It is often argued that man and dog are simply statements of different species. Whilst this may be true of the species closest to humans, I would argue that could not be further from the truth for many members of our canine family. I believe that all members of the canine family share a similar culture in which to behave. If you truly behaved in the wild dog would be no different. The difference with man and dogs is that we have taken the wild dog and made it our own.
In one of my previous articles (see: Dog Food or My Dog Will Be Happy & Healthy When I Don't Need to Work - 3 Steps To Choosing The Best Food) I raised three important points about commercial pet food.
However, in this article I want to go a different route a little deeper into the problems with commercial foods and point out to you the type of foods which are probably the most suitable solution to give your pet the lifestyle which they were meant to have had.
- It is not really an either/or choice. In fact, in this article I want to highlight the positives of incorporating natural and organic dog food into your diet.
- My main point is that I do not think you can ignore the advantages of helping your dog to achieve optimal health in any way.
- Protein (and other essential nutrients) can be found in almost all foods. Just make sure that the food you buy does not contain too many fillers such as cereals, meals, vegetables and potato.
It is a little bit like pitting our children against each other when it comes to food. Those who choose to ignore the advantages of organic simply leave the poor creature to fend for itself.
When it comes to ensuring that your dog remains healthy, you need to ensure that you are meeting their nutritional requirements. This can not be achieved by providing them with the same food every time. Our pets are individuals and so inevitably we have to consider our lifestyles and those belonging to our family.
If, for example, you wish to feed your dog canned foods you consider that to be the best option. Many dogs enjoy this almost all of the time. When it comes to ticking all the boxes on the nutrition gamut you may wish to think again. This is complicated and you need to use your judgement as to whether the foods you are recommending are the best choices for your dog. Canned foods are fantastic but again, when it comes to providing your dog with the best nutrition you have to look at the complete picture.
It is essential to consider how you approach the food you are shopping for. Is it OUT or what else?
You may be surrounded by products that are quite; the balance, however, is not always the ideal. Just think about it, would you be happy eating mud as a meal?
As you can see I have toyed with the question of what makes the best dog food and we come down on the side of homemade. However, neither of us lived close enough to the equator to dictate what it should be. Just as with ourselves, growing up with the same food year after year can allow for our tastes to evolve. What came good for us may not be suitable for our dogs. At least this is something to think about before you start handing out the dog food.
If you are approaching this from a meat basis for example, you may wish to look at the research that has been done on the particular meat. If it has been shown to be or has had positive results on growth, reproduction and health it is a good idea to include it in your dog's diet.
Others recommend feeding your dog grains, after all, you would be hard pressed to find a dog that will not be fussy about the type of food they eat. However, you can be sure that they will be begging for it. You should, if necessary, crosscut with other sources of meat protein to give a little variety.
Gluts
As you are aware already, I have always avoided giving my dogs the glutamine that is added to dog food. However, there is another side effect of glutamine that is often overlooked. That would be the hair coat. The short haired dogs are particularly affected by it.
The short haired dogs are challenging. That is what makes them great dog for people with allergies. However if you choose to own one, be careful. Do not self medicate. That is not a good idea. medicated shampoos are available and they are great for getting rid of the excess oils. However, if you are going to use one, base it first on what the dog will tolerate and then see if they will let it stand.
Personally, I will avoid self medicating with my dogs.
