7 Dog Food Ingredients that could be Hurting Your Dog!
What ingredients make for good and bad dog food?
With so many dog foods available on today’s market that are commercially prepared, it is often quite difficult as only a dog owner to tell which ones are better than others and why.
First of all, many of the big companies are paying really slick marketers and advertisers millions of dollars per year to advertise their dog food. The amount of money they are spending on marketing has no relationship to the quality of the dog food. This is unfortunate for you as some of the best advertised dog food is inferior.
There is one way for you to guess the quality of dog food however it is not fool proof. You can normally use the price of the food as an indicator as to the quality. Low priced foods are not always, but most often, the lowest quality foods on the market and likewise the more expensive are normally better quality.
When feeding your dog you want to make sure that the adult dog food you are feeding is 22-25% protein and 15-19% fat. The protein should come from a good quality source. Some dogs such as puppies, large breeds, and active breeds have different protein and fat requirements so make sure to discuss this with your vet to ensure proper feeding of your dog.
When making an informed decision, you must know which ingredients are better than others. When you look at the dog food label, the following are the kinds of ingredients that you are looking for:
- Human Grade Ingredients Chicken meal
- Turkey meal
- Fish meal
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Lamb meal
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Sunflower Oil
- Vegetables and others.
For a good dog food, the first four ingredients on the dog food label should not be grains. Instead they should consist of things like meat and proteins.
You also want to make sure it says chicken meal and not chicken as the primary ingredient. If it says chicken only, this means that the manufacturers are counting the entire chicken toward protein value. This includes all of the pieces they have probably scraped of the ground such as beaks, feathers, and feet. With chicken meal, they are only counting the cooked down version of the protein. This will ensure that your dog is getting the appropriate kind of protein and not by products.
Vitamins and fatty acids are also good ingredients in dog foods. Some examples include Vitamin E, Omega 3 and 6, etc. These are very important for a healthy looking skin and coat.
Make sure your dog food is not laden with preservatives. Some of the ingredients that you don’t want to see on your dog food label are the inferior protein’s which consists of but are not limited to variations of the following: Wheat, Corn, Chicken by-products, Soy, Gluten.
These ingredients are hard to digest and can cause health problems later on if used for a long period of time. Sugar is another ingredient that you want to stay away from.
You are always better off making your own dog food and dog treats from recipes such as those you can find at www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au, however if you are purchasing dog food you really should only purchase from a company that spends time and money field testing their products.
You can always be sure that companies such as Purina, the Iams Company (which also includes Eukanuba), Royal Canin, Nutro, Diamond, and Hill’s Science Diet are constantly testing their foods to provide the optimum quality ingredients. These companies offer different grades of food, however, from lower quality to premium quality so make sure that you always read the labels.
These are not the only companies by any means who make good quality dog food. The important thing is to read the label, do your research, ask questions of your veterinarians and pet professionals and always be informed. People who work at feed stores are usually a good resource and can help you find good quality pet food. Breeders can also be a good source for finding a quality food for your dog. Dog trainers will also often have a good knowledge of proper nutrition.
You should always follow your veterinarian’s recommendation on food as well. Many times dogs of certain ages or with certain health conditions need to be on a prescription diet. While these diets are often expensive, they do contain the proper nutrients that dogs in these categories need. Many times owners will switch to a commercial food because of cost or palatability concerns and the dog’s health will go in to a decline. Your veterinary staff know what is best for your particular dog.
While it is often confusing, proper dog nutrition is vital to the health and longevity of your dog. By knowing what consists of good quality ingredients and which ingredients to avoid, you can be assured that you will choose the proper food for your dog. As always, if you have questions, ask your veterinary staff for more information.
If you are looking for healthy nutrious but yummy gourmet dog treat recipes come and visit Justin Bryce who is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au
Tags: dog food, Dog Food Recipes, dog treat recipes, gourmet dog food, home made dog food recipesChoosing Dog Food For A Balanced And Healthy Diet Needs More Careful Thought That You Might Think
Your dog needs a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and fats to maintain good general health, a healthy skin and coat, and plenty of energy. Broad guidelines are: 20-25% protein, 20-35% fat and 40-60% carbohydrate. Like humans, they need vitamins and minerals, though unlike us their need for Vitamin C is satisfied by their ability to synthesize it for themselves. Essential vitamin B1, however, is not stored by dogs, and can be lost in food processing. It may need to be supplied as a supplement.
