Homemade Canine Diet:

Making dog food at home is something that is gaining increasing popularity with pet owners. This is because of some of the criticisms of dog food that is created industrially as being too low on the nutritional charts and for having food additives that are toxic to dogs. Another reason is the growing movement towards a more wild diet that is believed, by proponents, to be the real natural dog diet. Whichever side of the debate one decides to be on, the fact of the matter is that there is a great deal that one needs to understand about canine nutrition before one ventures into feeding a dog naturally.

One of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make is in believing that what is good for humans must be good for dogs as well – albeit with the exclusion of some of the plant portions of the human diet. To a large extent this is correct because of the course of thousands of years of evolution, dogs have developed a digestive tract that is specialized in only eating meat. In fact, eating plant material is of no use to a dog as it will pass right through the digestive tract. This is because plant material requires time and the action of bacteria to be broken down. Having state the difference in digestion, there are some things that one needs to understand about even feeding meat to a dog. All mammals require the essential nutrients of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, and water but dogs require a very different formulation of these essential elements. A dog in the wild would be completely used to a purely protein based diet. Whatever fat and carbohydrates are ingested are a result of eating meat and from the conversion of protein into sugars and glycogen.

Bearing this in mind, you should be feeding your dog fresh meat. The reason for fresh meat is that it is particularly difficult to store meat without losing taste and nutrients. Apart from this, methods like mashing up and baking to make homemade kibble would be fruitless without the use of additives and preservatives. These are not very good for the dog anyway. For dogs that are obese, boiling meat as a preparation to remove fat or cutting away fat from meat is a good practice. Some fiber is allowed and good for the dog and can be achieved by a few bran biscuits in the course of a day.

Homemade Pet Diet Tips:

Pet food depends on breed type, age, personality, genetic weaknesses, the climate, stress levels and the amount of daily exercise that they do. The pet food recalls that occurred recently have seen a rise in the number of pet owners who wish to feed their pets with food from home. However the American Veterinary Medical Association warns against certain things while preparing food for and feeding your pet. It is important to remember that substituting the food that you eat and this includes table scraps is not a substitute for commercially available pet food. The skin of poultry, gravy and meat fat can prove fatal for your pet and lead to a stomach upset or an intestinal upset, occasionally even to a condition known as pancreatitis which may be fatal. Be careful to not feed your pet chocolates, especially dark chocolate as baked products with this ingredient contain xylitol which is a sweetener known to cause liver diseases and subsequent death. Apart from chocolate, it is best that your pet does not consume onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, avocadoes, tomatoes and macademia nuts. Bones are best avoided in your pet’s diet as they can splinter and cannot be digested.

Protein forms two thirds of the general pet diet and these are found in lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken breast with the skin removed and fish such as salmon, halibut and orange. Canned tuna can be avoided as a lot of cat owners warn against it, but you can give your pet pond raised cat fish. If your pet is a confirmed fish eater, you may want to wean it away a little as scientists report a high toxic and metallic content in fish. Hence it would be advisable to give your pet the fish meal only twice in a week. Organ meat, particularly the heart, liver and kidneys are rich in nutrients and economical for the owner as well. A high fiber diet is essential for pets and will help prevent constipation. Oatmeal is rich in fiber although it should not be over done as it may give your pet loose stools. Unflavoured and unseasoned peas are also an excellent source of carbohydrates and fiber. Moderately cooked, diced or shredded carrots are good for pets as they clean the pet’s teeth and prevent bad breath. Nevertheless a well balanced diet will have to be decided upon in consultation with your veterinarian as it will have to meet all your pet’s needs.

Best Dog Food:

Once you get a dog, the next most important thing is to decide on the kind of food that you need to give your dog. Choosing the kind of food that you feed your dog is an extremely important decision since the kind of nutrition the dog receives is closely connected to the overall health and the behavior of the dog.

These days, choosing the right kind of food for your dog is especially important because of the multitude of commercially made dog foods available in the market. It has recently come to light that many of the producers of dog food use low quality raw material. It has also been found that instead of the nutritionally balanced meals that most of these manufacturers and marketers promise, the commercially produced merchandise contains high levels of chemicals and preservatives.

Commercially available dog food typically portrays it as natural, wholesome, organic, holistic and healthy. A dog does not require very complex food. To ensure the longevity and the vitality of your pet dog, it is essential that your dog gets food which is in fact healthy.

Here are some of the commonly available dog food types that you can choose from.

• Commercial dog food: This is the commercially made, packaged food that is available in the market. This kind of food is available in stores and with veterinarians. There are several forms in which this food is available. There are dry, semi-dry and wet kinds of processed food. However, recent reports have shown that commercially available dog food is not very healthy.
• Raw dog food: This is food that is pre packaged, but hundred percent natural. It consists of raw meat and other raw food which are suitable for consumption by dogs.
• Homemade food for dog: This type of dog food is made completely at home. There are several recipes for home-made dog food. You can discuss these recipes with your vet. Your vet may also suggest the types of food that you can feed your dog. Since you are making the food at home, using fresh ingredients and avoiding any chemicals, it will be completely natural and healthy. You can also periodically change the kind of ingredients you use so that your dog has variety in its meals.

The type of food that you want to feed your dog depends entirely on you. However, be careful while choosing your dog’s food because your pet’s health depends on it.