Keeping Your Dog Healthy With All Natural Dog Food

Have you noticed everything that is going on regarding the commercial dog food industry?

With all of those recalls last year, dog owners are rethinking the type of dog food to give their beloved four legged friends. Have you given much thought to all natural dog food? There is one main issued in the commercial foods and that is quality… Or lack there of. The commercial brands of food that we are feeding our dogs is causing them to get sick.

When it comes to the benefits of feeding your dog natural dog food, you are going to find many. Simply put, it is much more healthy for your pet – just like eating natural foods is more healthy for you. Natural foods do not have harmful chemicals or fillers in them which can cause illness and disease.

There are plenty of natural foods on the market that you can buy for your pet, but before you settle on a brand, you might want to talk to your Vet and see if they have something they recommend. Take note that dogs systems can be sensitive and if you change your dogs diet suddenly it can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. So, if you are switching foods, you’ll want to add in the new food gradually.

So, what exactly should you choose for your pet to eat?

As you know, meat is known for being the main part of a dogs diet. Beef, in addition to chicken and fish are important to make that your furry friend is getting enough protein. In effect, your dogs diet should consists of about 50% protein which should come from full meat products (not by-products).

As stated above, you can buy natural dog food, or you can simply cook the foods for him yourself. Dogs eat a very similar diet to humans so you could include some of your dinner meats along with some grains (oats, brown rice, pasta) and vegetables for a well rounded diet. Dogs need a bit of extra fat for healthy skin and a nice coat so add some fresh fish oil to your pets meal. Finally, don’t forget the veggies – green beans, carrots, peas, apples, blueberries, and spinach are all great foods to feed Fido – they’ll help provide him with vitamins and minerals for health and longevity.

Choosing A Healthy Commercial Dog Food

Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients listed on a bag or can of commercial dog food? If so, depending on which brand you looked at, chances are you wondered how it could be healthy. Sadly, the truth is that most commercial dog foods are no healthier for your pet than a bag of potato chips is for you. So, before you allow your dog to take another bite of that chow you have been giving them, you should read this article on choosing a healthy commercial dog food.

Research the Dog Food
Commercial dog foods are a great convenience but what you are gaining in convenience, you might be losing in the health of your pet. Luckily, there are some commercial foods that are nutritious too. When push comes to shove, you should make sure the food you are feeding your dog is the best out there. This will require you to do your research on the subject. Not only should you familiarize yourself with the ingredients, but you should also familiarize yourself with the brands that are available.

Nutritional Ratios
The first thing you need to do is understand what the best ratio of food components is for your dogs diet. For example, it should be about fifty percent meat, ten percent grain and about forty percent fruits and vegetables. When you choose a pet food that is close to this ratio, then you have probably chosen a food that will meet your dogs nutritional needs.

Meat
As you are looking at the ingredients, you should make sure that meat meal protein sources are at the top of the line. Basically, meal is meat that has been pre-cooked. When you are looking at low quality foods, you will generally find a meat ingredient first. That meat ingredient will be followed by a number of fillers and by-products. Yes, meat has been listed as the first ingredient, but there are more fillers and that changes the ratio, so you want to avoid anything that has a lot of by products or fillers listed.

Preservatives
When choosing a commercial dog food, preservatives are necessary in order to keep the dog food from going stale. However, those preservatives should not be artificial chemicals. Did you know artificial chemicals could cause cancers? In fact, you should avoid any foods that have chemical preservatives such as BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin.

Cost
Typically, healthy commercial dog foods are going to be more expensive, but your dog may actually eat less of them since they are not loaded with fillers that have no nutritional value and, therefore, it takes less food to meet his nutritional needs. You want to look for foods that are natural and/or organic as these will be free from toxins. Feeding a healthy commercial food to your dog may cost a bit more, but you will be paid back with lower vet bills and a healthy dog that lives a long life.