Diet For Dogs

The dog universe is a-buzz these days about the natural diet for dogs. A lessening in overall pet health, commercial pet food recalls and huge vet bills are some of the reasons pet owners have started closely examining their pet food and the consequences it is having on their dog's well being.

Natural diets, also called the raw food diet for dogs, refer to a species appropriate diet as if your canine were living in the wild. Dogs, being carnivores, would eat meat, bones, vegetable matter and grains, with the vegetable matter and grains coming from the stomach ingredients of its prey.

But is this sort of diet the best diet for dogs? Let's take a closer look.

For many pet owners, the thought of feeding your best pal all raw food doesn't sound the least bit healthy at first. Thoughts of harmful bacteria and diseases come to mind and it seems like it would be more harmful than nutritious.

We tend to ignore the fact that we are really different species. We humans cook our food to kill bacteria and disease, so it seems reasonable to do the same for the canine members of our family.

We need to appreciate that the digestive system of humans and dogs are different. A dog's digestive system is specifically designed to eat raw foods. That's why when your dog eats a dead animal it does not get sick from it.

Another point to examine in natural diets for dogs is that your pet will eat a lot of the same fare that you would eat, but in a healthy way instead of table scraps. The greatest difference is cooking.

When you look at a raw food diet meal example, you'll see that it's actually much better than the images we get from conjuring about our pets hunting and eating in the wild.

Example:

Raw meat any raw muscle meat will work, however many pet owners use ground turkey or regular hamburger because of price and handiness.

Raw bones turkey necks, chicken necks or chicken backs.

Unprocessed vegetables and fruit Carrots, apples, green beans, kale, watercress, parsley, mustard greens, etc. Use a blender or food processor to blend and mix with meat and bones and serve

Some of the plusses of a natural diet for dogs can be helpful in deciding to try it with your pet. Many pet owners state that their dogs have better smelling breath, cleaner teeth, healthier skin and coats, and more energy. They also say that their dogs seem generally happier and healthier overall.

The bottom line is that we all like our dogs and want them to live a long and happy life. Just as with humans, that premieres with proper diet and nutrition. The best diet for dogs is one based on general dog dietary needs, and then is modified to your pet's individual needs and tastes.

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Raw diet for dogs

The raw food diet for dogs combines fruits, vegetables, and meats. Variation in the diet is key, and the same food must not be fed more frequently than four consecutive days. Always make sure meals have green and yellow foods and do not have cabbage, which leads to gas. It is also important to leave out foods such as cucumbers, which are not properly digested.

This diet should be half raw meat, no less. If owners feel discomfort at feeding dogs completely raw meats, something slightly cooked can be fed at first. However, with time, meat must not be cooked at all for the best results.

Acceptable types of meat are lamb, beef, duck, venison, and turkey. It is okay to serve the same meat again for up to four days, but not more. After this time a new meat should be given. The reasons is that giving identical meals each day can contribute to hypersensitivities developing in dogs.

Appropriate side dishes include oats. Oats are exceptionally good because they are easily digested and well absorbed. To make them put them in a pot with boiling water and cover them. They should continue cooking and softening for about twenty minutes. Alternatives to oats include noodles, brown rice, or potatoes.

Another important component of this diet are vegetables and fruits. Carrots have many vitamins, calcium, and potassium. Adding parsley will help improve thyroid and adrenal gland health, heal the urinary tract, and improve oxygen metabolism. Celery gives a completely natural sodium source that leads to proper fluidity of lymph and the blood. It is also a diuretic that improves arthritis, water retention, and urinary complications.

Spices such as garlic and paprika may be combined with food. Bananas, mangoes, apples, zucchini, alfalfa, and watercress are also good additions. Anything raw contained within this same category that dogs like to eat are great choices.

It is important to add foods of a green or yellow color to meals. This is because these foods help eliminate toxins from the body. One of the best scavengers of free radicals is watermelon.

Every week some cheese, a boiled egg, and yogurt can be put in a dogs meal. The mixture is combined in a blender along with a half cup of water and several vegetables. This is then mixed with other foods. However, do not supply this more than once a week.

Never mix raw turnips, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, or beans in with food. These create intestinal gas, which is very unpleasant. It is also important to avoid tomato, cucumbers, peppers, spinach, and onions. None of these are easily digested in a canines system.

