Your Dog and Food - Are You Providing the Best Diet?

This article will help you to consider a dog's natural diet, and whether your dog and food choices are the best available.

Many experts believe that you should feed your dog some 'natural' alternatives in place of processed pet food. While some manufactured dog foods can provide important nutrients, very few people would call them 'natural'. This is because processed foods, liked canned and dry forms, only estimate a canine diet.

Many processed dog foods are imperfect because they:

Have been cooked for a long time which takes away many of the nutrientsDo not contain beneficial fats, whole proteins, or enzymes present in raw foodsMay contain poor-quality grains or by-products left over from food manufacturingCan include added chemicals and preservatives.

Natural food, on the other hand, is closer to what your dog is designed for

A Natural diet can help your dog stay healthy, with fewer allergies, flea infestations or trips to the vet. It can assist digestion and elimination (your dog's stools should be firm not sloppy). It can help maintain dental wellbeing (with nicer dog breath!).

Many people believe that degenerative diseases in canines may be avoided altogether with a good natural diet. A healthy canine can remain in peak physical condition long after it has reached middle age. Proper nourishment (and exercise) can also help prevent your dog from being overweight.

Ask yourself...

Would you stay healthy if you only ate canned food every day, even if it was proven to be nutritionally balanced? No way! Before long you'd be rebelling. You'd crave variety... and your digestive system would be crying out for a change too.

The best food for dog has an evolutionary basis. Dogs are designed to digest and utilize raw meat, cartilage, bones, and other parts of an animal including some of the internal organs (and even fur). This is closer to how a wild dog eats.

How can I gradually change my dog and food choices?

Well, you can't send your dog back into the wilderness, but you can do some things...

Firstly, take your time. Don't dramatically alter your dog's diet overnight.Don't toss out all your canned food or kibble. Just replace some of the usual food with some natural alternatives.or example, add some raw meat obtained from your pet supplier or a reliable butcher, and a light bone or two.Add a small amount of grated raw vegetable and fruit (avoid grapes), and maybe a small amount of egg, omega oil, yogurt, and nuts.Once or twice a week offer some organ meats. Occasional tripe can be good too.

This is just a start...

There are many resources and books on this subject. And don't ignore your breeder or your vet. You should listen to your vet if specific health advice has been offered, or if your dog has a pre-existing condition.