Your Dog and His Diet

By Catherine V. Testaratti

As pet owners, our primary responsibility to make sure we are doing our part to keep our pets healthy. Sometimes that is not such an easy task. Diet is a main source of their health but with so many different types of food available, how do we know what's best for our pet?

With our pets now being part of our family, we are more concerned about getting their needs met. With diet being a major factor in that, we will share some good facts to know. Of course, some dogs might require special diets so check with your vet for their opinion.

Something that we don't think about is that dog food for dogs have certain requirements. Being the carnivores that they are, we forget that they also need vegetables and grasses as part of their diet. Get familiar with what your dog's dietary needs are to make sure that they are being fed a healthy diet.

Back in the days before us humans got involved with prepackaged dog food, a dog's diet left up to their own devices would consist of something a lot different. They would be eating their own catch of prey, uncooked of course with a little grass and some seasonal fruits and berries. Today we scream and holler if they even remotely look like they are heading out for the kill.

Within society today, it is intolerable for dogs to hunt for their fresh prey to eat. We have domesticated them to a point where they are dependent on their owners for their food. We certainly do not see our sweet little dogs as the hunter's they were originally born to be.

The origin of the dog's breed as well as the lifestyle of the dog can determine the diet necessary. Lap dogs of course are not going to have the same requirements as a hard working police dog or say a dog from the Artic Circle. Make sure if you are not certain about the needs of your dog concerning it's diet that you check with your vet or the internet.

We are finding that many commercial premium brand foods are full of many of the proper nutrients required for a dog's healthy diet. The manufacturer does regular feeding trails on these foods and monitors the dogs used for the testing throughout their life span. Just make sure that you choose the more popular well-known brands of commercial food.

Some of the downsides to commercial processed foods are that they do contain preservatives that will break down some of the nutritional value of the food. Additives are usually added to meet certain nutritional requirements as well. If you are uncertain about the food, your vet will usually carry good premium brands so check with them.

One important fact to remember is that your dogs diet needs to be supplemented with vegetables and meats. In addition to diet, dogs need exercise as well as socialization. Our dogs are truly an addition to our family and they should be treated as such. - 31975

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