Home Made Dog Diet

Healthy Food - Happy Dog

There's no shortage of information and advice on feeding your dog a healthy diet. Just look at the ads and the descriptions on pet food cans and packages or listen to your vet, friends, family, or other dog owners. Why not go back to the basics and cook up a healthy and tasty meal for your best friend?

When buying dog food you want a product that breaks down to a ratio of 40% meat, 50% vegetables, and 10% grain, or something close to that. The meat component should be listed first and is commonly chicken, beef, or lamb. If you buy a cheaper product that doesn't have these ratios or ingredients you're not doing your pet any favor. Go after the best quality you can afford and you'll have a happier companion as a result.

Preservatives in food are a good thing, usually necessary but it's a good idea to see what preservatives are being used and then find out from a an expert source (usually your vet) if the preservative is known to have any undesirable properties. Some commonly used preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are considered by some to be toxic, at least in large amounts. If you prepare your pet's meals at home the use of preservatives of this type is no longer an issue.

The Internet is a good source for dog food recipes but you'll find both good and not-so-good recipes. If you follow the 50-40-10 ratio described above you should be OK. Make sure the meat is cooked well and free of bones. The best choice for grain is usually considered to be brown rice or cooked oatmeal.

Once you know the basic ratios, you can experiment until you find a combination of ingredients that your dog will love. Remember not to salt the food, and that some ingredients - chocolate, garlic, onions, avocados, grapes, raisins and mushrooms - are actually dangerous for your pet and should never be used. Make certain that your healthy dog food is also safe!

What's good for humans isn't necessarily best for dogs. A vegetarian diet is generally considered to be a healthy one but a dog, being a carnivore, is used to meat in it's diet and is apt to become bored with food containing no meat or a portion significantly less than the 50% ratio.

If you don't want to spend time cooking for your dog you might check with your local health food store or look to the Internet and you'll find a variety of organic dog foods available which may well fit your needs.

Your dog's health is primarily determined by it's diet so make an effort to insure that diet is a proper one. There are many options ranging from checking labels to ensure a proper mix of good ingredients to preparing your own or looking to your vet or health food store. This extra effort on your part will pay big dividends to both you and your best friend.

Click Here For Detailed Information

To find out more about dog food facts please visit ThePoochPlace.com and learn the secrets about dog food nutrition.