The Dog Spot

Natural Dog Food Article

Thumbnail example

This is a selection made from among articles on Natural Dog Food. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.

Types of Dog Food

from: Kyle Besser

Your dog's health and well being are important to you. To help keep your dog healthy, he needs plenty of fresh water and good quality dog food in the right amounts to meet his energy requirements. It's easy to overlook the importance of dog food, but it is essential to pick the right dog food for your dog's needs.

The first challenge in choosing the right dog food for your dog's needs is picking dog food products that have overall quality. The term that comes up a lot about dog food is "human grade." Human grade implies that the dog food is good enough for people to eat. Many commercial dog foods are made from ingredients unusable or less desirable for human consumption. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans.

Major dog food manufacturers try to provide balanced proportions of vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit to your dog. Although you may see that many brands of dog food have almost identical labels, reputable dog food manufacturers will provide an explanation for each supplement and how it benefits your dog.

Studies have shown that the primary ingredient in dog food should be meat based protein, not corn meal, flour or corn gluten meal, which are often substituted for meat based protein because they are cheaper. According to dog-food-reviews, a better quality dog food results in a healthier coat, fewer digestive problems, firmer stools and overall general health.

Dog food nutrition experts agree that the best dog food is made from human grade ingredients like meat, whole grains and vegetables. Premium dog food is important because good nutrition is essential for a long, healthy life. Try not to use cheap dog food and store brand dog food that may short change your dog of much needed dog food nutrition.

There are many varieties of dog food products to choose from. The three most popular types of dog foods are dry dog food, semi-moist dog food and canned dog food products. Not all dog food brands contain high quality and natural ingredients, so always check the label. Always read the label to see what proteins, vitamins and minerals are being provided for your dog.

Also check the color of your dog food. Usually dog food products made from natural ingredients will have soft earth tones and contain no preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.

It is a good idea to seek advice from your veterinarian before deciding on which dog food to feed your dog or puppy. Your vet will know your dog's dietary needs, and most veterinary offices carry excellent and natural dog food.

Raw Dog Food

Raw dog food is becoming more popular. More and more veterinarians recommend feeding your dog raw dog food because they feel this is the healthiest food for dogs. A raw dog food diet costs more than traditional dog food, but advocates argue it is worth it.

Natural Dog Food

Many natural dog foods contain only fresh, natural and wholesome dog food ingredients. Natural dog food has 100% nutritional value, which is important for healthy strong dogs. The protein ingredients and the carbohydrates in the natural dog food are more easily digestible. Chicken, egg and fish are examples of protein that is provided in natural dog food. There are also dog food ingredients in natural dog food that really aid the health of your dog's skin and coat. One of the main drawbacks of natural dog food is that it has a shorter shelf life.

Dried Dog Food

A vast majority of dog owners feed their dogs dry dog food because of its convenience and ease of storage. A high quality dry dog food will work out to be more economical than the cheaper generic brands even though high quality dry dog foods cost more per pound. The cheaper dry dog foods are made from soybean, corn or rice. Many premium dry dog foods are made with all natural, human grade ingredients.

Vegetarian Dog Food

There are vegetarian dog foods marketed to owners who do not want their dogs to consume meat products. Most vegetarian dog foods use soy as a protein source.