There are lots of great reasons to start your pet on a natural dog food diet today. Your dog's overall health will increase, for one. Owners who have tried feeding natural dog food to their pet report a shinier coat, better breath, improved temperament, brighter eyes, and more energy.
Some of the tips for a natural dog food diet are these, always use human quality food. Do not just scrape left over food from the table into the dog's bowl. Don't use your own tastes and nutritional needs. Just like we develop a love for junk food, so can our pets. Always ensure that we feed them what will make them thrive, instead of what will give them diabetes and other degenerative illnesses.
Most manufactured dog foods are a combination of both animal and plant proteins. They most probably do this because it is less expensive to produce, however, because meat is the most likely ingredient to become chemically contaminated, a good option is to balance the meat portion of protein with plant sources of protein, like legumes.
Many vets do not recommend a "raw meat" diet for dogs. The food many have salmonella and listeria contamination. It is preferable to give a dog a high quality natural dog food diet. The dog will get the nutrition he needs and contamination should not be a problem.
Eggs and dairy are great sources of protein in addition to meat and can be included in your dog's diet. Dairy is not the single source of calcium in a natural dog food diet. Dogs need a lot of calcium, and they need bone meal and calcium supplements mixed in with their food to give them the amounts needed, and to provide the correct ratio of phosphorus to calcium. If you feed your dog raw meat and bones, additional bone meal and calcium supplementation is not necessary for adult dogs. Correct ratio of phosphorus to calcium is required. Otherwise the calcium cannot be used by the body.
More than half of a dog's diet consists of carbohydrates. There are many grain sources, including corn, barley, wheat, and oats. Dogs can get their protein from meat, but there are other choices there as well. Beans, lentils, and peas are alternative sources of protein. As an added measure, dog's can take vitamins as humans do, to ensure they are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals.
These days lots of people have started giving their animal companions organic dog food which they buy online or from specialty shops. This has become a major area of the pet food industry, and is the nutrition of choice for many dog owners. Others have begun to prepare food items themselves in their own kitchens. While it requires a greater expenditure of time and effort, it does offer certain important nutritive advantages. Check the world wide web for all sorts of delicious homemade dog food recipes.
By: Melinda Smith
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