You hear all sorts of advice on how to provide healthy dog food for your pet - from pet food manufacturers, your veterinarian, friends and family - but what's the real story on giving your dog a diet to keep him in top form? We'll look at a few basic recommendations and some options for snazzy home cooking for your dog.
When buying dog food you want a product that breaks down to a ratio of 40% meat, 50% vegetables, and 10% grain, or something close to that. The meat component should be listed first and is commonly chicken, beef, or lamb. If you buy a cheaper product that doesn't have these ratios or ingredients you're not doing your pet any favor. Go after the best quality you can afford and you'll have a happier companion as a result.
Many pet owners, concerned over the types of preservatives used in some dog food are resolving the issue by cooking their own pet food. Preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and oxyquin are believed to be toxic an large amounts. The problem is, how much is large and is the effect these preservatives may have on your best friend cumulative over time?
There are many sources for dog food recipes. Your vet may have some and the Internet certainly is a good source. Of course there are good recipes and some not so good. Follow the 50-40-10 ratios found on the packaged foods and you should be all right. Make sure the meat is fully cooked and free of bones. Brown rice and oatmeal are excellent choices for the grain component.
Let your pet serve as the taste tester while you experiment with various ingredients. Stick to the 50-40-10 ratio and avoid ingredients that could harm your pet. Chocolate is known to be toxic to dogs. Less well know as harmful ingredients are grapes and raisins, mushrooms, avocados, and garlic and onions. Don't add salt to make things tastier, that's not good either. Make your goal one of producing a meal your dog will love but at the same time is safe.
Many people consider a vegetarian diet to be the most healthy. That may or may not be true for humans but dogs are carnivores and in their wild state would subsist mainly on a diet of meat. Your dog is apt to grow tired of it's meals if meat is a low percentage ingredient or absent altogether.
If you don't have time to cook, there are still options for healthy dog food. Many health food stores and even some mainstream pet stores now offer organic prepared food for your dog. There's also a wide selection of holistic and organic food available online.
As you can see, there are many options when it comes to providing a healthy diet for your best friend, from checking the label of commercial food to developing your own delicious recipes to going organic. Your dog's health starts with his diet so it's worth the extra effort to make sure he's in top form and will be able to give you many years of love and companionship.
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