Do you love pet animals, especially dogs? Do you have a dog at home? Do you love your dog very much? Do you take extra care of its nutrition? If so, this article is for you. This article will discuss the Truth about pet food and the Best dog foods that you can give to your dogs.
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Why dog foods are unsafe for dogs? Do you know the truths of the pet food industry?
You might be shocked to know this, but modern-day dog food is quite unsafe for pet dogs. Many of the dog food brands contain the following harmful ingredients:
- Uncooked meat.
- Edible bones.
- Organs from farm animals like cows, chickens, lamb, turkeys, pigs, ducks, reindeer, and salmon.
These ingredients contain a couple of harmful bacteria, namely Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia Coli (E-Coli). Enterobacteriaceae causes indigestion and diarrhea in dogs. E-Coli causes depression, dehydration, lack of appetite, and vomiting in dogs. Use this image for E-Coli.
Does a dog food brand really matter? How to choose healthy dog food?
You might have seen street dogs surviving on scraps or just about anything and might think that dogs are hardy creatures who don’t care much about what they eat. That is true. Dogs are born to survive and are hardy creatures. They are not too picky when it comes to food.
Street dogs that live off scraps in the garbage can are not very healthy-looking, are they? They are barely able to survive off the debris that they get, and they get diseases often. You don’t want your beloved pet dog to be like that now, do you?
If you want your pet to stay wholesome and happy, you must feed it with a good dog food brand. A good dog food brand will have fruits, vegetables, and good quality grains mixed with meat from chickens, cows, turkeys, pigs, reindeer, or ducks. It will offer your dog all the nutrients it needs to grow healthily and fight off diseases.
Dog foods have become so advanced these days that they are available in separate categories like dog food for puppies and dog food for different breeds of dogs. You must give your dog, dog food, depending on its age and breed. That is the best way to make it grow healthily and happily.
Feeding your dog with inferior brands of dog foods will deprive it of essential nutrients and make it get diseases often. You don’t want that, do you?
How to make your own dog food? What is a chicken meal in dog food?
Home-made dog food is especially useful for dogs with allergies, digestive disorders, and skin problems. Homemade or ready-made dog foods should have the following nutrients that keep your dog in the best possible health:
1. Protein
Protein in dog food is usually derived from the meat present in it. The meat can be chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, fish, or duck.
Proteins present in dog foods promote the growth of cells, tissues, and organs in dogs. They also maintain healthy levels of antibodies, hormones, and enzymes in dogs.
2. Fat
The fat in dog food is from the animal oils present in it, like fish oil or pig oil, etcetera. Fat insulates dogs against cold weather conditions and promotes the growth of healthy skin cells and fur.
3. Carbs
Carbs are mostly derived from grains and vegetables in dog food. They help in keeping the intestines and brains of dogs in good shape.
4. Minerals
Minerals in dog food are usually derived from the grains and vegetables present in it. Minerals like calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, and zinc help dogs maintain sturdy bones and teeth. They also help in the smooth functioning of metabolic activities.
5. Vitamins
The vegetables and grains in dog foods supply dogs with all the vitamins they need. Vitamins like A, B, C, D, E, and K present in dog foods help dogs maintain a healthy vision and skin. They also boost dogs’ immunity.
A special type of dog food is called Cannabidiol Dog Food or CBD dog food. It also enhances the lifespan of dogs.
6. Here is the recipe to make CBD dog food
Here’s how to make your dog food.
Ingredients
- Two and a half cups of Gluten-free flour.
- Half a cup of oats.
- One cup of yellow pumpkin juice.
- One tablespoon of coconut powder.
- One grated apple.
- Half a cup of grated carrots.
- Half a cup of peanut butter.
- One scrambled egg.
- Use half a cup of Olive or Coconut oil.
- Half a cup of drinking water.
- Pinch of rock salt.
- A quarter of a cup of Cannabidiol.
Procedure:
- Mix all the components in a large bowl by hand.
