Posted: 23 December 2018

Can hyper-activeness in pets be caused by their diet?

It is usual for healthy and stimulated dogs to be energetic, alert and interested, although a dog which cannot calm down or relax could be hyperactive. This could be due to several reasons, amongst them is the diet they are fed.

Dogs should be fed the correct diet for their life stage, as these diets are specifically formulated to provide sufficient energy requirements. If the pet owner’s adult dog is fed a diet for a puppy for example, then they are likely to be getting too much protein and energy, possibly causing hyperactivity. The same scenario can be true for senior dogs on an adult diet. Sugar can cause peaks in dog’s blood sugar which can cause hyperactive behaviour. Although none of DotDot DogFood’s Grain Free recipes contain added sugar, many treats and human food “tit-bits” do.

Choosing treats which do not contain sugar and refraining from giving a dog unhealthy human food could reduce this hyperactive behaviour. It is important that when feeding treats alongside a pets daily food, the owner lowers the food given in order to take into account the additional calories. Some sensitive dogs can also have the same peaking blood sugar reaction from carbohydrates like cereals and grains. In this case we would advise that a diet from our Grain Free range was fed. This is because the Grain Free range contains Sweet Potato which has a low glycemic index.

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