Italian Greyhounds need a good quality, balanced ‘complete’ dog food to deliver all of the nutrients the dog needs to maintain good body condition. Unless you have specialist knowledge of dog nutrition we do not recommend trying to “home cook” for your dog as there is a risk that you will not cover all of your dog’s nutritional needs.

When bringing a puppy home, a good start point on food is feed what your breeder feeds and if you decide to switch food, do it gradually. Introduce the new food mixed with the existing food slowly over time. Sudden changes in diet can lead to digestive problems for some dogs.

A useful resource if you are researching different foods: All About Dog Food.

Most Italian Greyhound owners feed their adult Italian Greyhounds twice a day – once in the morning and once in the early evening. Puppies need to be fed more frequently depending on age – speak to your breeder for advice on the correct feeding regime for your dog.

Never exercise your dog immediately after feeding – always wait at least an hour before setting off on a walk after your Italian Greyhound has eaten.

Treats

Most Italian Greyhounds are greedy guzzlers despite their skinny appearance! Like most dogs they enjoy treats but treats should be given occasionally as opposed to becoming part of the regular feeding routine throughout the day.

If you are training your dog then it may be that they are receiving a large number of treats – make sure you factor the traiing treats into their daily feeding allowance.

Maintaining a healthy weight

Italian Greyhounds are built to be lean and well-muscled. It is really important that you help your dog maintain a healthy weight – neither overly thin nor obese – to prevent unnecessary stress on their bones and joints, and to give them good exercise to maintain ideal body condition.

As a general rule you should just be able to see the pin bones on the rear of your Italian Greyhound, and the ribs should be lightly covered so that you don’t see individual rib bones but merely a hint / suggestion of those bones.

If your Italian Greyhound is very thin and you have problems getting them to eat, or if your dog is obese and needs to lose weight, contact your vet for advice as it is always worth checking whether or not there are any other health issues lurking.

Don’t forget that water is the source of life

All dogs should have unrestricted access to fresh, clean water at all times. The water should be topped up throughout the day and should be completely refreshed at least once a day. The water bowl should also be washed regularly – even if it doesn’t look dirty, bacteria still builds up.

Signs of dehydration

If you think your dog is not drinking enough water, check for signs of dehydration:

• Loss of energy
• Weakness
• Reduced appetite or refusal to eat
• Dry, sticky gums
• Dry nose
• Panting
• Loss of skin elasticity
• Sunken eyes
• Depression

Seek advice from your vet urgently if your dog shows any of these symptoms.

If you ever observe that your dog is drinking much more or more frequently than usual for no apparent reason, take your dog to the vet as it may be a sign of illness.