A dog is a man’s best friend – or so it should be. We treat them as our friends, our family, and our loved ones. But are you really doing the best for your precious pet? Care of your dog includes his inside as well as his outside – exercise is wonderful, but are you providing him or her with the nutrition that he/she needs? A nutritious homemade dog food diet really is the only way to keep your dog in tip-top health, make them happy and contented, give them the optimum energy level, a glistening coat and a smile on their faces. A well-balanced diet makes a difference from top to bottom (literally!), controls obesity, tooth decay and allergenic reactions. If you start with the basics, your dog will definitely reap the benefits.
WHAT’S WRONG?
If your dog shows signs of going off their food, there is always an underlying problem – a day or so in hot weather can be a reason, but any longer than that – there’s something up! We love to see our pets tucking into meals, slurping, and slathering and leaving an empty bowl. Always consult with your veterinarian if you are worried – they do know best and there could be something wrong with Fido, so best to check it out.
Providing food for your dog is your responsibility and the diligence and respect that you should show them is important. They cannot do it for themselves – they are no longer wild and must rely on you to fill up the bowl with nutritious food according to their size and dietary requirements.
REAL FOOD NOT SCRAPS
Please do not make the mistake of not differentiating between cooking healthy homemade dog food meals for your dog, or simply feeding them scraps off the plate, because you ate it. Give them real food with ingredients that are obvious and balance them as you would human food – correct levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and a little fat – remember to vary the ingredients following our recipes – after all would you like to eat the same old dry food every day? Feed them twice a day (except puppies who need regular, smaller meals) – they look forward to it and the food is more digestible for them in separate lots.
Dog food manufacturers have a lot to say about why their food is best for dogs. There is nothing wrong with commercially produced dog food, but you can achieve the same and certainly better results with just a little effort yourself. By making delicious homemade dog food recipes with love and care, pet pooch will probably get enough vitamins and minerals from what you provide for them but remember as well that there are some great natural liquid supplements on the market that would certainly be beneficial to their health and that are completely free of any toxins. Check with your vet first the viability of your dog needing supplements.
COMMERCIAL DOG FOOD VS. HOMEMADE
There is nothing wrong with manufacturer’s dog food and it will not necessarily harm your pet – but there is nothing majorly right about it either. Ingredients in shop bought dog food are often of low quality or waste from other parts of the food chain. Having lived near a pet food manufacturer many years ago, you would have been horrified to see what fell off the back of the trucks transporting the food to the factory. You would not eat it, so why feed it to your beloved pet?
ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS AND ADDITIVES
Commercial dog food manufacturers rely on the fact that you presume ‘they know best’ and use all kinds of tricks to promote their ranges. A vast amount of ‘artificial’ additives are included in dog food to improve the color, texture and supposed taste. Words and phrases such as ‘added vitamins’ or ‘premium grade’ are often considered advertising tricks of the trade. There is no proof, but due to the longevity of dog food cans, there must be some kind of chemical additive to ensure that the contents do not go ‘off’ for months on end.
It is obviously very convenient to keep some cans of dog food in your store cupboard for emergencies or ‘when you run out’ of homemade food. When buying canned dog food, PLEASE READ THE LABELS! Any cheap dog foods, mean exactly that – made with cheap ingredients and stuffed full of what can only be determined as rubbish for your dogs. However, there are some wonderful ethical food manufacturers out there – so look for them.
Don’t let pet food manufacturers pull the wool over your eyes – check their labels and you will be checking their integrity.