- Grease a cookie tray with coconut oil.
- Make the mixture in the bowl in the form of cookies.
- Put them in the cookie tray.
- Microwave them for 10 minutes.
- Tada! Your very own CBD dog biscuits are ready to be served to your dog (only)!
What is a chicken meal in dog food?
A chicken meal in dog food is cleaned and dried chicken meat with bones. Chicken is the best meat you can include in dog food as it is packed with Vitamins, Protein, Fat, and Minerals. It helps dogs grow healthy and fight off diseases.
It also enhances their mood so that your dog remains playful and energetic all the time. So try to buy Chicken Meal dog food for your dog if you can. They’re all the rage these days.
How much food should I feed my dog? How long does it take a dog to digest food?
You might love your dog, but I’m sure that most of you aren’t animal experts or vets. In that case, you need to consult a vet and let him or her examine your dog’s health and weight.
You need to be honest with the vet and tell them how much your dog eats, what your dog eats, and how active it is. The vet will then let you know if any changes in your dog’s diet are necessary. It takes dogs an average of four hours to digest their food.
What human food can a dog eat? Can I give homemade dog food, including meat, fresh vegetables, eggs, etc. to my dog?
Foods that suit us need not necessarily suit our dogs. They have different body compositions and other nutritional needs. Some of the foods that we eat suit dogs too but some of them don’t. Given below is a list of human foods that also suit dogs to be the best dog foods.
1. Carrots
Carrots are low in calories and packed with Vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Both raw and cooked carrots are good and healthy for your dogs to eat. Dice them and give them to your dogs so that they can eat them with ease.
2. Salt
You should give salt in limited amounts to your dog. Excess salt intake can lead to health complications like vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Beyond a certain threshold, salt can even be fatal to your dogs.
3. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is nutritious, but it’s also high in fat and calories. If your dog gobbles too much peanut butter, it could put on a lot of weight, making it less active and leading to health complications. So give peanut butter in limited amounts to your dog.
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4. Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs are the ideal lunch and supper items for your dog. Cooking the eggs removes the harmful bacteria in them. Eggs are loaded with proteins, vitamins, and minerals that the dogs need to keep them healthy and fit. Eggs also cure nausea in dogs, making it one of the best dry dog food.
5. Cooked, boneless salmon
Cooked, boneless salmon is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that will keep your dog’s skin and fur healthy. You must not give raw salmon to your dog as it might contain a harmful parasite that can poison your dog.
6. Cheese
Cheese is rich in calories, protein, and fat that will help your dog in many ways but it should be given in limited amounts as consuming excess cheese will cause stomach pain and diarrhea to your dog.
Mozzarella cheese is the best type of cheese to feed to your dog as it is relatively low in fat content and does not cause as many side effects.
7. Blueberries
Blueberries are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that will boost your dog’s health in many ways. They are also low in calories so that they won’t make your dog fat.
8. Cashews
Cashews are rich in vitamins and minerals that will benefit your dog in many ways, but they are also rich in calories and fat and will make your dog obese if consumed in excess, making it one of the best dry dog food.
Consuming cashews in excess can also make your dog develop pancreatitis. So be careful about how much cashews you feed your dog daily. A dosage of more than 200 grams is not recommended.
You must not feed your dog these kinds of foods that are harmful to dogs.
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9. Grapes or raisins
Grapes and raisins contain certain compounds that are harmful to dogs. They cause kidney failure and, ultimately, death in dogs.
9. Chocolate
Chocolate contains compounds like theobromine and caffeine that cannot be digested or metabolized by dogs. Hence it causes stomach aches, indigestion, vomiting, and diarrhea. You should strictly avoid giving any type of chocolate to your dog, even milk chocolate.
10. Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts contain certain compounds that are toxic to dogs. They cause vomiting, muscle weakness, tremors, hyperthermia, pancreatitis, and depression in dogs.
