Adapting the food to the dog's breed (chapter 2)

Predisposition to formation of dental tartar

Some dogs with overlapping teeth (including Bulldogs and Pugs) or small jaws ( also Yorkshire Terriers, Shih Tzu) express a natural tendency to produce tartar in the gums and teeth, which causes pain during mastication for the dog and unpleasant effects for the owner (bad breath). After toothbrushing, the most effective way to combat this harmful deposit is through the food (including polyphosphate salts, zinc salts and polyphenols). The same  goes for texture. When kibble texture and ergonomics are right, the dog will bite into them in just the right way to subject its teeth to a light abrasive action.

Special facial morphology

Brachycephalic breeds (including Boxer, Bulldog, Pug) and breeds that have small jaws

• Yorkshire Terrier 
• Chihuahua

sometimes find it difficult to grasp their food. Either they are unable to use their incisors properly  or they are unable to keep the food in their mouth. On the other hand, other very large breeds, such as:

• German Shepherd 
• Rottweiler, 

have wide jaws.

Adapting the size and shape of kibbles to suit the anatomical characteristics of such dogs ensures they are able to properly grasp, masticate and to digest their food.

Adopting this approach with regard to the form of kibbles for giant breeds also reduces the ingestion of air and slows down consumption, which are two factors that help prevent bloat.

Predisposition to excessive weight gain and its consequences

The well-known gluttonous qualities of such breeds as:

• Labrador Retriever 
• Beagle 

predisposes these dogs to weight gain linked to a maintenance energy requirement that is lower than that of most other breeds, which affects

• Rottweilers 
• Golden Retrievers
• Cocker Spaniels. 

This weight gain can be prevented by giving the dog a food with a moderate energy density, so that volume of food ingested can be kept at a comfortable level.
The main visible consequence of excessive weight gain is the appearance of the joint problems that large breeds and all dogs with a natural inclination to corpulence are predisposed to. The introduction of nutrients helps protect the joints.

Many Specific diseases can be prevented 

It is rare to find a breed that is not predisposed to one pathology or other, but it is also rare that  nutrition in unable to prevent or improve these pathologies. Without the enzymes that are needed to transform uric acid to urea, ( for ex. Dalmatians) cannot consume metabolic precursors of uric acid due to the risk of uric acid crystals being deposited in the bladder or joints. It is accordingly easy to understand that sources of purine (a nitrogenous base in DNA) must be avoided in their food by excluding such ingredients as liver, yeasts and meat of young animals, and that this justifies (together with other arguments) the existence of complete foods specially formulated for this breed.