Dog Food Guide

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................3
Traditional diets ..........................................................................................................7
Dry Food......................................................................................................................................8
Canned food..............................................................................................................................11
Snacks and treats .....................................................................................................................13
Nontraditional diets ................................................................................................ 15
A dog’s homemade diet: The basics ....................................................................................15
Homemade diet........................................................................................................................17
Raw Diet....................................................................................................................................20
Homemade treats and snacks ...............................................................................................24
Let’s look first at some things you should never feed your dog...................................27
Nutrients your dog must get.................................................................................................29
Some general tips about feeding your dog.........................................................................30

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Introduction

As you sit at the dinner table night after night, your dog
watches. He’s thinking that piece of chicken looks mighty
good, or maybe the lamb chop is just what he’s been
dreaming about when he twitches and moans.

But you, you’re a traditionalist. You don’t believe in feeding

your dog any food from the table, at any time.

Your brother, on the other hand, is a “dog chef”, concocting

stews and rice mixes that would make any
dog happy. He puts in whatever he thinks
the dog might prefer and places it
down for the dog night after night,
proud of his ability to make
“homemade” dog food for his dog.

Who’s right? Are either one of you wrong to feed your dog the
way you do, or absolutely on the right track?

You’re both doing just fine, really. How you feed your dog is a
largely personal decision, based on how you have always
done things, your budget, your time constraints, and your own
dietary restrictions and beliefs.

But it’s never a bad idea to educate yourself about the best
kinds of foods for your dog in all categories – those that include
homemade foods and those that include commercial food.

The great dog food scare of early 2007 shone a light on current
dog feeding practices. Those people who generally buy the
cheapest dog food had to look closer at their choices, and
maybe consider their willingness to buy a higher-quality dog
food (and pay for it). Many others, meanwhile, decided to

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make their dog’s food themselves, looking for recipes and tips
for homemade versions for their dog’s favorite tastes and treats.

Let’s look at some facts.

For example, did you know that prior to the dog food recall in
2007, only about 10-20% of dog owners made their dog’s food?
After the recall, the numbers went up considerably, though
hard and fast numbers are difficult to pin down.

If people didn’t begin making their dog’s food, they turned to

specialty stores to make it for them. Since many of the dog
items that were recalled were treats, many people began
heading to dog bakeries for their dog’s treats. Some estimates
were that sales at said dog bakeries increased about 50% after
the dog food recall.

Many people, however, are content to continue feeding their

dogs commercial dog food, dry and canned. The trick, experts
say, is to know how to buy that dog food and to purchase high-
quality dog food that is less likely to be
contaminated or dangerous in any way for your
dog.

When you feed your dog, there are two critical

elements you have to consider. These apply
whether you make your dog’s food or you buy commercial
dog food.

The two elements are:

Taste

Smell

Perhaps the more important of the two is smell. Dog’s smell their
food before they consider appearance (unlike humans). No

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matter how yummy it might be, if it doesn’t smell good to your

dog he’s going to turn his nose up at it.

Once your dog gets past smell, the food has to taste good.
Unlike us, he really doesn’t care how it’s packaged, that is
whether it’s thrown into the bowl without concern for looks or
whether it’s placed on a platter with a side of parsley. It has to
be savory and, ideally, rich in some way. Those two things –
taste and smell – have to work in tandem.

So, it all comes down to this – if you buy commercial food, you
must do your research and make sure you are buying a high-
quality food that will keep your dog healthy and happy for
years to come. If you decide to make your dog’s food, you
must know some basics of what to include, what to exclude
and how to make it all yummy to your dog in the process.

That’s what we’ll examine in this book.

Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll find in this book:

Chapter 1 – Introduction. You are reading this right now.

Chapter 2 – Traditional diets. In this chapter, we’ll look at the

wide array of what we will call a traditional dog food diet. That
is, we’ll examine canned foods, dry foods, and store-bought
treats.

Chapter 3 – Nontraditional diets. In this chapter, we’ll look at

the choices in nontraditional diets for dogs – that is, homemade
diets, raw food diets, and gourmet homemade treats.

Chapter 4 – General feeding tips. What are some general facts

you need to know about feeding your dog? What foods should
you always avoid, and which nutrients should always be
included? We’ll examine all of those issues in this chapter.

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Keep in mind that this book is not a primer for what you should
or should not do when feeding your dog. We won’t tell you
how to feed your dog. That’s a personal decision only you can
make for yourself and your dog. What we can do is help to
educate you and give you tips and information that will help
you make the best choice for you and for your dog.

