Posts Tagged ‘Vitamin C’
Recently we looked at some of the physical differences between dogs vs humans and the effect on nutritional requirements. The number of teeth, the ability of the dogs jaw to only work up and down and perhaps most importantly the short digestive system of the dog when compared to humans. As a result we concluded that a dog needed to be fed a healthy natural dog food. Taking this one step further we might go so far as to say that they should also be fed a human grade dog food. While this may seem extreme so many health issues that manifest themselves in dogs are a direct result of poor nutrition.
Certain additives that we take for granted, can create liver and kidney damage. Liver and kidney diseases are amongst the leading causes of illness in dogs. For example, our water contains fluoride. Dogs definitely do not need flouride in their water as they do not get cavities. Although generally considered safe for humans 10 European countries have banned flourination of water. In dogs, fluoride alters serum calcium/phosphorous balance and can damage bones and kidneys. Because of the high amount of flourinated water in canned food, dogs should definitely drink filtered water and avoid canned dog food whenever possible. These contain high levels of concentrated fluoride.
Are you aware that dogs actually produce their own Vitamin C? Dogs use trace minerals in the liver to produce their own supply of this vitamin. Humans cannot do this. Supplementing Vitamin C for dogs can create pH imbalances in the kidney. Adding Vit C can also damage the liver. Many manufacturers use vitamin C because it is a cheap preservative that prevents discoloration, not because it benefits the dog.
There are many differences between dogs and humans and we can take a look at them in later articles, dog’s sense of smell, sight and hearing is all dramatically different and bears looking into. What you may not realize is that a dog not only can see motion better than humans but they have a third eyelid as well? It helps to remove debris from the eye and protect it as well. Dogs have flatter lenses and larger pupils so you see that when you delve a little deeper into your four-legged friends physiology that you need to learn more about how dogs are built in order to understand the “why” of what they might need.
Despite highlighting the nutrional and digestive aspects of your dog’s needs we also need to know as much as we can about our dog’s physiology in order to insure they will be around and healthy for as long as possible. I hope you have enjoyed this comparison and that it helps you make informed decisions about how and what to feed your best friend. We all need whole, natural, unprocessed food. You can see that dogs need high quality, human grade dog food for healthy absorption and digestion.
Amongst other things we will be covering how to read labels in future articles.
Dr. Janice Elenbaas
Always remember, Health comes from the inside out!
Recently we looked at some of the physical differences between dogs vs humans and the effect on nutritional requirements. The number of teeth, the ability of the dogs jaw to only work up and down and perhaps most importantly the short digestive system of the dog when compared to humans. As a result we concluded that a dog needed to be fed a healthy natural dog food. Taking this one step further we might go so far as to say that they should also be fed a human grade dog food. While this may seem extreme so many health issues that manifest themselves in dogs are a direct result of poor nutrition.
Certain additives that we take for granted, can create liver and kidney damage. Liver and kidney diseases are amongst the leading causes of illness in dogs. For example, our water contains fluoride. Dogs definitely do not need flouride in their water as they do not get cavities. Although generally considered safe for humans 10 European countries have banned flourination of water. In dogs, fluoride alters serum calcium/phosphorous balance and can damage bones and kidneys. Because of the high amount of flourinated water in canned food, dogs should definitely drink filtered water and avoid canned dog food whenever possible. These contain high levels of concentrated fluoride.
Are you aware that dogs actually produce their own Vitamin C? Dogs use trace minerals in the liver to produce their own supply of this vitamin. Humans cannot do this. Supplementing Vitamin C for dogs can create pH imbalances in the kidney. Adding Vit C can also damage the liver. Many manufacturers use vitamin C because it is a cheap preservative that prevents discoloration, not because it benefits the dog.
There are many differences between dogs and humans and we can take a look at them in later articles, dog’s sense of smell, sight and hearing is all dramatically different and bears looking into. What you may not realize is that a dog not only can see motion better than humans but they have a third eyelid as well? It helps to remove debris from the eye and protect it as well. Dogs have flatter lenses and larger pupils so you see that when you delve a little deeper into your four-legged friends physiology that you need to learn more about how dogs are built in order to understand the “why” of what they might need.
Despite highlighting the nutrional and digestive aspects of your dog’s needs we also need to know as much as we can about our dog’s physiology in order to insure they will be around and healthy for as long as possible. I hope you have enjoyed this comparison and that it helps you make informed decisions about how and what to feed your best friend. We all need whole, natural, unprocessed food. You can see that dogs need high quality, human grade dog food for healthy absorption and digestion.
Amongst other things we will be covering how to read labels in future articles.
Dr. Janice Elenbaas
Always remember, Health comes from the inside out!
Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com
Dr. Janice Elenbaas has had a long and successful career as a Doctor of Chiropractic. She was the first woman in Canada certified to adjust animals and was instrumental in bringing animal adjusting to Canada. As founder of Lucky Dog Cuisine she continues her passion for animals by advocating human grade food for all dogs. Follow her FREE INFOSERIES Toxic Soup ‘ Truth about Commercial Dog Food here => www.luckydogcuisine.com
Just a few years ago, feeding your dog was so much simpler compared to today’s nutritional advice. I remember when my parent’s dog ate whatever the whole family would eat, including dessert! In addition to table scraps, he also ate commercial dog food. That dog had a happy life and lived well into his mid-teens without contracting any serious illness or disease.
Picking a commercial dog food was also easy back then. There were only a handful of brands to choose from and these pet foods all had practically the same ingredients, only varying in color and flavor.
Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from. Below is a list of some of the popular commercial foods available for your dog:
Organic Dog Food: Most dog food products found in the market today contain pesticides and other chemicals. If you want to give your dog food that is free of these chemicals, consider organic dog food. However, the term “organic” can be misleading, so read the ingredients carefully before making your purchase.
No Preservative or Natural Preservative Dog Food: Most dog foods contain preservatives in the form of artificial chemicals such as ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA. These are added for two reasons: To prevent the food from spoiling and keep the taste lasting longer. Some dog foods, however, have natural preservatives like vitamin C (often listed as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (often listed as tocopherols).
Before you buy a dog food with natural preservatives, be sure to read the ingredients first to make sure that the preservatives are actually derived from nature instead of it being artificially synthesized.
You may also buy dog foods that are free of any kind of preservatives. These products must be properly sealed in a cool, dry, bug-free place and used promptly to assure freshness.
Vegetarian Dog Food: Vegetarian dog foods allow vegetarian dog owners to exercise their dietary beliefs with their dogs. These foods contain all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your pet needs, so long as they are properly made. A vegetarian diet is also beneficial for dogs that are allergic to meat.
Raw Dog Food: Many dog owners believe that a diet of raw food is the healthiest way to feed their pet because this is the way wolves and other wild dog species ate. This belief has no scientific facts to value its accuracy. However, a diet of raw food can expose both you and your pet to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
Therapeutic Dog Food: Therapeutic dog foods, along with necessary medical care, have been the growing trend in dog food products today. It is only available through a veterinarian and is usually prescribed for cases of preventive treatment, as an after-surgery diet, or for certain health problems like food allergies.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Jane Saeman loves dogs and strives to keep other dog lovers informed. A whole world awaits other dog lovers. Find out how cute the dog in your life is at my website which is at www.PicturesOfMyDogs.com