Pet
Food
Review

Breed Specific Diets

Breed specific diets are a new phenomenon of this past few years, and you have to wonder just how breeds such as the Shih Tzu managed to survive for so long without their own specific food - or maybe that's just a cynical viewpoint looking at the situation from a marketing angle!

Any way, these foods are here, and apparently here to stay, so if you believe all the marketing hype and want to try one of these foods then who are we to stop you -and Royal Canin seem to be the main supplier of breed specific diets closely followed by Eukanuba.

Royal Canin say:

"It doesn’t take a degree in animal nutrition to realize a Yorkie may have different requirements than a German Shepherd. But it does take in-depth research, analysis and understanding to discover that a Yorkie should be fed differently from a Chihuahua, or a Labrador Retriever differently from a Golden Retriever.

"The more we learn about the biology of dogs, the more we realize how vastly different each breed is. Of all the animal species, the dog may be the most diverse.

"Adult body weight: Varies from 2 to over 200 pounds.
Life expectancy: From 7-9 years in large breeds to 14-16 years in small breeds.
Puppies per litter: From 1-3 in small breeds to 8-12 in large breeds.

"Before we develop a diet for a specific breed, we first closely observe the breed to understand its morphological, physiological and behavioral characteristics. For instance, we studied how to promote lean muscle mass in the Dachshund, how to help Boxers better pick up their kibble and even how to reduce flatulence in the English Bulldog.

"The end result is a diet customized for a unique set of breed characteristics – and a diet your dog will thrive on."

Our breed food is special on the outside as well as the inside. The kibble shape, size and texture has been studied and adapted for each breed, which is why Yorkshire Terriers have a special flaky kibble to promote good oral hygiene, while the Labrador Retriever has a kibble with a hole in the middle to help slow down the speed of eating.

We suggest that if you are interested in a specific breed diet for your dog or cat that you check out the Pet Supermarket website as they are more likely to have the products that you want than a local pet shop and at discount prices. Your ordinary pet shop must despair at all the brands and varieties that they are expected to stock!!