11. Almonds
Almonds contain certain compounds that dogs cannot digest. Hence, it leads to vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration in dogs. Neven feed almonds to your dog. IT could be fatal in large amounts.
12. Onions
Onions contain a compound called N-propyl disulfide that is toxic to dogs. It degrades their RBCs’ capacity to transport oxygen throughout their bodies. It induces lethargy, weakness, and loss of appetite.
13. Avocados
Avocados are the most toxic food that dogs can have. It is because Avocados contain a substance called persin that is very toxic to dogs. It leads to fluid accumulation in their lungs and ultimately death due to suffocation.
14. Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain a glycoalkaloid called tomatine, which is toxic to dogs. It causes nausea, high BP, and muscle weakness.
15. Coffee and tea
Coffee and tea contain caffeine which dogs can not digest. It leads to vomiting, diarrhea, and high BP. It can also prove fatal in large amounts. So, kindly avoid giving coffee and tea to your dog.
What is the best dog food to feed your dog? According to Internet Research and Interviews.
There is no best dog food for every breed of dog. Which dog food is best suited for your dog depends on its size and breed. Kindly consult a vet before giving it any kind of dog food.
Generally speaking, a good brand of dog food will contain a mix of vegetables, fruits, grains, and meat from chicken, beef, turkey, duck, fish, or reindeer to give your dog overall nutrition. Given below are the most popular dog food brands in the US.
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Royal Canin
This brand manufactures dog food for small and medium-sized dogs. This brand of dog food is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
It will make your dog’s skin and fur grow healthy and soft. It is especially useful for the growth of your dog. Dogs find this brand to be very tasty.
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Hill’s Science Diet
This brand manufactures dog food for every size and breed of dog. It meets AAFCO nutritional standards and is considered safe and nutritious for dogs.
This brand is said to cure skin diseases and upset stomachs in dogs. Dogs find this brand too to be very tasty.
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Stella & Chewy’s
This brand manufactures only dry dog food. There is a huge debate in the community about whether dry dog foods do more harm than good to dogs in the long run.
The founders of this firm say that making your dog drink water or any other drink after consuming dry dog food will nullify the ill effects of consuming dry dog food.
This dog food brand is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins that will improve your dog’s digestion efficiency and immunity. It will also cure any allergies and inflammation that your dog may have.
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Hill’s Prescription Diet
This brand of dog food is perhaps the most unique of all. It aids in the weight loss of dogs. It contains metabolic ingredients that help in your dog’s weight loss. It also cures skin allergies in dogs.
Does the dog food differ for various breeds of dogs? Which are the best dog foods for Boxer, Pitbull & Lab Puppy breeds?
Yes, dog food differs from breed to breed and from one size to the next. You should give your dog, dog food depending on its size and breed. Dogs of the same species can be given the same diet, but the amount will vary depending on whether your dog is a puppy or a ‘teenager,’ or an adult.
A good brand of dog food will be rich in the following nutrients.
- Fats
- Proteins
- Carbs
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
To make your dog grow healthily and be free of diseases. Find out What is the best dog food for various breeds of dogs below.
The best dog food for adult Boxers
The best dog food for adult boxer dogs is Royal Canin Boxer Adult Dry Dog Food because it contains nutrients tailor-made to suit an adult boxer dog’s requirements. It also has a compound called L-carnitine that burns the excess fat in adult boxer dogs.
This way, if you own a boxer dog and give it Royal Canin Boxer Adult Dry Dog Food, it will remain healthy and playful throughout its life.
The best dog food for adult Pitbulls
The best dog food for adult Pitbulls is AvoDerm Senior Health +. This is because it is rich in essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, Omega 3 fatty acids, Omega 6 fatty acids, and antioxidants that adult pit bulldogs require.
It is very gentle on their sensitive stomachs and is easy to swallow. It is available in peas, beans, and tomato flavors. It contains the meat of lambs and salmons as a couple of its ingredients. It is also free of corn, wheat, soy, and grains to prevent allergies in adult pit bulldogs.
