Posts Tagged ‘Wolf Dogs’
Since the first time one of our pre-historic ancestors tossed a scrap of meat at a wolf, dogs have been living off the leftovers from their master’s table. While this is a common practice in many parts of the world, it isn’t the best nutrition for the dog. As with humans, dogs also require a well-balanced meal, be that in the form of fresh foods or packaged, store-bought food. Either way, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what constitutes a healthy diet for your dog.
Water is probably the most vital yet often overlooked part of a dog’s diet. A bowl of clean water should be available to a dog at all times, so that it can drink whenever it gets thirsty. If you’ve been feeding your dog foods that are unusually salty, keep a close eye on their water bowl, as your pet will want more water (and need to pee afterwards) once they’re done with the salty food.
Meat provides many things for the naturally-carnivorous dog (though, ideally, only about half their diet consists of meat), including proteins and fats. Though cooking is good for all meats fed to a dog, only pork and rabbit really need to be cooked. Processed and heavily spiced or salted meats, such as beef jerky, salami, or pork rinds, aren’t as easy on a dog’s digestive system as they are on a human’s digestive system.
Dogs will also gladly eat eggs and fish, though a few words must be said about both first. Fish should be thoroughly deboned, lest a stray fish rib pierce a dog’s windpipe, and it should always be cooked. Dogs love eggs, and they don’t know the difference between brown eggs and blood spots and ordinary eggs, so you can save some money by buying cheaper eggs.
Grains are another good food for a dog, especially since grains offer all the carbohydrates they might need. Breads, rice, and cereals are all good grains, though all grains should be cooked before you feed them to a dog. However, as important as grains are, they shouldn’t be more than half of a dog’s diet.
Vegetables are a perfectly fine addition to a dog’s diet, though foods like peas and beans should be avoided. Carrots, lettuce, celery, potatoes, and potato skins are fine for a dog to eat. Cooking vegetables is purely optional, though the less time spent cooking the better for your dog, at least in terms of nutrition.
Cheese and dairy products are another good bet, as they provide a healthy amount of proteins and a larger dose of calcium for older dogs. However, not all dogs will appreciate cheese, so know if your dog in particular enjoys it. Dogs can also consume cow’s milk in their diet, though newborn pups shouldn’t drink cows milk. Further, too much milk in a dog’s diet (save for newborn pups), will leave them with a case of diarrhea.
Dogs can become fat and out of shape or undernourished just like their owners. When deciding how much food to give your dog, the general formula is an ounce of food for every pound of the dog’s weight. Another factor to take into consideration would be how active your dog is. If he’s working herding cattle or sheep all day, as opposed to lounging around a penthouse apartment with not much to do, you will have to adjust the amounts of food appropriately.
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Jeff Clare runs Dog Training News where you can read many more articles on dog training schools. For more general advice on dog food go to Dogs And Dog News.
It used to be simple to feed your dog. You would buy some kind of dry dog chow and throw in some table scraps. As veterinary science became more advanced, veterinarians began to study nutrition. They realized that, just as for people, diet has a big impact on overall health. It became clear that grain based, processed dog food was not adequate to support a dogs health. There are now many high quality, meat based dog foods available with no artificial colors or fillers.
Now, another type of diet is becoming more popular. It is the BARF diet. This refers to bones and raw foods, or biologically appropriate raw food. The person behind this trend is Dr. Ian Billinghurst. Proponents of the BARF diet believe that, as dogs are descendants of the wolf, dogs will benefit from eating the way wolves eat in the wild. They believe that wild animals thrive because they do not eat processed food.
The BARF diet consists of 60% raw, meaty bones, 25% meat from organs, such as kidney, liver, tripe and brains. They also include fish and chicken carcasses. 15% of the diet is made up of vegetables and grains. In order to make sure the dogs get all the nutrients they need, proponents of the BARF diet supplement this raw food with oils, such as cod liver and flax seed oil, as well as vitamins, kelp powder and yogurt. I do not quite understand why, if this diet is so superior to high quality, commercial dog foods, there should be a need to add supplements. I doubt the healthy wolves in the wild supplement their diet.
Pet owners and breeders, and even veterinarians that feed their dogs BARF, claim the diet is what dogs were designed to eat, long before they became domesticated. Feeding this diet is believed to improve digestion, stop chronic diarrhea, improve coat and skin and strengthen the immune system. This feeding plan is a lot of work and is also expensive, which makes it impractical for many of us.
It should be noted that there are no scientific studies that show the BARF diet is better for dogs. There is always a chance of the dog getting sick from bacteria, like E. Coli and salmonella. Another problem is the risk of a shard of bone perforating the intestine. This can be fatal.
Fortunately, their are now many dog food brands that provide quality, meat based foods that include the vegetables, grains and all the other nutrients required for a healthy dog. If you choose one of these commercially prepared dog foods, that contain no artificial colors or fillers, and add a human grade, all natural pet vitamin, your dog will enjoy all the benefits of the BARF diet with less work, expense, and risk.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_M_Sabol
It used to be simple to feed your dog. You would buy some kind of dry dog chow and throw in some table scraps. As veterinary science became more advanced, veterinarians began to study nutrition. They realized that, just as for people, diet has a big impact on overall health. It became clear that grain based, processed dog food was not adequate to support a dogs health. There are now many high quality, meat based dog foods available with no artificial colors or fillers.
Now, another type of diet is becoming more popular. It is the BARF diet. This refers to bones and raw foods, or biologically appropriate raw food. The person behind this trend is Dr. Ian Billinghurst. Proponents of the BARF diet believe that, as dogs are descendants of the wolf, dogs will benefit from eating the way wolves eat in the wild. They believe that wild animals thrive because they do not eat processed food.
The BARF diet consists of 60% raw, meaty bones, 25% meat from organs, such as kidney, liver, tripe and brains. They also include fish and chicken carcasses. 15% of the diet is made up of vegetables and grains. In order to make sure the dogs get all the nutrients they need, proponents of the BARF diet supplement this raw food with oils, such as cod liver and flax seed oil, as well as vitamins, kelp powder and yogurt. I do not quite understand why, if this diet is so superior to high quality, commercial dog foods, there should be a need to add supplements. I doubt the healthy wolves in the wild supplement their diet.
Pet owners and breeders, and even veterinarians that feed their dogs BARF, claim the diet is what dogs were designed to eat, long before they became domesticated. Feeding this diet is believed to improve digestion, stop chronic diarrhea, improve coat and skin and strengthen the immune system. This feeding plan is a lot of work and is also expensive, which makes it impractical for many of us.
It should be noted that there are no scientific studies that show the BARF diet is better for dogs. There is always a chance of the dog getting sick from bacteria, like E. Coli and salmonella. Another problem is the risk of a shard of bone perforating the intestine. This can be fatal.
Fortunately, their are now many dog food brands that provide quality, meat based foods that include the vegetables, grains and all the other nutrients required for a healthy dog. If you choose one of these commercially prepared dog foods, that contain no artificial colors or fillers, and add a human grade, all natural pet vitamin, your dog will enjoy all the benefits of the BARF diet with less work, expense, and risk.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_M_Sabol
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Joseph M. Sabol is a world class Doberman breeder. Please go to petvitamins4u.com or to theroadhousedobes.com for further information.