What is Healthy Dog Food?

Author: Darren Craddock

Believe it or not, most commercial dog food isn\'t really healthy for your dog. Most commercially made dog foods contain animal parts that were never meant to be included in food. They also contain a host of preservatives and chemicals that are there to increase the food\'s shelf life, not help your dog stay healthy. Keeping your dog fed with healthy dog food is not as hard as it sounds. Sometimes all it takes is reading the label. Sometimes, if you want to be one hundred percent sure that your dog\'s food is safe, you can make it yourself!

Make your own dog food recipe

If you are thinking of making your own dog food here are some simple steps to follow:

1. Meat is the most important ingredient. Make sure the meat is fresh - the best kind to use is meat from a meat processor or butcher. They can grind the meat up for you if you would like them to. The meat can be beef, lamb or chicken (some people also use fish).

2. Vegetables need to be added to every meal. The best vegetables to use are broccoli, yams, beets, sweet potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, cucumber and squash. Stay away from beans, spinach, chard, garlic, bell peppers, potatoes, onions, beet greens and spinach as these have been known to lead to digestive problems and red blood cell damage.

3. The best way to figure out how much food to feed your dog is to take its body weight and then multiply it by 0.4. This will give you the number of ounces your dog needs to eat every day and from there you can decide how those ounces should be served.

Natural dog food

You can feed natural ingredients to your dog in cooked or raw form. The most important thing is to make sure that they get the nutrients they need in the amounts they need.

Naturally made healthy dog food is far more convenient than commercially made dog food. While most people prefer commercially bagged or canned dog food because of its ease, the dog food you make yourself will save you time and money in the long run. The ingredients for your dogs food do not have to be expensive - they are basically the same foods that you are buying for your family. Another reason home made or natural food is better is that, in the long run, it saves you time and money on trips to the veterinarian and gives you more time with your pet (dogs who eat natural food live longer).

Homemade dog food is healthy

While it is certainly easy to run out to the store and grab a bag of the cheapest doggie kibble available, this is not what is best for the four legged member of your family. Dogs have dietary needs just like humans do and often, the commercially made dog food does not cater to these needs. By paying attention to your dogs nutrition and the ingredients of his food, you are making sure that your dog leads a long and healthy life. Isn\'t your best friend worth it?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/what-is-healthy-dog-food-346324.html

About the Author:

Tom Peters is a dog lover and owner of Birkdale Medicinals. He created a healthier dog food and herbal supplement line after losing his beloved Banjo to cancer. Keep your dog healthy with a pet mix that is an all \">http://www.dogcancerinfo.com/Dog-Cancer-Diet-Pet-Mix-s/55.htm\"> natural pet food with \">http://www.dogcancerinfo.com/Pet-Health-Products-s/1.htm\"> discount pet food all natural made at home.