Kinds of Dog Food

The kind of food you feed your pet is going to play a very important role in the quality of life the animal leads. Apart from the fact that the kind of nutrition generates the energy the animal is going to require over the course of the day, it also plays a significant role in the aesthetics of the animal where the gloss and sheen of the coat are very dependant on the nutrient and vitamin intake from the animals diet. As wit almost all health related questions about your dog, asking your vet to recommend a good dog food quality can help you narrow down the best options available in your local market. Moreover, the fact that your veterinarian will also have first hand information about how beneficial different types of food act on different types and breeds of dog will help considerably.

However, it is also important to keep in mind the fact that most vet recommended dog food also contains a number of substances that can be harmful to your canine pet. A homemade dog diet is probably the best option as, considering the fact that you are preparing it yourself, there is little or no chance of any synthetic based proteins and preservatives being added to the animal’s diet. The best proportions to maintain when making a natural dog food would be to maintain about 40% of meat, as this will provide the animal with the required amount of protein; while the vegetable content should be at about 30% and the remaining 30% should be of starch.

For a more appetizing version of homemade dog food, you can try creating a mixture of ground turkey, carrot and rice or even create a meal of ground beef, brown rice and carrots along with some brewer’s yeast. When deciding to feed your pet primarily homemade dog food, it is important to know what types of foods and ingredients should be strictly avoided. Xyltiol is an artificial sweetener that is often used in the production of chewing gum and, when ingested by a canine turns into a very toxic substance within the animals stomach, causing death almost instantaneously. Even a small amount of the substance can have very tragic outcomes. Chocolate is another substance that should be kept away from canines because of the fact that it turns into a poison in the animal’s stomach. Also be careful of mushrooms, mustard seeds and raisins.