Dog Nutrition - What Is Consider To Be A Healthy Dog Diet

From the days when dogs were fed scraps, or fended for themselves in the wild they've come a long way where food is concerned. These days owners feed them on anything from fresh prime steak to standard dog foods, with the addition of bones, dog chocolate drops, chunky chews and dog biscuits.

Well, they deserve it, don't they? Who wouldn't feed their friend and companion the best diet they could afford?

Over the years, however, veterinary experts have noticed that many dogs are exhibiting many more signs of degenerative illness than they ever did before. That may be down to more sophisticated diagnostic tests identifying these illnesses, but at the same time the diseases and conditions being detected just didn't occur with such frequency a few decades ago.

As a consequence, current thought is that we need to move away from mass-produced standard dog food, as it is thought that this contains additives and ingredients which do more to harm a dog rather than actively contribute to his good health and survival rate. Diseases such as renal failure, arthritis, obesity - these are all signs and symptoms of disease related directly to diet in a pet food market that many feel does not adequately meet a dog's nutritional needs.

If you want to feed your dog the healthiest diet possible, you need to consult with your vet who will talk to you about the vitamins, protein and minerals your dog needs for optimum health. Canine nutrition will be based on activity levels, breed, age, current health; dietary requirements that a can of low quality dog food just won't be able to meet, and there are healthy alternatives now available to make sure he eats properly.

Talk to your vet about Hill's Science Diet and Royal Canin - both manufacturers produce scientifically formulated pet foods that can be prescribed according to your dog's current health and to help him through any existing conditions he may currently have. Give your dog health biscuits as treats too, so you can be sure he's happy as well as well fed.

Of course, there is the option of preparing your dog's meals yourself. Many dog owners are turning to this tried and tested method of giving healthy, raw ingredients to their animals, believing that it is only right to feed them what they are genetically programmed to be able to eat. There are many sources now where you can find dog health recipes for a natural diet, and scientific evidence shows that dogs fed on entirely wholesome food do not age as quickly as those fed on high carbohydrate dog foods, and neither do they succumb to the degenerative conditions and diseases that are seen so often in surgeries today.

Next article: Dog Diet – How To Develop A Healthy Feeding Regime

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