Dog Food Secrets: Learn How To Extend Your Dog's Life With Good Nutrition

In the modern world of prepackaged, dry dog food and products, practically no-one ever thinks about what a dog really needs in their diet. They simply assume their dogs are getting whatever nutrients they have to have to stay healthy, providing them with food as they have always fed their canines.

Actually, a dog has very specific nutritional needs which are really similar to ours. If you do not fulfill them, your pet can develop digestive problems, and even become ill. If nothing else, they will hardly ever have normal, healthy bowel movements and everyone knows what that means for you.

What a Dog Requires

To begin with, think about what a pet dog really needs. Dogs do not need table scraps and they also don't need empty filler. Also, they don't actually know the difference, particularly if you never give them table scraps to start with.

Regrettably, commercial dog foods are generally short of nutrients and nutritional vitamins a dog needs, therefore if you are using standard commercial dog food, you may have to supplement it in some ways. In the wild, a dog would receive its nutrients from newly killed prey, roots, fruit and berries, grass, and bugs in a pinch.

You aren't going to get out there and get your dogs some ants to nibble on, but there are some things that can be done to supplement their diets.

Getting Your Pet Dog the Proper Nutrients

In the first place, reconsider the dry food you feed your dog. If it's a bland, store brand that has a corn base, it isn't doing the job. There are some pure, organic foods which contain less fillers and more nutrients.

If you want to go the whole foods way, look at the nutritional requirements of a dog. This means getting chicken or beef into their diet to guarantee the animal proteins they need. Organic meats are best to reduce antibiotics along with other chemical substances.

You'll additionally need to supplement foods by lowering fat consumption. If you do not have lean meat to feed them, decrease any fat from other sources. Stay away from hot dogs or cheese for example. Additionally, despite the argument that they are carnivores, dogs can gain quite a bit from fruit or vegetables.

Even so, some fruit and veggies are harmful to them. Stay with whole, fibrous foods. Apples are fine, in addition to whole grains and several grasses. In addition, fatty acids from eggs or fish are fine, although keep away from any fish that could have bones.

Daily Feeding

Your pet dog should also not be eating too much. A 50 pound dog must only eat 2-3 cups of food each day at the most, divided between 2 meals. Your dog doesn't need three or four meals a day (unless it's a big enough breed of dog or your lifestyle dictates it).

Additionally, have fixed food times for your dog. Just putting down a bowl of food and leaving it full is a very fast way to get your pet dog extremely overweight. Dogs will eat whatever you put in front of them, and they will quickly become lethargic due to it.

Yet another good tip is to make your canine work physically and mentally for their food. A walk before eating is good, as is forcing them to sit and wait for the food dish. This stimulates the instincts that tell them to hunt for that meal every day.

Feeding a dog is not like feeding a child. You don't need to ask them what they want or try to mix it up with variety. If you have ever seen how excited a dog gets for uninteresting, dry kibble, you know that they are absolutely satisfied eating anything they get.

Also, they're healthier if you adhere to a steady, well-balanced diet.