Friday, January 28, 2011

Is Raw Dog Food Good For Your Pet?

Diet plays a big part in keeping your pet healthy at all times. Recently, we have seen the emergence of raw dog food because of the growing demand of pet owners to keep their dogs at optimum conditions all throughout their lifetime. This specific diet involves food that are targeted to make dogs healthier, to increase their life span, and to improve their quality of life. Unlike commercial type of dog foods, this diet is made of natural ingredients, thus there are no artificial flavors, food colorings, or pesticides. Based on studies, annoying skin problems will never happen, especially to dogs that have developed allergies in certain types of food, for the raw food dog diet are proved to contain hypoallergenic ingredients. More importantly, the raw diet for dogs is easily digestible by their stomachs.

Since it is important for dogs to receive proper nutrition, as an owner, you have to be concerned with what your pet is eating. Commercial dog foods are like fast food for pets-they do not have much nutrients in them in addition to the fact that they can take a toll on the digestive system of your pet. Natural dog food on the other hand uses high quality and fresh ingredients. They are grain free dog food, which is beneficial for digestion purposes. Dogs are carnivorous so their stomachs cannot handle grains very well. Thus, dogs can digest the food better because raw dog food have no grain contents. Raw meat in the form of beet, chicken, lamb, fish, pork, rabbit, and turkey are the usual contents of raw food for dogs. There are also shredded or ground veggies such as broccoli, carrots, peppers, peas, and spinach, as well as other foods with high starch content.

Better digestion, increased energy levels, fresher breath and cleaner teeth and gums, and healthier coats and skin are just a few of the many advantages of giving your pet raw food diet. It is easier also for pet owners to maintain the weight of their dogs for the diet is low in carbohydrates. This diet, which you can find in http://www.darwinspet.com/, will make your dog eat enjoyably. After a month, you will see great improvements in its overall health. Dogs cannot choose the food that they will eat. It is up to you, the owner, to give your pets foods that will give them the longest and healthiest life possible.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Grain-free Dog Food: Go for the Best

Dogs are excellent pets and they are very good companions to have. They are particularly useful for protection as watch dogs and guard dogs, aid like guide dogs for blind people, crime-prevention and combat like police dogs and army dogs, and pets. Feeding them requires a lot of care, and one way to feed them properly is by introducing them to grain-free dog food.

Dogs are very adorable animals and they are very good companions. They can be used for different purposes as watch dogs, guard dogs, guide dogs, police dogs, army dogs, and pet dogs. A dog owner must take good care of his pet and he should be careful with the foods that he gives it. A good way of providing the essential nutrients that a dog needs is by feeding it grain-free dog food.

The reality is that grains do not have any life-threatening effects on dogs’ health, but the digestive system of canines is not suitable for processing these kinds of substances. Grains are rich in carbohydrates, and for these compounds to be broken down, they should first be broken down by enzymes. Dogs’ saliva does not contain the sufficient enzyme for this specific task, which is why dogs find breaking down grains difficult.

Grains, when not digested, can cause gastrointestinal problems in canines. In order to digest these carbohydrate compounds, the pancreas of dogs needs to secrete high levels of enzymes. This event may cause discomfort to them, as well as intestinal inflammation and allergies. This is also one of the main reasons why dog stools are loose.

In order to address this problem in the diet of dogs, many researchers and doctors have developed “natural food” for canines. Since these animals are members of the family that includes wolves, foxes, coyotes, and jackals, their diet must be similar to these animals. In short, their food intake must be higher in proteins and vitamins, and low on starch and carbohydrates.

Nowadays, the growing trend in dog feeding has introduced raw food. Despite being packed, these raw dog food products are packed fresh and are distributed immediately to avoid spoilage. The components of these foods vary depending on the manufacturer and distributor of the products, but they are mainly made of proteins, fruits, vegetables, and are guaranteed grain-free.