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Traditional diets

These days, there might be nothing that could truly be called a

“traditional diet” for a dog. That is, we all have such interesting
and unique ideas about how to feed our pets, there might not
be a truly traditional diet anymore.

But if you consider traditional to mean anything that is similar to

“how it’s always been done”, then we must consider the
concept of store-bought pre-packaged foods. These include
dry foods you can buy in bags, wet food usually purchased in a
can, and store-bought treats that might include jerky or small
nibbles.

If you are concerned about the safety of your dog’s food

supply, then certainly educating yourself about commercial,
store-bought food is essential, but even if you’re not, it’s
important to understand what to look for in packaged dog
food, what to avoid and how to get the best quality dog food
for your pet dollar.

Now, it’s important to say that while we say you don’t have to
pay a premium price for high-quality dog food, you do have to
be willing to pay more than a minimum. That is, truly cheap dog
food is usually full of fillers and other items that are not good for
your dog. They certainly won’t help your dog stay in optimum
health and live a long and healthy life. In fact, if you keep your
dog healthy, you can avoid many expensive veterinary bills,
which will more than pay the cost of the higher-quality food,
right?

Call it preventative medicine, but we think it’s best to feed your

dog well now, with the best quality food you can afford, than
pay very expensive veterinary bills later. We think your dog
might agree too.

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But let’s examine traditional, store-bought foods more closely.

Dry Food

When you watch a commercial for dog food, you are likely
thinking that huge chunks of beef are mixed with fresh
vegetables and other fresh ingredients to make your dog’s
food. They are all stewed together until they are perfectly
cooked but still clinging to their fresh life. The reality can be
something else altogether.

Background

The dog food industry is really dominated by just a few select

players.

Del Monte, for example, bought up Heinz and makes foods like
Gravy Train, Kibbles ‘n Bits, and Nature’s recipe. Treats like Pup-
Peroni, Snausages, and Milk Bone dog biscuits are also made
by this group of companies.

Nestle bought Purina foods and formed the Nestle Purina

Petcare Company. Company brands include Mighty Dog,
Alpo, Dog Chow, Puppy Chow, One, Beneful, and ProPlan.

Mars is owned by Masterfoods. This company’s labels include

Pedigree.

Proctor and Gamble has also entered the pet food industry,
with its purchase of the Iams Company and Colgate-Palmolive
owns Hill’s Science Diet.

Because this is an annual $15 billion industry, it’s

understandable why so many players would want a place on

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the field. But it’s also important to consider that while the dog
foods are marketed differently and with an eye toward
different needs on the part of the consumer, many of the
commercial dog food on the market is very similar in nutritional
content and quality.

If you buy a product made by the Nestle

Purina Petcare company, the products
might likely be manufactured in the same
factory using similar ingredients and prep
techniques. So if you have some objection
to a certain brand of food be sure to find out
what larger conglomerate makes the food
so you can stay away from the related brands.

But what is exactly in that food? Let’s look at that now.

Content

Most commercial dry dog foods will contain a mix of grain and
protein.

Though it’s inaccurate to say you always get what you pay for
in dog food, it is appropriate to consider that if you pay very
little for your dog food, you are likely getting very little in return
nutrition-wise.

For example, if you proudly bargain hunt your way to a 40-

pound bag of dog food for $10, you are likely not feeding your
dog the same quality diet as the dog owner who pays $30 for
that same size bag of dog food. In fact, it’s unlikely that dog
food manufacturers can provide a decent quality of protein
and grain for $10 and still make a profit. This is something to
think about.

So, what’s in the food? Let’s look first at the protein source.

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You might think that there’s good quality protein in your dog’s
food, and there might be. For healthy bones, teeth and overall
health, your dog does need a good source of protein. Many
dog foods get their protein from chicken, beef and/or lamb.

Usually the meat source will not be of the same quality that you
consume. The best sources of meat from the cattle and
chickens are provided for human consumption and the rest is
usually set aside for animal foods. These are very cheap to
acquire so these types of products (the bones, intestines, and
other product left over on the cattle, for example) are the
types of protein usually provided in that cheaper bag of dog
food and you’re not getting much of it.

If you buy high-quality dog food – and that’s generally not the
food you find sold by a mass merchandiser like Wal-Mart or
Target – your dog will likely be getting a better source of
protein, as in actual chicken meat, and beef, not by-products
like the bones and intestines.

