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	Scientific Diets Q: I read a lot about 'scientific diets' and 'complete dry dog food' as being important. Is this true, and if so, does it matter more with certain breeds (I have a King Charles Spaniel who is getting pretty old and doddery)

A: There has been a huge increase in "Scientific diets" and "Complete
Dry Dog Foods" over the last few years. They certainly are a good idea, as they have been very carefully formulated to take all the guess work out of how best to feed your dog.

They are geared to different stages in your dogs life {ie puppies need more protein and Calcium, etc. than adult dogs}, or different needs due to certain conditions {ie obesity or kidney problems in older dogs} You can now make sure he is getting everything he needs in the right amount and not too much of anything, for that particular stage in his life.

It is very difficult to do this if you are preparing food at home or feeding a normal proprietary dog food. The Complete Dry foods are much better for a dogs teeth and general mouth hygiene than tinned food, which may be good nutritionally, but does not help clean their teeth and contributes to the build up of tartar. It is good for dogs to have to
crunch their food, and they generally enjoy this and do not seem to get bored as people expect.

These diets are not really are important for some breeds than others, all dogs benefit from crunching their food and having it balanced. An elderly Cavalier would certainly be best on a food designed for the
"older dog" and if {as I suspect!} he is a bit on the rotund side, the lower calories involved would do him good!

Maeve Moorcroft {Vet}