Look for pet foods that are composed of pure, 100% fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. It is certified that the company’s products have absolutely no trace of grains or other additives. Their raw foods are made up of 70% human-quality meat from chicken, beef, turkey, or duck, with some ground bone, heart, and liver; 30% fresh and organic vegetables like carrots, squash, yams, zucchini, celery, romaine, and apple cider vinegar and; trace minerals like amino acids, salt, and vitamin E.

With raw dog food products, your pets will receive the best and healthiest diet that is properly suited for their carnivorous nature. And because grain-free dog food is exactly what raw dog food products are, you’re sure that there are no undesirable substances in your pet’s meals; only the essential nutrients that their canine bodies need.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Is Raw or Cooked Dog Food a Better Choice for Your Pet?

Feeding dogs raw food is a topic that has been hotly debated a great deal by its advocates and critics. The real issue that needs to be the topic of conversation is processed versus fresh food for dogs and not so much whether the food is raw or cooked.

But because of the unique qualities that characterize each of our pets, there are probably as many distinct nutritional requirements as there are dogs on the planet. With that said, I believe that pet nutrition, in order to keep your dog healthy, should be based on some common sense principles.

Principle #1: Only feed your dog ingredients that are packed with nutrients of the highest quality.

Principle #2: Your dog's meals should be prepared in accordance with a precise formula so that the nutrition it provides is balanced and complete.

Principle #3: To retain as much of the nutrient value of the food as possible so that the nutrients are readily absorbed by your dog's body, serve it food that is processed as little as possible.

Principle #4: Another way to preserve the food's nutrient value and keep it from spoiling is to feed your dog immediately after the food is prepared.

I would really like to hear an explanation from anyone who does not agree with these common sense principles.

The degree to which your dog's food is processed (Principle #3) is at the heart of the matter. The main reason why fresh food advocates like myself dislike processed dog food so much, whether it is canned or dry, is that the high temperatures required to manufacture commercial dog food destroys the nutrients in it. To rectify this problem, dog food manufacturers add synthetic vitamins to the food, artificial chemicals that a dog's body has a hard time absorbing. "Organic" or "natural" kibble to me is an oxymoron, and I have a good laugh whenever I see those words on a dog food package because all of the valuable nutrients one would expect to find in organic or natural dog food are destroyed by the processing required to create commercial kibble.

Individuals who feed their dogs only raw dog food argue that any kind of processing, including light cooking, jeopardizes the food's nutritional value. On the other hand, critics of the raw food diet would argue that dogs who eat it are more likely to consume pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella that are often found in uncooked meat. There is probably some value to each argument, but when deciding which way to go, you have to consider what you are going to give up by choosing one diet over the other.

The digestive system of a dog, according to trustworthy experts I have spoken with, is quite capable of handling the normal quantities of bacteria that may be found in uncooked meat. On the other hand, a lot of those same experts will tell you that only a small amount of damage occurs to nutrients that are the most sensitive to heat when meals are cooked lightly enough to get rid of any harmful pathogens.

Therefore, you really don't have to make a choice between the two approaches. Each pet owners has to decide on his or her own what to feed their dogs.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to feed your dog food that has been processed as little as possible. Most dogs can handle eating raw food that has been subjected to no processing whatsoever.

But there are a few dogs who need to be fed cooked food because their sensitive digestive systems simply cannot break down raw food very easily. Nor should dogs that have a high risk of getting sick from pathogens be fed raw food, and this would include dogs whose immune systems are in a weakened state or who live with people who have weak immune systems. And then you have those finicky dogs who insist on eating only cooked food. The best way to go with these dogs is to serve them food that has been lightly cooked.

Approximately two thirds of our customers whom we surveyed report that they feed their dogs raw food, while a third of them serve cooked meals to their dogs. Not only did neither group report that their dogs suffered any health complications, but they also saw significant improvements in the health of their pets compared to when they were fed dry dog food.

Working up a lather over whether you should feed your dog cooked or raw food is unnecessary. It's absolutely okay if you feel more at ease serving your dog food that you have lightly cooked. Do your best to avoid highly processed dry dog food and, instead, serve your pets fresh food, whether you cook it lightly or feed it to them raw.