If it is important to you that your dog get

a good amount of protein you should
consider the fact that two out of the
three main ingredients in most dog
foods are grain products. In fact, in
Purina ONE food, which is one of the
top selling dog foods, two out of the
four main ingredients are corn products,
one is wheat gluten and other chicken.

Again, if you remove yourself from the mass merchandising

world of dog food, you can find foods with a higher quality of
protein and considerably more of it.

Many commercial dry dog foods also contain a myriad of

preservatives and additives. A short list of just some of these
additives includes:

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Lubricants

Nutritive sweeteners

Drying agents

Flavoring agents

Nonnutritive sweeteners

Antimicrobial agents

Curing agents

Now, many dog owners aren’t willing to pay the price for high-
quality dog food but do supplement their dog’s food with wet
canned food, and with food from their own dinner table. This is
certainly one way to up the nutritional quotient of your dry dog
food if you don’t want to purchase the higher-quality, but also
more expensive dog food. Other dog owners choose a
homemade diet and you can learn more about that in chapter
3.

If you have considered supplementing with canned wet foods,

there some things you should know.

Canned food

Many dog owners forget to add canned, or wet, food to their

dog’s diet but a good quality wet food can add much to your
dog’s overall healthy diet.

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Wet food in the past was available only in cans, but these days
can be purchased in pouches as well. Many wet foods were
included in the 2007 dog food recall, but most veterinarians say
that the wet dog food supply is generally stable and safe.

Wet food is usually a combination of meats and meat by-

products. It will contain little or less grain products than dry
food. Sometimes wet food is coated with a gravy, which dog
food experts say is really more for the dog owner than the dog
himself. That is, dogs don’t need or care about the gravy, but
dog owners do.

When dog foods were recalled, the

problems seemed to come from wheat
gluten in the foods. In wet foods, wheat
gluten is used primarily in the gravies that
some consumers prefer.

Otherwise, what you are feeding your dog

is more protein than you might find in
regular dry foods. Most canned or wet
foods are a combination of solid meats
and meat by-products, that is what’s left of
a chicken or cow after the meats humans will eat are removed.

Most of what’s in wet food, in fact, is what dogs eat in the wild.
Most canines in the wild will eat the heart, liver and intestines
and sometimes bones. Those items are found in abundance in
commercial wet food.

So what we are saying is this: If you want your dog to eat a diet
similar to what he or she might eat in the wild, go with the
addition of wet food. You cannot feed your dog wet food
alone, as some grain is necessary and there are also vitamins
and other quality additives added to high-quality dry food, but
wet food can be an excellent addition to your dog’s dry food
diet.

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Snacks and treats

If you want your dog to be a happy camper, you might think

treats and snacks are the way to his contented heart. And you
just might be right.

Snacks and treats are essentials when training your dog, or

working on teaching him new tricks. They are a fun addition to
his bowl before you leave in the morning and a nice way to say
“hello” when you return.

But it’s important to know what’s in those treats you give your
dog, too. Remember your dog will be just fine if you choose to
deprive him or treats and snacks. These don’t add a great deal
to your dog’s overall diet, so if you choose to neglect this one
area of your dog’s diet, that’s quite alright.

If you or your dog prefers a crunchy treat, most likely you are
feeding your dog something similar to a cracker for a human or
even a cookie. Depending on the manufacturer and the
flavoring added, there will likely be some very familiar
ingredients in the biscuit – things like flour, baking powder, salt,
and maybe ground up seeds or even animal bones. The
biscuits are usually given a meat flavor or something equally
appealing to your dog.

If you choose a jerky treat, the quality of the treat might not be
apparent just by virtue of it looking and tasting (to your dog)
like a piece of meat. Some jerky treats are meat, to be sure, but
those are likely of the natural food variety. If you pick up a bag
of jerky treats for your dog at the grocery store, it could have a
wide array of ingredients in it besides meat.

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The ingredients on a good quality jerky treat should be primarily

meat. Not only will your dog enjoy this more, but it’s an easy
way to make sure you reduce the amount of fillers in your dog’s
food. As well, it’s an easy way to up your dog’s intake of
protein, if you think it generally has been lacking.

There is “junk food” in the dog world and it is found in many of

the dog treats sold in baggies in the dog food aisle. If you can’t
read the majority of the ingredients on the bag, or there are
more than 10-12 ingredients, you might want to think about
moving on to another type of treat.

Think of it this way – just as with humans, the occasional treat is

OK, but don’t make it a habit for your dog. It’s not the best way
to fuel him for his busy days.

