3 Types of Natural Dog Food

The best way of providing your pet dog healthy living is to keep him on a nutritious diet. The basis of good health is healthy food. When a dog is fed well, he has a better chance to maintain good health. Healthy dog food is the same as what nutrition experts tell us to eat; an assortment of fresh foods which are filled with critical nutrients like vitamins and minerals. This is considered to be the better type of diet your pet dogs can have which could add years to their lives.





If you wish your dog to eat the best foods, start by feeding him with some natural and newer food ingredients. Fresh foods have minimal processing. The less the processing, the healthier the food is because fewer important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are lost. A fresh food diet might include home created dog food, a raw diet or dried food. Dr. Richard Pitcairn, a veterinarian who has done extended research in natural pet care, advocates feeding pets a healthy diet of home cooked foods created to the specific needs of the animals.




Raw foods are gaining acceptance with many pet owners. These pet owners are gradually coming to know the goodness of raw foods. Raw foods are proving to work well in the treatment of conditions like long-term allergies as well as other ailments. Rather than feeding Fido a raw bone from your butcher, you can now access wholesome frozen raw foods from specialty stores. Raw foods are now made in frozen form where the dog food is freeze-dried or 'cold processed'. This process ensures the more vital components like enzymes, amino acids and probiotics stay whole.




Another source of natural dog food is the dried diet. These foods are preserved and protected through an action of drying at low temperatures, similar to the ready-made soup mixes which we buy from the store. Since the action involves minimal heat, the built-in enzymatic activity are suspended until such time as the food is rehydrated. The action of dehydration only loses about 3% to 5% of the foods' nutrients. Other food preservation processes like canning or kibble making, the nutrients lost can be in the range of sixty percent or more.




While home-cooked foods are a good healthy option for pet dogs, this may not always be possible since it is tough to keep the ideal ratio and balance between meat and vegetable components of the dog's diet. The good news is that there are pre-mixes now available that take the guessing out of creating homemade dog food. All you need to do is add some water and fresh meat to make a yummy meal for your four-legged friend. Just like we enjoy a delicious meal, it should not be any different for our furry friends. When we pay attention to the freshness of the components, the variety in what is served and the quality of food that we offer our pets, they will not only enjoy their eating experience but will remain happy and healthy, too.