City & Guilds Qualification At PamPurredPets we actively encourage our staff to be knowledgeable in all aspects of pet keeping. We have our own in - house training programme which all staff follow during their first six months with us. After completing this programme many progress on to the City & Guilds in Pet Management, which is a nationally recognised qualification. If you have any more questions please call into one of our branches, most of our staff are City & Guilds trained in pet care and animal nutrition. Please ask them all the questions you wish and they will be more than happy to answer them.

A nutritious well balanced diet is essential for your dog from the puppy stage through to his senior years. Home made meals rarely give a complete balanced diet, therefore a complete food is a much better choice. You will need to decide what is best for you and your dog. There are many brands of quality foods on the market created with the help of vets and nutritionists especially designed for your dog’s needs. You can choose from canned meat and or dry food which all contain the correct balance of nutrients required by your pet. Our staff are always available to offer nutritional advice should you require it. Canned Foods Canned food can contain over 80% moisture, consequently you may need to feed more than one tin, depending on the size of your dog, plus mixer biscuit. Tinned food cannot be left down for your dog for long periods of time in warm weather as it will go off very quickly. Dry Complete Foods Dry complete foods are more convenient to feed as they can be left down for your dog in warm weather for extended periods of time and there is less waste. Dry complete foods also help to keep your dog’s teeth clean as the specially designed kibble scrapes the tartar from the teeth when being eaten. Dry Complete Premium Foods Dry complete premium foods are also available. These are made with high quality ingredients, which means an increase in digestibility. The higher the digestibility means more of the food is being utilised by your dog for energy and bodily functions. Less waste is therefore produced, which in turn means less faeces. It is very economical to feed complete premium food compared to economy complete food and canned food, as premium complete is highly concentrated, therefore your dog will need less volume per serving. The guide on the back of the packaging will recommend the amount required by your dog. If you find that your dog will not eat dry food, the kibble can be soaked in water or gravy to make it more palatable. A healthy dog, when fed on a complete dry food, does not require any additional supplements as the food contains all the essential nutrients. However, the need for certain nutrients will change throughout your dog’s life. Premium foods are specifically formulated for different stages in your dog’s life.

PUPPIES - need three to four times the energy intake as an adult dog of the same breed. Therefore, a specially formulated puppy diet is essential as this will contain more vitamins, minerals and proteins than an adult dog would require. Different breeds will need to stay on a puppy diet for different lengths of time, for example larger breeds for approximately eighteen to twenty-four months with smaller breeds around nine to twelve months. PREGNANT AND LACTATING BITCHES - should be fed on puppy food as extra nutrients are needed. ADULT DOGS - require an adult formulation, which they can stay on until their senior years. ACTIVE WORKING DOGS - require a higher fat intake to make up for the energy being used. These dogs will need a performance diet. SENIOR DOGS 7 YEARS PLUS - need less protein, minerals and calories but require a higher intake of vitamins and fibre. LIGHT DIETS - are specially formulated for the overweight, less active or convalescing dog. There are also specific foods for the larger breed dog, dogs with long coats, sensitive skins and sensitive stomachs. Some brands also cater for the vegetarian dog. When introducing your dog to a new food it should be done gradually over a period of five to ten days, decreasing the amount of old food as you increase the amount of new food until the dog is totally weaned off the old food. Remember, fresh drinking water must always be available for your dog. Correct Weight For Your Dog Frequent exercise will help maintain the correct weight of a healthy dog, however, over feeding, feeding tit bits and over use of treats could lead to an overweight dog. Treats are an ideal training aid, however if they are used a great deal the daily amount of food given to your dog will need to be decreased in order to compensate. Your dog should look slender, however you should not see protruding ribs or so much fat that you are unable to just feel the ribs under the skin. There should not be excessive fat around the back end. If your dog is excessively overweight or underweight veterinary advice should be sought.