How To Select Natural Dog Food

By Kim Flemming

There has been a lot of concern over different kinds of dog food. Various recalls and consumer complaints have shown that not all commercially sold dog food are good for dogs. This has led a lot of people to consider giving their pets natural dog food. There are, however, a couple of things to keep in mind when choosing natural food for your dog.

* Know Your Pet and His Food

The first thing to keep in mind is that there are different forms of natural dog food. Raw and cooked meat and vegetables are usually understood as being natural, but commercially sold natural food is also in this category. Your job is to find out which type most fits the needs of your dog.

The best way to find out is to get to know your dog personally. You have to know his nutritional requirements based on his breed and special health conditions. You can do a little research on your own. Supplement your knowledge with your veterinarian's advice.

* Prepare Food for Your Dog

Quite a few dog owners love to prepare food for their dogs by themselves. This is a very good idea, but you should know your dog really well to serve him with exactly what he needs in nutrition. Raw food is just as good as cooked ones, although many believe that cooking and heating will help kill the bacteria in the food.

You should also note that many human foods can be dangerous or even toxic to your dogs. Examples of such foods include chocolates, raisins, mushrooms and onions. You can make the list complete with your own research and observation. To play it safe, commercial brands of natural dog food are probably better choices over self-prepared natural dog food.

* Check What is On the Labels

Most of us read labels when we shop for new human food. You should do the same for your dog. Natural dog food should never contain fillers like wheat and corn. There should also be no artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, animal and plant by products and artificial preservatives. Many of these synthetic ingredients can cause gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition and behavioral changes in dogs.

* Find Proteins and Nutrients for Your Dog

Dogs are carnivorous and should be served with enough protein. Lean meat and poultry are good sources of high quality protein, and you should by all means stay away from low-grade meat by-products.

Aside from protein, natural dog food should also contain vitamins and minerals. You can get foods fortified with nutrients. You can also serve dishes with squash, beans and peas.

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