proteins.
Super premium class. Such foods contain the necessary elements in the required quantities for the full growth and development of the pet.
Holistic. This product is the most expensive compared to others and, of course, it contains vitamins, minerals and other useful elements.

For dry food, it is better to choose super-premium or bachelor class

Feeding rules

The daily food intake is indicated on the manufacturer's packaging, which allows the owner to accurately calculate a single serving.

Important! If the dog eats industrial feed, then the owner needs to provide him with unhindered access to water to avoid the development of urolithiasis.

Features of feeding an elderly dog

Adult dogs need a special diet.
For Alabais over 7 years old, special dry food complexes have been developed. If the owner has chosen a natural diet, then it will be necessary to reduce the usual portion sizes, as well as the amount of fish, offal and raw meat.

For older dogs, it is recommended to add vegetable oils, boiled vegetables, eggs and low-fat cottage cheese to their food.

The health of the Alabai is greatly influenced by the diet, which is why it is so important to choose only high-quality, vitamin-rich foods for feeding, and in the case of industrial feed, only the best class.