As you likely already know, commercially prepared dry dog food is not the best nutritional solution for your dog.
Commercial dry dog food contains many ingredients that most people cannot identify or even pronounce.
In addition to that, when you examine the list of ingredients, you will probably notice that one of the first or main ingredients is “filler”, such as corn, millet, rice… none of these are things that a dog, mainly as a meat eater, particularly needs or derives any nutrition from.
If you must purchase commercially prepared dry dog food, when you read the ingredients on the package, choose one that has a meat ingredient listed first.
Ingredients are listed in order of amount, and so it stands to reason that the first ingredient listed is the one that there is the most of within that particular food.
Foods that contain a higher content of grain products tend to cause allergies in dogs because they are not easily digested.
Types of Dog Food
Less expensive dog foods contain much more animal “by products” and fillers and far less meat than ones that are more expensive. Sometimes, soy products are used to boost the protein content within these foods, and soy is not easily digested by dogs.
Dogs are omnivores, and so it stands to reason that choosing a dog food that contains more meat than carbohydrates or fillers is a better choice.
If you find that your dog is very sensitive to commercially prepared dog food, you may decide to purchase hypoallergenic dog food or specially formulated dog food from your local veterinarian.
There is no need to resort to canned dog food. Canned dog food is prepared with grain gluten and protein gel and are generally much higher in fat. Add to that the fact that they tend to make a dog gassy and it makes for a super bad combination.
It is no wonder that many dogs develop skin irritations, rashes and allergies to the very food that they are fed when you start to investigate what exactly goes into these foods as far as additives, preservatives, fillers, and by-products.
Homemade Dog Food for Allergies
One of the best ways to ensure that your dog’s nutritional requirements are met on a daily basis is by avoiding commercially prepared dog foods and preparing home made dog food. In this way, you can be assured that there are no unnecessary additives, cancer causing preservatives, food coloring or by products, such as bones, hair, and carcasses contained in the food.
It is pretty straight forward to prepare home made dog food, you just need to shop for ingredients, as you would for your own meal preparation. If you can prepare a shopping list, purchase the required ingredients and then spend a few hours on the weekend preparing the food, you should have enough to last for up to five days if you keep your home made dog food in the fridge.
A list of some very nutritional items you can feed to your dog include poultry, meats, eggs, small quantities of organ meats, carrots, potatoes, and fiber sources including bran or rice. Always start with fresh ingredients and never over do the protein portion.
Dogs need more food than just meat and a strict diet of only protein will leave them susceptible to health issues including bone and joint problems. They require some calcium, nutrients, as well as protein and grains.
Some foods that you should never feed to your dog include grapes, onions, garlic, chocolate, raw meat, artificial sweeteners, and raisins.
All of these can be very toxic to a dog and can make them very ill.
Raw meat can contain bacteria, viruses, parasites or even salmonella.
Simple Home Made Dog Food Recipe
Recipe:
- ½ cup of 2% milk,
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley,
- 3 ounces finely chopped, liver,
- 8 ounces of meat (lamb, chicken or beef),
- 3 tablespoons of canola oil, 2 eggs (beaten)
- 2 cups of mixed and finely chopped vegetables.
Stir the ingredients together, cooking on low heat for about 20 minutes. Once fully cooked, store in a tightly sealed container in your fridge for up to 5 days.
The dog should receive about a half a cup twice daily.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of brewer’s yeast and ½ tsp of wheat germ over the top. You can also add in plain yogurt or chopped fresh cheese (1/8 cup).