So the pet food recalls have got us all wondering – is the manufactured pet food the best route to go for feeding our furry friends? There are many factors to consider. On the one hand, finding the right manufactured food should guarantee that your dog has a nutritional, balanced diet that fits his needs. On the other hand, the use of chemical preservatives have been linked to cancer; the fact that the food sits around before it is distributed counteracts its freshness; and even though the food may be balanced, that doesn’t mean your dog will be able to absorb and digest its nutritional needs from it. Of course, making your own pet food is a process in and of itself. You have to make sure you provide a balanced diet that meets your pet’s nutritional needs on a daily basis.

For dogs, a balanced diet should have 30% protein, 18% fat, omega fatty acids, and vitamins E and C. You could use fresh chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, or cooked salmon for your protein. Carrots, green beans, and spinach offer fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while leafy greens, salmon, and flax seeds provide the essential fatty acids your dog needs. You can use cottage cheese or plain yogurt to help your dog get its fill of calcium, or brown rice and barley to supply some much needed carbohydrates. Apples (free of seeds) and blueberries can also be great sources of vitamins and antioxidants for your pooch. Be cautious of what you choose to feed your dog though, as many foods are bad for your pooch, and may cause something as little as digestive upset to cardiac arrest. Foods you should never feed your dog include: chocolate, onions, raw garlic, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, avocados, apple seeds, mushrooms, green potatoes, nutmeg, or excess salt.

Create your own pet food!

The BARF (bones and raw food) diet is somewhat controversial. Some feel that eating raw meat and bones is natural for dogs, as this is the diet they were evolved to eat. This is true, but there are still risks involved in going this route for your dog. First off, your dog has probably been on dry food for a while, which means its digestive system is not used to raw meat and this sudden change could cause digestive upset. Second, there can be some health hazards involved in serving raw meat to your dog. If you are considering feeding your dog in a more natural way, perhaps cook the meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to reduce the chance that bacteria may still be living on the meat. And if you are concerned about raw bones, do not panic. It is actually cooked bones that can cause your dog discomfort, as bones are more likely to splinter when cooked. When chicken bones are raw for example, they tend to be more flexible and easier to digest. If you choose to go the BARF diet way, do remember that your dog needs a balanced diet, so make sure he still gets his vitamins and minerals as needed.

Some may even choose to feed their cats a BARF diet, and the same sorts of concerns apply. A cat’s dietary requirements are a little bit different than a dog, and will vary a bit with age. An adult cat should be given a diet that consists of about 30 to 45 % protein and 10 to 30% fat, while providing essential vitamins and minerals. You should try and get your cat’s dietary needs from food, and you should not supplement their diet without first consulting your vet (too much of some vitamins such as A can make your cat sick). For cats, you should really consider cooking any fish you give them, and remove the bones if you can. Small bones can get stuck in a cat’s throat, but if they are cooked they are more easily digested. You can feed your cat red and white meat, fish, raw eggs (no more than once per week), cheese, milk in small quantities (lactose can upset the stomach and cause diarrhea), vegetables, and grains like wheat germ, oats, barley, and rice.

If you are considering making your own food for your pet, you should do your research to make sure you are providing a properly balanced diet. And double check with your vet to make sure you are feeding easily digestible foods to your pet. Depending on their age, physical health, and previous diet, your pet may react strongly to a change in their diet. Your vet will be an excellent resource for the particular needs of your pet, so talk to them about your dietary concerns.

Tags: cats, diet, dogs, natural pet food, organic pet food, pet food, supplements

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 7:58 pm and is filed under Food & Diet, Guides, Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.