Hovawarts require a variety of nutrients in their food

Nutrients include proteins, fats and carbohydrates for energy, vitamins, minerals and water. Nutrients are classified as essential or non-essential. Essential nutrients are nutrients that are needed but cannot be made by the body, they must be provided in the dog’s diet. Non-essential nutrients can be made in the body from other nutrients and do not necessarily need to be included in the diet. Like other dogs Hovawarts need a combination of nutrients to remain healthy, the quantity of each nutrient required varies throughout his life. When choosing a diet for a hovawart, it is important to consider age, relative size and lifestyle.

Hovawart puppies need a more energy and nutrient rich diet to support their fast rate of growth. They also need a diet with optimal levels of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a natural Omega 3 fatty acid essential in the development of the brain, vision and nervous system of young mammals. Good sources of DHA come from high quality salmon meal.

A nine year old hovawart on the other hand, will need a diet with higher protein levels than that of younger adult dog to help maintain muscle mass; but with reduced fat levels to help manage his weight as his activity declines. So the overall levels of protein shown in  the analysis  of the dog food are important to take note of.

Proteins perform various functions within a dog’s body

Proteins are used to build tissues like muscles, to protect against infection and to transport oxygen, vitamins and hormones in the blood. They can also be used as source of energy, although in a correctly balanced diet the majority of the dog’s energy will not come from proteins, but from carbohydrate and fat. The quality of different individual protein sources varies, depending on both the amino acid profile of the protein, and on its digestibility.

One term used  to measure of the quality of a protein is called  Biological Value (BV). It is a measure of the proportion of absorbed protein from a food that becomes incorporated into the proteins of the dog's body. Unlike some measures of protein usability, biological value does not take into account how easily the protein can be digested and absorbed. The BV value of a food can vary depending on the preparation of the food, and the dogs recent diet; but the greater the biological value, the better. For a dog, animal proteins contain a higher biological value than vegetable proteins. Eggs have the highest biological value, closely followed by chicken, lamb and fish.

In hovawart puppies the protein requirements for growth are two to three times greater than that for the maintenance of adult dogs. Studies suggest a minimum protein requirement of around 25 percent for growth; and two studies have indicated an optimal protein range from about 35 to 43 percent. The optimal percentage of protein needed in dog food varies, as the amount required depends on the quality of the protein source, and on the energy content supplied by other nutrients within the food.

Dietary protein is necessary for the processes of growth - it helps pups grow into healthy adults.

Protein helps in cell renewal, the production of enzymes and hormones, and the optimal functioning of organs. While in sick puppies, protein aids the production of antibodies and the healing of wounds. There are a lot of high protein foods suitable for puppies, including meat, eggs, milk, and cottage cheese, which can be given to your puppy either on their own or in combination with a good quality commercial puppy food. However too much protein or too little can result is disease; so supplementing a commercial diet is to risk unbalancing it.

In addition to protein, dogs also require a percentage of fat and carbohydrate in their diet. The dogs digestive system helps them to easily digest animal flesh and fat, and the length of time the food spends in the stomach aids the breakdown of animal protein, bone and fat.

Fats and carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for the dog.

Fat is the most energy-dense nutrient, and contains over twice the energy of carbohydrate and protein. Apart from being a source of energy, fats have other important functions. They help build hormones, transport fat-soluble vitamins and are a source of essential fatty acids. Studies have shown that fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3 are vital for the skin and coat, the optimal ratio between these two fatty acids is 5-10:1.

Carbohydrates come in two forms: digestible and non-digestible. Digestible carbohydrates, or starchy foods such as wheat and barley, provide a source of energy. Dogs have short and simple digestive systems, and cannot absorb large quantities of grain and fibre foods like herbivores. Non-digestible carbohydrates, or fibre, help to transport foods in the digestive tract but if added in large amounts can interfere with the absorption of nutrients by the body. Examples of fibre are bran, cellulose, beet pulp and hulls.

Fibre also has the important function of nourishing the intestinal cells and aiding the health of the gut. Some fibres are fermented more quickly and easily in the gut than others. Fermentable fibre sources, particularly beet pulp, are the best for promoting the intestinal health of the dog. It provides the optimal energy for the cells lining the intestine through the production of short chain fatty acids, whilst also providing bulk to move waste through the system efficiently. Poorly fermentable fibre does not provide enough short chain fatty acids so the intestine can be under-nourished and can result in dry stools and constipation. If the fibre is too highly fermentable it can increase the frequency of the stools and decrease the absorption of nutrients.

Most vitamins needed by dogs must be provided

Most vitamins needed by dogs must be provided in the food as they cannot be synthesised in the body. Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Vitamins C and B are water-soluble and vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble. Supplying each individual vitamin is important to the health of the dog as they each have a different function within the body.

The most important minerals required by dogs

The most important minerals required by dogs in their diet are calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. These minerals help to maintain fluid balance, help with muscle contraction and are building blocks of the skeleton. The percentage of minerals required in the diet depends on its energy content. There are also minerals called polyphosphates, which have been shown to reduce tartar build-up on the teeth. When the dog bites the food, the polyphosphates are released to embed themselves in the plaque on the teeth to block tartar build-up.

Preservatives

You can choose to avoid artificial preservatives and give your hovawart a naturally preserved dry dog food. Both types, artificial and natural, work by preventing fat and other ingredients in the food from (going rancid) oxidizing. The most common artificial preservatives used in dog foods are ethoxyquin, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The preservative that has caused dog owners the most concern is ethoxyquin, so it is probably best to try and avoid foods that contain it. Tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are the most common natural preservatives, although they may not be as effective as the “artificial” ones.