Fats are the major source of energy for dogs.All dogs need an energy source to help them be able to chase squirrels or beg at the dinner table.Dog who live outdoor in the cold need enough fat to supply them with the energy to keep warm.And police dogs and working dogs beed enough fat to prevent them from heaving to get their energy from their carbohydrate or protein supplies.

But fats do more then provide your dog with energy.They also help keep your dog’s skin and foot pads supple and her coat  healthy.supplying an allergic dog with the proper amount and type of fats can make a huge difference in how much she scratches.Fats also carry fat-solubie vitamines into the body from the intestine.These vitimins are essential for health,and the only way your dog can absorb them is if she has enough fat to carry them into her body.Plus,just as with our own food,fat makes a dog’s food tastier,which can be important in healping dogs who are ill eat enough to provide the nutrients they need for heeling.

Fatty acids are the majour component of fat.Dogs really only need omega-6 fatty acid(often referred to as linoleic acid),beacouse they can’t make it on their own.Linoleic acid keeps your dog’s skin supple and pliable,and keeps er pads and nose leather flexible.Dogs with deficiencies of linoleic acid have scruffy,dry coats and dry,cracked pads.Luckily,dogs don’t need a lot of linoleic acid.Good sources are beef,chicken,and the oils from corn,safflower,and soybeans.

Omega-3 fatty acids can also help dogs with allergies by controlling the inflammatory responses in their skin.Omega-3 can improve dry skin and have been reported to decrease stiffness from arthritist.But omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids have some opposing function,so you need to be sure your dog is getting a balance between this two components. Shoot for a ratio of omega-3 fatty acids of about 5 to 1.

Your dog is better off if her food has the correct ratio of omiga-6 to omiga-3 fatty acids then if you try to provide it in supplement form to balance it out.So look for dog food that have safflower oil or corn oil to provide the omiga-6 fatty acids and fish oil or fish meal to provide the omega-3 fatty acides.

TIP

The ratio of omiga-6 to omiga-3 fatty acids is listend on the bags of some of the batter quality foods,so especially if your dog is having skin problems,opt for a higher-quality food-and one that has the correct ratio of omiga-6 to omiga-3.

Althought your dog need fat in her didt.too much fat can contribute to obesity,the number one nutrition proplems in dogs.Excessive fat can also slow down the digestive process and may cause nausea,diarrhea,and even vomiting.High-fat diets also play a role in the development of pancreatities,an infalmmation of the pancreas that can result in very severe vomiting and sometimes every death.So you need to be sure to control the fat leves in your dog’s diet.Feeding a high-quality dog food (and not giving your dog lots of extras),watching our dog’s weight,and making sure she gets enough exercise is the best way of ensuring that she won’t become obese.

On the other hand,just because less fat is better for humans doesn’t mean that a low-fat diet is good for our dog.too little fat can lead to dry,flaky skin;dry,cracked pads;and a dull,broken hair coat.

Be sure to read the dog food label before choosing a diet for your dogs(Chapter 5 tells you all about dog food labels),and obeserve your dogs’s response to the food.If you don’t like the appearance of your dog’s food coat and skin on one diet,try a different one.your dog’s food should include good-queality animals fats and can be supplemented with cold-pressed oils such as linseed,wheat germ,or soybeanoil.Growing puppies and pregnant or lactating bitches need a minimum of 8 percent fat in their diet.Adult dogs need a minimum of 5 percent fat.High levels of fats(above 16 percent)are not needed for most dogs,except  hard-working dogs such as stock dogs,police dogs,and sled dogs.