Just feeding your dog lean meat does not satisfy these guidelines. In nature, dogs will eat all of their prey, including fat and the contents of the gut, which as a whole provides close to this ideal balanced diet. In fact, dogs in the wild have been observed to prefer to eat the gut of their prey first. Studies have confirmed this preference in domestic dogs, by showing they generally prefer their food cooked, warm, wet and ground up rather than in raw meaty chunks. Dogs are not delicate eaters, however. As natural scavengers, they will eat almost anything when they are hungry, and will naturally gulp down large meals quickly when food is available. Their ancestors never knew when next they might get an opportunity to eat.
Commercially processed and balanced dog food is commonly fed to dogs to help meet their ideal requirements, incorporating the necessary vitamin and mineral supplements. Often these foods come in dry form for ease of storage, or in cans or sausages, and offer a simple and convenient solution that is popular with a high proportion of dog owners. The commercial pet food business is today a huge industry. Store bought commercial dog foods are not always cheap, however.
An alternative for dog owners is to mix their own balanced dog food diet. It’s tricky to get the right combination of the right foods. Human diet guidelines are not necessarily appropriate. You will have to read up on the subject to know what you are doing. To give one example of the unique dietary issues to consider, including too much dried skim milk powder could cause scouring because of its high lactose content that dogs find difficult to digest. Recipes that offer guidance are readily available should you choose to take this approach.
Dogs like to chew on large bones, but small bones and cooked bones that may splinter should be avoided. They are a common cause of death for dogs when ingested. Cooked chicken, lamb chop and fish bones are especially dangerous. Scraps from the table are always popular with dogs, and feeding your dog after you have eaten is one of the strategies you should adopt to assert your “alpha” position in the “pack.” But do watch out not just for small bones, but also for other dangers they may contain, like toothpicks.
An aspect of dog behavior is that they will learn to associate a particular food with a bad experience, such as a digestive upset, and, as a natural survival instinct, may never eat it again. This may explain the frustrating and mysterious aversions to some foods that dog owners occasionally observe.
Feeding your seemingly ravenous dog is a little more complicated than it appears to be at first glance, but rarely presents any difficulty once you are aware of the unique requirements of dogs.
Shelby Wright grew up working with sheep herding dogs on a farm, and later bred and showed gun dogs. For more helpful information see Shelby’s reviews of dog training guides and dog care. Shelby also contributes private label rights articles to PLRWrittenArticles and writes an information products review blog.
Tags: dog food, Dog Food Recipes, feeding a dog, Feeding your dog, Homemade dog foodYou Fed Your Dog What! - Why Not A Homemade Treat
You love your dog and why not, your dog provides countless hours of companionship and support. When your felling blue your dog realizes this and wants to be near. When you’re in a good mode your dog knows, and might want to play. Your dog is constantly reading your emotions and giving back to you that special need only a dog can provide.
So for all the good things your dog provides to you isn’t it time you start treating your dog to some tasty homemade treats once in a while. I cannot think of a better way to show your dog you love them by making them a homemade fresh treat or meal from your very own kitchen.
You don’t have to spend countless hours over a hot oven to achieve a tasty homemade dog treat. Many recipes only take a few minutes to make and once your done that dog of yours will be so very happy he or she will be begging for more. Making a treat for your dog can also save you money, how often have you gone to the local pet superstore and bought a bag of treats. I am sure you do remember because those treats were expensive, and probably were not very healthy.
Cooking your own treats is not only cheaper, but also healthier. You know exactly what goes into the homemade dog treat because you made it yourself with your own ingredients. I am sure you don’t have many preservatives or nasty meat flavor #9 sitting in your kitchen cabinets. No. you have wholesome ingredients that your dog will love to eat up.
Not only is a homemade treat healthier and cheaper, it can also last for a long time. Why settle for just one serving when you can just as easily make two servings and store the rest in the freezer so you will always have a treat ready.
So take some time out of you busy schedule and get to cooking, you furkids will love it and you will too. Here is a recipe to get you started. Check out more recipes by visiting the recipe section at Globalpaw.com
Home Made Dog Biscuits :
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm chicken broth
2 tablespoons molasses
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour –(1 3/4 to 2)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups cracked wheat
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon milk
1 egg — beaten
Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, 110 to 115 degrees. Stir in broth and molasses. Add 1 cup only of the all purpose flour, all the whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, cornmeal, dry milk, garlic salt and mix well. On floured board, knead in remaining flour. Roll out 1/2 at a time to 3/8″ thick. Cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet, brush tops with beaten egg and milk mixture. Repeat remaining dough. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let dry overnight.
Makes 42 to 48.
Jeff Hoffman is owner of http://www.globalpaw.com which is a dog community with very knowlegeable staff and members. Stop by a look at our extensive dog gallery, recipe section or just chat. More free recipes are available at http://www.globalpaw.com/dogtreats/
Tags: Dog Buscuits, Dog Food Recipes, Dog Treats, dogs, Homemade dog food, recipes