The best dog food for adult Labradors
The best dog food for adult labradors is Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Dry Adult Dog Food. It contains high levels of proteins, vitamins, and minerals than adult labradors require.
It is high in nutritional value and antioxidants but low on calories. It won’t make your dog fat. It comes in blueberry, cranberry, and carrot flavors.
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How Dog food Research is done? According to Scientific Research & Case Study?
Dog food research is done in four main phases. They are:
1. Metabolizable energy protocol
This study is conducted for ten days. The amount of energy present in a formulation of dog food is pre-measured, and then the dog food is fed to a particular breed of dog for ten days.
The amount of calories present in the dog’s urine and feces is measured for ten days. This is compared to the number of calories present in the original dog food. If the difference is large, most of the calories present in the actual dog food are digestible/metabolizable. Therefore, dog food is of value.
If the difference in calories is small, most of the calories present in the original dog food are not digestible or metabolizable. Therefore, dog food has to be reformulated.
2. Palatability or taste preference test
Pet owners generally prefer to buy those brands of dog food that their dogs love to eat fast. Therefore, taste is an important factor in deciding the quality of dog food. In the palatability or taste test, “special dogs” are trained to test dog foods’ taste.
They are made to eat from different bowls containing different formulations of dog food. If the taste of a formulation is not good, the dog will eat it very slowly.
If a formulation’s taste is very good, the dog will gulp it down in a few minutes. The time taken to finish each formulation is measured, and the formulation that took the shortest time to eat is declared the tastiest formulation among all. It is later emended upon to make the final dog food product for that breed of dog.
3. Digestibility test
A particular breed of dog (test dog) is made to eat a specific formulation of dog food for ten days. The nutrients present in the formulation are pre-measured. The nutrients are also measured in the dog’s urine and feces for ten days.
The difference between the number and amount of nutrients in the dog’s feces and the original formulation should be large. If that is the case, it indicates that the formulation of dog food is highly digestible and causes very little constipation. It suggests that the formulation of dog food is ready to be commercialized as it’s flawless.
Suppose the difference between the number and amount of nutrients in the dog’s feces and the original formulation is very small. In that case, it indicates that that formulation is highly indigestible and should be discarded immediately. It will only cause indigestion, diarrhea, and vomiting in pet dogs if commercialized.
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4. Bioassay study
In this experiment, improvements are made to the finalized formulation to see how and how much they improve dogs’ health (test breed dogs). If the results are satisfactory, the product is completed and commercialized.
If not, a few more improvements are tried and tested until the apt dog food formulation is obtained.
What do people think about the best dog foods? According to people’s opinion and internet research.
Take a look at these screenshots to know more about what people think on the best dog foods!
Conclusion
Treat your pet dogs as one of your family members and give them nutritious and tasty dog food. Don’t provide them with anything and everything. Different breeds of dogs have additional nutritional requirements.
Consult a vet regarding their nutritional requirements before giving them any brand of dog food. Remember, the way to a dog’s heart is through its belly. Don’t give your dog some poisonous or indigestible food and be responsible for its death or poor health.
FAQs
1. Is dry food safe for dogs?
Dry food is safe for adult dogs, not for puppies. Take your dog to the vet regularly and check up on its health. If you find that dry food is slowly deteriorating your dog’s health, gradually shift its diet entirely to wet food over three months.
Any sudden changes in your dog’s diet could lead to health complications.
2. At what times should the dog be fed?
Dogs should be fed breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at 2 PM, and dinner at 8 PM. These are absolute rules but the ideal meal timings.
3. Can wet and dry dog foods be mixed and given to dogs?
Yes, so far, this combination hasn’t produced any harmful side effects, but it’s always better to consult a vet first before trying any of your own “experiments” with dog food.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.
4. Can a dog be fed with tuna or salmon meat?
Yes, tuna and salmon are the ideal fish meat for dogs. Dogs find them to be nutritious and tasty.
5. How much food should I feed my dog?
