Posts Tagged ‘dog diet’

All Natural Dog Food

Moses Wright | October 20th, 2009

Dog food that contains natural or organic ingredients is often marketed as all natural dog food. Having all natural ingredients does not automatically make dog food healthy for dogs. Therefore, this phrase is sometimes misleading.

Commercial dog foods typically use artificial colors, artificial flavoring, and preservatives. Several small dog food manufacturers produce natural dog food that does not contain these artificial ingredients.

If the dog food claims to be natural, does not necessarily make it healthy for dogs. For example, a dog food that consists of corn and other grains and no protein could be labeled as all natural if it only contains grains, but a diet such as this can be detrimental to the dog’s health.

Dog owners need to consider what ingredients are included in the dog food in addition to whether or not the ingredients are organic or natural. A dog diet should be largely based on protein from meat, though an all meat diet should be avoided.

A dog owner has several options for healthy, all natural dog food. A healthy dog food with quality ingredients can be a commercial dog food with organic ingredients and a good source of animal protein.

Many dog owners prefer to make all natural, homemade dog food. The homemade dog food can be healthy, cooked dog food recipes or a raw dog food diet. Making dog food is appealing to many dog owners because it gives them control over the type of ingredients and the quality of ingredients in the dog food.

Most of the dogs diet should come from protein from a natural animal source such as chicken or beef. Whether the dog owner decides to feed the dog commercial dog food or homemade dog food, the dog owner should ensure that the dog’s diet is mostly protein. Few commercial dog foods contain mostly natural protein.

Some vegetables and grains for carbohydrates are often recommended as part of the dog’s diet. A variety of foods in a dog’s diet can help ensure that the dog the proper vitamins and minerals. Meat should still remain the main ingredient of the dog’s diet.

Any dog owner who decides to feed the dog homemade dog food should make sure that they know which foods should never be put in dog food such as chocolate, onions, raisins, garlic, or avocado. Dog owners who make homemade dog food should also be mindful of the fat content of the dog food since obesity can cause physical problems for the dog. If the dog owner has concerns about the dog’s diet, the dog owner should consult the veterinarian.

We discuss about the top natural dog food recipes and how to make homemade dry dog food at our food for healthy dogs website. It is free to read and you will definitely benefit from the articles written by dog experts.

What Causes A Dog Food Recall?

Moses Wright | September 16th, 2009

Dog food safety and effectiveness is regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A new dog food that uses common dog food ingredients does not need to be approved by the FDA before being sold by the pet food manufacturer.

If a new dog food contains ingredients that have not been previously established as safe, then the dog food may need FDA approval before being sold. For example, commonly used additives and sources of meat have been accepted as safe so new dog food that uses common ingredients does not need FDA approval.

Dog food labeling is also regulated by the FDA. The FDA make sure that the label does not make any false claims about its ingredients and the functions or health benefits of the dog food. If a dog food manufacturer makes a claim on the food label that the pet food provides a health benefit for the pet, the FDA will test the validity of this claim.

The FDA may issue a dog food recall if dog food has become contaminated and poses a health risk for dogs. A voluntary dog food recall may be issued by the dog food manufacturer if the quality of the dog food has been compromised, but the dog food is not dangerous to dogs.

In recent years, one of the most common reasons for pet food recalls has been a contamination with melamine. A supply of rice pricking concentrate from China was contaminated with melamine. Some of this rice protein concentrate was used by pet food manufacturers before the contamination was detected.

A dog owner can find information on dog food recalls through the pet food section of the website for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An explanation of the regulations pertaining to dog food are also available on the website.

When I dog food recall occurs, many dog owners question the safety of commercial dog food. Dog owners could become concerned about the safety of dog food may consider switching to homemade dog food or a raw dog food diet. Some dog owners who encourage others to use a raw dog food diet may use information on dog food recalls and concerns about the nutrition of commercial dog food to support using a raw food diet for dogs.

If a dog owner has concerns about their dog food, the dog owner should discuss the concerns with the veterinarian. Just like there are healthy foods and junk food for people, some dog food is more nutritious than others. The veterinarian should be able to help the dog owner determine which dog food is healthiest for the dog and fits within the budget of the dog owner.

Do you want to know more on how to make homemade dry dog food and found out details on 10 best dog food that you can give to your precious puppies? Find out more at our healthy dog food resource site.