Why You Should Be Making Homemade Dog Food

Feb. 9, 2016 - PRLog -- Why Homemade Dog Food?
Nutrition is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed when considering the health of your dog. If you want your dog to live a long, active, and happy life, free from the common health problems associated with modern dog foods, then you should be feeding your dog homemade dog food every day.

Just like humans, dogs need a balanced diet that includes the proper nutrients for continuous growth and tissue repair.  A lack of these nutrients in a dog’s diet can cause stunted growth, poor healing after injury, and a shorter lifespan compared to dogs who are receiving optimum nutrition.

Nutrition in Dog Food
Proteins are one of the most important nutrients in a dog’s diet. They are necessary for all aspects of growth and development, and are very important in structural make up and the immune system.  Plus, proteins are burned as calories and can be converted to, and stored, as fat.

Although the intake of fat is generally looked upon negatively in the human diet world, it is a very important nutritional requirement in a dog’s diet. Fats are actually concentrated forms of energy.  Fat is also needed for normal kidney processes, and to help your dog  maintain a healthy coat and healthy skin. In addition to proteins and fats, carbohydrates are needed in a dog’s diet as well. Since dogs are generally active, they need a clean source of carbohydrates that can easily be used for energy.

Is Packaged Dog Food Offering The Best Nutrients?
Pet owners are being fooled into thinking that pet food companies are supplying the very best nutrients for dogs in their brand of food. The listing of the protein level on bags of dog food is not a listing of the percent of digestible protein. The digestibility in quality foods is between 70 and 80 percent.  In lesser-quality foods, the digestibility could drop to 60 percent or less. Chicken byproduct or other meat byproducts, which are what many dog foods are made with, are acceptable but not high in quality. On the other hand, meat and bone meal, which are also used in dog food, are poorer qualities of meat and therefore less digestible. If grains are listed on the ingredients label, they are not good digestible sources of protein either. They are just contributing toward the carbohydrate load.

Homemade Dog Food Is The Best Bet
By feeding your dog a healthy, homemade dog food, you are able to carefully monitor the nutrients you are giving your dog.  Plus, you can properly give them the correct portion size for their breed. In addition, you can steer your pet away from things like preservatives, additives, and artificial flavoring. Many homemade dog food recipes call for healthy foods like bananas, honey, peanut butter, vegetables, apples, and pumpkins -- plus nutritious meats such as fresh beef, chicken, turkey, and fish. While some people choose to give their dogs homemade dog food because their dogs have been diagnosed with a health condition, require a special diet, or are in competition training, others simply understand that the manufacturer’s dog food is nothing more than processed, low-quality food sprayed with fat to make it more appetizing for dogs.