Dog Nutrition
Narrated from: Dog NutritionIt seems that everyone is taking a long, hard look at their own eating habits. People are choosing to create a healthy diet for themselves in an effort to extend their life and be healthier in general. We have more choices than ever before! Even the fast food joints are making better menu options for your health. Now honestly, how much thought have you given to your dog’s food? What exactly is he or she eating and how good is it for him? If you don’t know what is in it, how can you possibly know if it is good for him? If you do not know what your dog’s body needs, how can you be sure he is getting all of the necessary ingredients for his premium health? If you want to keep him around and maintain his good health to keep veterinarian bills down, maybe it is time to take a look?
Dogs need certain things in their diet including minerals, vitamins, amino acids from protein, fatty acids and carbohydrates along with plenty of water. The amounts of these elements will depend on your dogs breed, his size and his age. Proteins play a major role in your pet’s diet and they are essential to his health. While some dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet it must provide sufficient protein and be supplemented with vitamin D.
Dietary fats from animal fat and seed oils are the best source of energy as well as assisting in cell structure and their function. These fatty acids are very important in keeping your dog’s skin and coat healthy. Deficiencies in Omega 3 fatty acids have been directly associated with an impaired learning ability and vision problems. Energy is derived from carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Dogs are derived from omnivores so they are not strictly meat eaters. They enjoy a variety of ingredients and textures. It is recommended that adult dogs consume at least ten percent of their total intake of protein while older dogs often require at least 50%. Typically a dog needs approximately 3% fiber in their daily diets. It is a requirement of dog food labels to list these percentages on their labels so you can check to see just how much your current dog food contains.
Not required but good to have is chondro-protective agents which are utilized by the dog’s body to make protective cartilage for their joints. Dog foods often contain dyes and many fillers that are used by manufacturers to make your dog feel full or to make the food look pleasing to you but they really have no place in the healthy diet. It is also important to know that dogs need vitamins in their diets but in low concentrations. A vitamin A deficiency can cause many problems with motor skills, respiratory issues, and vision problems and can even cause skin lesions. When dogs are deficient in vitamin E they can quickly show muscle and skeletal degeneration.
Insufficient thiamine levels will show itself by causing neurological problems due to brain lesions. By the same token, an excess amount of vitamin D can be very harmful, but it is essential in small doses. All of this being said you should be sure to pay attention to the nutrition information provided on the dog food you currently use. Make sure you are feeding the best possible and most complete food to your dog.
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