Canine Natural Health : Food
What Constitutes Healthy Dog Food?
Tips for planning a well-balanced diet to help your dog thrive
Explore our vet-recommended tips for planning a nutritional, wholesome diet to optimize your dog's health, energy level, and appearance
With such an abundance of dog food on the market, it can be difficult to narrow down the dozens of choices to select just one. Nearly every packaged commercial dog food claims to be good for your pet-but how do you know what's fact and what's marketing fluff? Below, we've compiled some vet-recommended tips for ensuring your pet's diet includes all the vitamins and minerals he or she needs:
- Keep in mind that your dog's diet should consist of approximately 50% vegetables, 40% meat, and 10% grains and carbs. Try to select foods that come as close as possible to achieving this balance.
- Learn to read (and understand) dog food labels. Steer clear of foods that contain ingredients listed as "by-products" or "meat meal", as these consist of potentially toxic by-products of slaughtered animals that are not fit for human consumption. Also avoid foods that have lots of fillers (usually grains) in their list of ingredients.
- Depending on your dog's dietary requirements, you may need to purchase dog food that's free of cornmeal and wheat, which can potentially cause allergic reactions.
- When including grains in your dog's diet, try to serve them in their whole format to provide a higher nutritional value and to boost your dog's energy levels. Some good grain sources include brown rice, rolled oats, and barley.
- Preservatives are often a necessary evil to increase the shelf life of dog foods. Certain types are acceptable, but there are some harmful varieties that can potentially cause cancer in dogs. Avoid pet foods that contain such chemical-based preservatives as Ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA, in favor of safer Vitamin E and Vitamin C.
- Less expensive dog foods can be tempting for budget-conscious pet owners, but the more expensive premium brands will provide your pet with more nutritional value.
- Consider a holistic diet for your pet, consisting of ingredients that are 100% natural. Many advocates of holistic diets choose to make their own dog food at home. Before going this route, be sure to consult with a certified veterinarian to make sure you're providing your pet with all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients.
The best way to determine if your chosen pet food regime is providing your pooch with the optimum health benefits is to consult with your veterinarian. He or she can review your dog's individual dietary needs based on his age, weight, and activity level, evaluate your existing meal plans, and then provide a recommendation for changes that can enhance your dog's physical well-being.
Be sure to visit our trusted friends Drs. Foster & Smith and Only Natural Pet to buy products mentioned here.
We hope you find better living for your dog, natually.
John & Heidi Walsh
Pet lovers for over 20 years.
Natural & Organic Dog Food...
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