Dog Nutrition: What To Feed Your Dog
Dogs are a man's best friend. They have been by our side for centuries and continue to be one of the most popular pets in the world. One of the most important things you can do as a dog owner is making sure they are fed properly.
What Vitamins And Minerals Should Your Dog Get Daily?
Dogs require over forty nutrients every day to maintain good health. These including protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins (A, B, C, D, E, and K), minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium, sodium, chloride, potassium, iodide, and fluoride) and water. All of this yummy goodness your dog must get through their diet alone without supplementation via injection or tablets as humans need.
What Are The Risks If Your Dog Doesn't Get Them?
Under-supplementing these nutrients can lead to several health problems, including hair loss and dull coats, weakened bones and teeth, poor immune systems, seizures, and death.
Chubby Problems
However, too much is never healthy either. Obesity has been on the rise in recent years as more and more dogs are becoming obese. To avoid obesity, people often try to simply cut back on calories which is also a bad idea for your beloved pooches. Foods with high levels of fat can lead your furry friend down an unhealthy path that will result in weight gain over time. Not something you want if you're trying to keep their waistline trim or prevent hip dysplasia from becoming an issue.
Safe To Give
So what should you feed your canine companion? Here is a list of the most common foods recommended:
Grains: brown rice, white rice, oatmeal, barley (hulled), barley flour, oat bran, wheat bran, whole-wheat flour, maize meal; a mix of grains/cereals like bread crumbs and cornmeal.
Beef liver; chicken breast; turkey meat; chicken necks; chicken backs and turkey backs and quail egg (raw); lamb heart or giblets of any kind will be a safe choice because it is high in protein. Calf liver also has tons of vitamins too. But take note that some dogs may not react well to this ingredient, so try giving them half at first until you see how they respond to it.
What Not To Feed Your Pooch
Alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate are all big no-nos! Raw garlic can also be dangerous so avoid it at all costs. Grapes and raisins should never enter a dogs' diet as they have been known to cause kidney failure in some cases. The same goes for onions, macadamia nuts & avocados, which contain the toxin persin that has been found to cause heart problems. Finally, it's best to limit your dog's access to high-fat foods such as fried foods, bacon & fatty dairy products.
The list goes on, but you get the picture. There are a wide variety of dog food brands out there, so take your time and read labels to make sure you're picking the best one. Of course, you can still spoil your pup by giving them dog treats. Just make sure that you also read the info on the label.