Am I feeding the right food to keep my dog healthy? That's a question we hear constantly from dog parents.

And why canine nutritionist and Dogly Advocate Alicia Boemi tackles the question for each stage in your dog's life in this series so you'll know the most nutritious diet for your individual dog at all times to keep your dog healthy.

In these two guides, you'll get a nutritionist's eye-view of what you need to know to keep your adult dog healthy.

Your nutrition choices are one key factor you can control for your pet's health - from your dog's teeth to your dog's skin, from maintaining a healthy weight to avoiding joint paint, and more to support your dog's overall good health and fend off serious health problems for as long as possible.

What you'll learn about nutrition to keep your dog a healthy dog throughout this life stage and beyond:

• Why feeding your adult dog for life stage matters
• How to know which nutrients your adult dog needs

Here's a quick overview of what you'll find in these 2 guides to feeding your adult dog:

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Adult Dog Feeding Guide 1: Why feeding your dog for the adult life stage matters

Once your dog has stopped growing and graduated from puppyhood, your focus shifts to feeding the right nutrients in properly balanced amounts to maintain ideal body weight and overall health.

What you'll learn:

• What adult dogs need nutritionally at this stage for a healthy diet and why

3 primary nutrients all adult dogs need:

1) Protein - for muscle maintenance and repair

2) Fat - for energy and essential fatty acids

3) Carbohydrates - for fiber and energy

Protein needs, for example, remain relatively consistent throughout a dog's life, but the amount of fat and carbohydrates will vary based on your dog's activity level.

You'll also learn:

What type of protein your adult dog could need

• Animal proteins (chicken, beef, lamb, fish, eggs, etc) are excellent sources for dogs. Plant-based proteins are not as easily digested and absorbed and don't provide all the essential nutrients dogs need as animal proteins do.

What type of "good fats" your adult dog could need

• "Good fats" like olive oil, fish oil, and flaxseed oil support your dog's healthy skin, coat, and immune system fueling energy and optimal health.

What type of carbohydrates your adult dog could need

• Complex carbohydrates (whole grains and vegetables) are a good source of energy, fiber, and other nutrients, and they convert glucose to energy gradually as opposed to simple carbohydrates that trigger quick glucose spikes - not what we want for our dogs (or ourselves).

• Why the best food for your dog's best weight matters
• How to know your dog's calorie count for your dog's healthiest weight

Why is it important to get your dog's ideal calorie requirements and weight right?

Beyond 50% of dogs are considered overweight or obese dogs, and excess weight contributes to so many serious health problems - diabetes, cancer, heart disease, joint pain, and other health issues, all recorded on the rise in veterinary medicine.

To start learning why and how to individualize dog food for your adult dog, jump into the full guide here. Next up, getting into the details of which nutrients need to be in your dog's well-balanced diet and where to find them, plus a sample recipe...

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Adult Dog Feeding Guide 2: How to Know Which Nutrients Your Adult Dog Needs

As your dog ages from the puppy/adolescent stage, the need for high quality food packed with nutrients continues, now in a different balance to match your dog's changing development and energy goals.

What you'll learn:

• Which and how much of the 6 essential nutrients your dog needs

Pro tip: use the simple calculator tool nutritionists use to figure out how much of what is right for your individual dog

You'll find the calculator in the full guide here where you'll see how you can try inputting different nutrients with your dog's profile (with factors like your dog's weight, activity level, etc) to see how a balanced recipe comes together for your dog.

You'll also learn...

• Changes in your dog that trigger the need for changes in food
• Why to use nutrient requirements for your dog's diet rather than something based on a trendy concept in pet food
• What metabolizable energy (ME) is and what it means to your dog

Alicia takes you through how to calculate ME for your dog by using one of her dogs as an example for figuring out metabolic weight, energy level, and then ME to know how much to feed your dog.

• Why fresh food diets - cooked or raw - give your dog more nutrients

No matter what form fresh food takes, whether you cook it or serve raw or pureed, it delivers more nutrients than processed food. If you do serve a balanced dry food/kibble, you can always add fresh foods like eggs, sardines, blueberries, etc. to boost your dog's diet!

• How to know which supplements your dog might need for a balanced diet for your individual dog to avoid possible deficiencies and serious health issues

Alicia shares recommendations for when you do need supplements: like omega-3 fatty acid fish oil for adult dogs as they age as well as joint support, both lowering inflammation and strengthening joints, and probiotics for keeping your dog’s gut microbiome healthy.

And as a helpful bonus, a recipe...

Alicia shares an example of a favorite complete and balanced recipe she formulated for a 35 lb, healthy and active, adult dog. A great way to see how needed nutrients come together in recipes for healthy, balanced diets!

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Next up in the Life Stage Feeding Channel on Dogly

Now that you know how to feed your adult dog to be healthy and stay healthy, check out senior dog feeding guides if you're ready to learn about what's best when it comes to foods for seniors as well.

Or you can always continue expanding your nutritional knowledge for your dog in learning which nutrients your dog could be missing in his/her diet or why protein matters and good high-protein food sources.

Hop over to the Life Stage Feeding Channel if you'd like to ask a question in the Community discussion or start any of the step-by-step guides in Puppy Feeding, Adult Feeding, or Senior Feeding.