Physical Differences = Nutritional Differences
The feeding instructions on most commercial dog food labels tell you to feed their food to any dog and just put a different amount into the bowl according to the weight of the animal that may eat it. There are many more differences that should be considered.
Here are comparisons between different dog breeds with the same body weight.
AND:
Following the feeding directions on a commercial dog food they would be fed the same amount of that one all-breed pet food.
YET:
The Keeshond (at 40 pounds) is a "heavy shedding breed." The Kerry Blue Terrier (at 40 pounds) does not shed. These two breeds have different nutritional requirements for coat producing amino acids within their food's protein.
A 45 pound Bulldog is a "thick boned breed." A 45 pound Pharaoh Hound is a "thin boned breed." These two breeds have different nutritional requirements for bone building minerals.
At work or play, a 50 pound Basset Hound and a 50 pound Standard Poodle demonstrate very different levels of energy and endurance. These two breeds have different nutritional requirements for food calories and proteins.
The 60 pound Labrador Retriever is one of six breeds that produce a skin oil. The 60 pound Collie does not produce any skin oil. These two breeds have different nutritional requirements for dietary fatty acids.
Each breed of dog has
physical or temperamental characteristics
that are different from any other breed.
The nutritional requirements of each breed has been passed on from generation to generation in the exact same way that each breed's coat, temperament or other characteristics have been passed on. We know that breed specific nutritional requirements CAN NOT change any faster than any of the other breed specific characteristics and we have many good examples of the amount of time it would take to make a change in a breed's inherited characteristics. We know that the climate of the area where a breed originated developed their coat. The desert breeds have a single layered short coat and the mountain breeds have a heavy double layered coat. There are very clear records which show different breeds of dogs taken to environments that are very different than where they originated (desert breeds taken to cold climates and mountain breeds to warm climates). Some of the records show that a breed was taken to, and has remained in the new and different environment over 2,000 years. Yet after 2,000 years, these breeds still have the same coat (and other genetic make up, body size and nutritional requirements) that their ancestors had in their native environment.
There are hundreds of examples of breed specific characteristics that have not been altered because of a change in environment or a change in diet. No matter what the people selling pet food claim, we know that breed specific nutritional requirements can not be changed every time an owner changes their pet's food. Each breed still has their own unique set of nutritional requirements, they are a part of the breed's genetic make-up, and our pets should be fed with a food that matches those breed specific nutritional requirements . . . if we want them to be healthy.
I urge pet owners who want to do WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THEIR PET to put out an effort to learn about their pet's unique nutritional requirements and feed that pet with a food - RIGHT FOR THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
There are many articles you'll want to read at The Animal Advocate's web site
There are many articles at this web site that address the subject of breed specific nutritional requirements. In one article there is reference to a book published by the US Government showing hundreds of research projects demonstrating how different breeds have different nutritional requirements (per Kg of body weight) and how different breeds react in different ways to the same food source. I (the author of this web site) have written a number of books on this subject. I am proud of my books, but I am not using this web site to get you to buy a copy. The purpose of this web site is to educate pet owners to the FACT that their pet may have unique nutritional requirements that can not be met by feeding it the same food as the dog next door. If you want to see a copy of my books they can be found in many libraries in the USA, UK, Japan, Canada, Australia and elsewhere.
You can find out about my qualifications to write a book on this subject and the titles of my books by going to the web page Who Is The Animal Advocate.
OR if you have any questions about the unique nutritional requirements of YOUR dog. Click here to send me E-mail