A raw food diet for dogs requires large amounts of meat. This is combined with multiple raw vegetables, including celery and carrots. Noodles or oats may be combined with foods but gas causing vegetables like turnips or cabbage should be avoided. Also should foods like peppers and onions which cannot be readily digested by dogs.

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Food for dogs

If electing to become a dog owner, then you are assuming a very tiring, but enthralling responsibility, and truly ushering in a new era of your life. One must be prepared for a non-stop runaround experience. There is no off button on a new dog, especially a puppy. That being the case, there are also few downsides to the company a dog brings. It is a relationship you will want for a long time, and that is why you should be serving the best raw food diet for dogs possible.

That sounds sort of bizarre though. When is a dog's food raw? Isn't it just food from a can or bag?

Actually, when one says raw food they are talking specifically about dry food, which can sound confusing at first. We promise though, there is no difference in the two. It's just not wet or moist food in any way.

The raw food diet for dogs is just that then. It is putting your dog on a dry food only kind of meal system. However, why exactly should one change if they currently only provide their dog with wet food? Or what if they mix wet food and dry food? Does it really matter?

The short answer is yes. But we know how people want to be certain. After all, we are discussing man's best friend, and you never want to wrong any friend. For this reason, we present to you the slightly longer answer.

Statistically speaking, categorically speaking, and financially speaking we are going speaking now about the premier advantages, which is still one of many. The core one, however, is the kind of advantage not just you will understand, but that your bank accounts and paychecks will as well.

To be particularly basic about the issue of cost revolving around the feeding of your dog, there are essentially three methods to the madness. The first situation one can undertake is by far the most expensive of them all and that is to buy only wet cans of food. This is not only cumbersome to your wallet, but cabinet space and your trash can, in less you get excited about cleaning out the residue well enough to not attract the fruit flies. Next in line is a combination platter. It is half moist food and half dry or raw food. While that is certainly a better situation, it is certainly still a pricer situation. By cutting down on dry food, you do not cut down on the price of moist. You only improve it. What's our last scenario then? You guessed it, those heavy bulk bags catering to the raw food diet for dogs. They are not only the cheapest, but not the healthiest.

In conclusion, we will mention in passing that many a raw food diet for dogs is healthier today than it has ever been. With nutrients packed into raw food, there is no beating the one-two punch. That said, reach out to your vet and hear some recommended brands. You won't be sorry.

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Diet For Dogs

While the raw diet for dogs is becoming a more and more stylish topic among dog owners lately, it's really not anything new as many pet owners might suppose. It has gained a renewed awareness and found its way into the spotlight recently due partly to the many recalls of commercial dog food in the past year.

Alarmed for their dog's health, pet owner's have begun the search for healthy alternatives to commercial pet food and the raw diet for dogs has become the passionate topic.

The raw food diet for dogs, also called the B.A.R.F diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food), is relatively effortless and it basically mimics what your dog would normally eat if it lived in the wild: raw meat, raw meaty bones and raw vegetables.

If you are considering putting your dog on the raw food diet, here is some essential information to keep in mind:

Altering from commercial food to the raw diet for dogs, it may be best to start with just the meat and bones for the first few days until your pet gets adapted to it.

Raw meaty bones that can be eaten include beef, chicken backs, necks, wings, or turkey necks. The chicken and turkey bones are pliable enough for a dog to chew and eat and they provide and exercise for your dog's jaw and upper-body muscle. It is very important to know that the bones give your pet are raw. Cooked bones can splinter easily and these pieces can cause severe internal damage to your pet.

After your pet has becomes accustomed to the meat and bones, you can then start adding in some of the more bland vegetables like carrots. Once your dog has become adjusted to bland vegetables, the other kinds of vegetables you want to give your dog are completely up to you. However, besides understanding the basic nutritional value of vegetables, you should make yourself knowledgeable of any unwanted side effects they might cause.

For example, carrots are wonderful because of their vitamins, potassium and calcium. Watercress and mustard leaf help clean out the intestines. On the flip side, potatoes are not easily digested, large amounts of onions can cause stomach problems and broccoli and cabbage can increase the amount of your dog's gas.

Some of the advantages pet owners report as a result of putting their pet on the raw food diet for dogs include: lower veterinarian bills, nicer smelling breath, improved skin and coats and an improved immune system due to the balance of pure nutrients and fatty acids.

Is the raw diet for dogs correct for your pet? While it has its advantages, no one diet is right for every dog anymore than any one diet is appropriate for every human. You should fully examine dog diets and nutritional needs and carefully weigh your options based on your pet's individual needs.

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