In the last few years Americans have been cracking down on healthy eating habits, losing weight, and going organic. Now that we’re getting ourselves straightened out, it’s time to look at what our dogs are eating, and try to make their lives as best as possible. I know I want to live as long as possible, and though I’m sure my dog doesn’t sit there and contemplate life in her free time, I’m sure she enjoys her days and would like to continue sniffing strange things and running around as long as she can.
So how do you know what’s healthiest to feed your dog? Well, that’s both easy and difficult to answer and many people (and vets) will tell you different things. To put it simply, dog foods with fillers are bad. Fillers are ingredients in your dog food like corn and preservatives that have no right being in your dog’s diet. It’s similar to when we go to the store to buy cranberry juice. We have the choice of cranberry cocktail (filled with sugars and preservatives) or the real thing that’s made of real juice.
“Mel”, a member of Yahoo Answers, says, “I feed my puppy Canidae. I know that it is expensive, but I would rather feed my puppy an all natural dog food than a food with fillers.”
That was the easy part. Now it gets more difficult. Once you’ve figured out which foods are more natural and healthier for your dog, you have to figure out how much time and money you’re willing to spend. High-end natural and organic dog foods might be the way to go if you have the cash but less time, or you might end up deciding to go with freshly prepared meats and veggies that you cook yourself. The debate here is that some vets will tell you to stay with a high-end kibble because it’s more balanced to your dog’s needs, and others will tell you it’s best to cook for them so you know exactly what they’re eating to avoid preservatives and other filler ingredients.
Yahoo Anwers user, “Goldenly Addicted” says, “I've always believed home-cooked is the best but there are so many people who are saying kibbles are bad & there are also [some] who say home-cooked is bad. So, I give them both. My dogs get the best of both worlds.”
If you’re preparing your dog’s food, you need to make sure it’s a balanced meal for your dog, and not just one food group. If you want to learn how to make a balanced meal, take a look at some of these food articles that Doctors Foster and Smith have to offer - http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=2+1659. Also, avoid table scraps. Greasy bacon is NOT good for your dog, just as it’s not really good for you.
“Home made is more than just throwing a few ingredients together. It needs to be nutritionally complete if you go that route,” says Yahoo Answer’s “Walking Lady.”
And pleeeeease, as much as you see those precious (I think hideous) little dogs on TV commercials eating their canned food, DO NOT feed your dog canned food. You will rot their teeth out of their mouth, along with flooding their tiny bodies with more preservatives than Vladimir Lenin’s dead carcass.
Try recipes from Dr. Pitcairn's book "Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" or “The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious and Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love” by Jonna Anne, Mary Straus, and Shawn Messonnier. There are tons of books out there if you check some out at your local pet or book store.
I wish I could add some recipes of my own, being the dog lover that I am, but I’m also a vegetarian who can’t stand the sight of raw meet, let alone the touch of it. As much as I’d like to feed my dog cooked meals, I’d have to hire someone to prepare it for her, which I’m pretty sure my wallet will not allow. As of now, I’ll admit, my miniscule paychecks can only pay for Eukanuba, which may be top of the line at any ordinary pet store, but really isn’t high-end when it comes to the many other expensive premium dog foods you can hunt down.
If you’re interested, here’s a list of high-end natural dog foods:
Solid Gold
Merrick
Blue
Taste of the Wild
Blue Diamond
Innova
EVO
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