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Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition provides dogs with nutritional
answers to their individual needs, not only in terms of their size,
age, physiological stage and activity level, but also in terms of
the specific sensitivities of each group of dogs. The
differences between different sizes of dogs go beyond the way that
they look.
Different digestive tracts
Even though a large dog has a bigger body, as a percentage of
their body size, their digestive tract is actually very
small. While the digestive tract makes up 7% of the body
weight in small dogs, in large dogs it accounts for only 2.7% of
their total body weight.
For this reason our food for large dogs has a high energy
content so it can be fed in small meals. Providing the energy large
dogs need without avoid overloading their stomachs.
Different growth and lifespan
Small breed dogs grow fast – they can reach adulthood in eight
months yet their average life expectancy is 11 to 14 years of age.
With larger dogs, the opposite is true, they take around two years
reach maturity, yet their life expectancy is only eight
years on average.
So while small breeds need a high concentration of
nutrients early on to support their rapid development, large
breed puppies should have a moderate energy supply to sustain
steady growth throughout the twenty four months it takes them to
reach maturity.
As larger dogs have a shorter lifespan, it is also vital to
include ingredients in their food which help promote vitality, much
before smaller breeds would need such ingredients.
Different energy expenditure
It might surprise you that small dogs need nearly twice as much
energy for their size as big breeds, so in order to sustain their
energy expenditure, smaller breeds need a food that is rich in
protein and fat, providing 90 calories for every kilogram of their
body weight.
Discover our Size Health Nutrition range
and find the ideal food for your dog here.
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