Nutrition for Dogs
Feeding your dog is not as simple and easy as it once was, back in the days of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. It's important to acknowledge that the same issues with unhealthful ingredients, preservatives, and other additives that malign great nutritional quality in human food can also adversely affect what your furry family member is consuming alongside you. Your local pet product retailer likely contains myriad brands and options to choose from. But how to go about making the ideal nutrition options for your dog? Hopefully, we can field to you some doggone good advice for picking great canine nutrition options for your home.
General Nutritional Needs
Firstly, it is important to recognize that dogs, just like humans, are mammals and require similar nutritional needs to a degree. Vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and -- above all! -- water are mandatory nutritional components. The primary difference between people and dogs comes from what has historically sustained their diets. Humans are omnivores, eating a variety of foods, and have developed digestive systems to accord with that diet. Canines, as ancestors of wolves, naturally locate protein and meat at the center of their diets and are carnivores. That heightened focus on protein translates into your needing to avoid dog foods with cellulose and grains as the primary ingredients. The carnivore digestive system of dogs cannot effectively process these ingredients.
Types of Protein
You might be intuiting that it's best to look for ingredients promoting high levels of protein on your dog's food label, and that those ingredients should be among the very first mentioned on the back. That's right on the money, but certain protein sources are indeed better than others. It is advised that you avoid by-products, such as organs, beaks, or feet. Those are secondhand, inferior protein fillers that are not fit for human consumption and marginally qualify for incorporation into dog food. Real beef, chicken, and lamb are your best bets when looking for great protein sources.
Stages of Life
Also extremely important to consider when picking your dog's food is the stage of life currently occupied by your companion. Senior dogs should consume mature or senior-level dog food, pups should be fed puppy specific formula. Some exceptions apply; for example, your senior dog is extremely active and therefore could use the additional caloric intake found in adult or performance level food.
The best dog foods will boast ingredients that you yourself would be not at all averse to consuming. Chicken meal or lamb meal, whole grain rice, flax seed -- these wholesome ingredients will see your dog's health prosper. Before searching out the latest antioxidants and natural extracts in a prospective dog feed, ensure that a high level of soundness and wellness is promoted in the basic and essential ingredients that appear at the start of the list.
Additional Resources
- Pets at WebMD. This is a great resource for clarifying the differences between nutrition for yourself and for your canine companion. There is also information here for feline nutrition needs.
- Dog Food Chat and Forum. Join other dog lovers and enthusiasts in a lively and thorough discussion of various dog food brands and varieties. The site also covers many dog health and training concerns.
- The Dog Food Project. This site uncovers the real deal in dog foods and the unhealthy preservatives that are frequently included in many canine nutritional options. The articles here cover every type of dog food experience.
- Nutrition for the Adult Dog. This is a well-written and thorough article, composed by veterinary professionals, on their recommendations for proper canine feeding and nutrition. It's a concise piece; easy to understand and implement.
- Working Dog Web. Come here for a trove of outstanding articles on a whole ranging of experiences in providing great nutrition for canines. Included are pieces on how to read dog food labels and also foods that you should never feed your dog.