In conclusion

We hope you learned something useful in this chapter. If you

are committed to a commercial diet for your dog, perhaps the
best message is to pay attention and to buy your dog the best
food you can afford. You do the best for yourself and your dog
deserves that too.

There is another option, however, and it involves making the

majority of your dog’s food. Keep reading for more on that in
chapter 3.

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Nontraditional diets

So maybe you’ve decided the traditional dog diet or

commercial dry and wet foods and a few store-bought treats
just aren’t the right fit for your dog. You want more. You want to
know how to take your kitchen skills right into your dog’s bowl.
You want to know more about the homemade and a raw food
diet for your dog.

Here’s where it gets tricky. There is a science to feeding your

dog a homemade or raw diet. You have to be sure you get the
right mix of nutrients and that your dog will feel full and satisfied.
You want to make sure it’s something you can do easily with all
the other responsibilities you have. And you want to make sure
it tastes good to your canine companion.

In this chapter, we’ll take a look at three possibilities in this

genre: the homemade diet, the raw diet, and homemade or
store-bought (but still homemade) gourmet treats.

A dog’s homemade diet: The basics

A homemade diet is a bit different than a raw diet, which we’ll

address in a minute. When you make your dog’s food, you will
likely be cooking at least part of it (the pasta, or rice, say, or the
meat). A raw diet is exactly that – raw.

But before you begin cooking --or un-cooking, as the case may
be – you need to know some important things about feeding
your dog a non-commercial diet.

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Here are some things to consider:

Generally speaking, dogs should eat about 1-3% of their

weight in food each day. If your dog weighs 100 pounds,
for example, he or she should consume roughly 1 to 3
pounds of food. If you begin this process when your dog is
a puppy, keep in mind that their nutritional needs are
different and a puppy might eat up to 10% of his or her
body weight in food each day.

Your dog uses his sense of smell to determine if something

is worth eating or not. If you think a bowl of food might not
smell too enticing, you can add attractive scents, like
pour some chicken broth over it, or sprinkle a little garlic
powder over the food. The most appealing smells to your
dog are gamey, but also anything that smells like cheese,
fish, onions, fat and garlic.

All vegetables are fine to feed your dog. The same rule
applies to him as to you – eat a wide variety of them for
optimal health. You can also give your dog fruits. While
most dogs will turn their finely tuned noses up at fruits,
some don’t. So it’s always worth a try.

If you are making your dog’s food, and not providing a

raw food diet, try to keep to a mix that’s about 75%
carbohydrates (which is your vegetables and grain) and
25% meat or protein. If you choose a raw diet, that ratio
will remain about the same but you will usually leave out
the grain portion and include just meats (and other meat
products, which we’ll discuss later) and vegetables.

Most dogs will prefer their homemade or raw food diet

either warmed or at least at room temperature. If you
serve it straight from the refrigerator, your dog might not
approve.

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Introduce a new food or dish to your dog more than

once, if he doesn’t like it the first time around. Dogs are a
bit like children in that you sometimes have to introduce
something more than once before they’ll give it thumbs
up, or in this case, a paws up. If you offer your dog
something three or more times and he still doesn’t
approve, it might be time to cross that particular item off
his potential menu list.

Although you want to create a savory meal for your dog

that will get his nose interested, you don’t need to add a
lot of sodium-dense flavorings like salt or seasoned salt to
get him interested. He doesn’t need the additional
sodium and doesn’t really want it, either. He likes the
flavor of the whole food you’re providing.

Homemade diet

It seems dog owners have differing opinions on the homemade

dog diet. Some have that idea that feeding the dog from the
table, or after the table is cleared, is fine.
Just add a little rice, a helping of leftover
salmon and some mixed veggies. Stir in
some broth and voila! It’s dinner.

For many other home dog chefs, it

goes further than that. There are recipes to
follow, and nutrients to consider. These people
will measure everything, watch their dog’s coat and teeth for
signs of trouble and then assess periodically how it’s all going.

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It really doesn’t matter in which camp you pitch your tent.

What matters is that you understand the fundamentals of
feeding your dog, as highlighted above.

Here are some other things that matter:

One of the primary benefits of feeding your dog

homemade food is quality. You control the ingredients
and preparation. You (hopefully) have a good sense
about where the food came from.

If your dog has any special dietary needs, you can easily
meet those.

As well, if your dog is particular about flavors, you can

make him or her food that best serves that pickiness.

If your dog requires medication, it can be hard to hide it in

dog food that your dog doesn’t like. But if you can create
a savory meal that your dog is happy to lap up, he won’t
even notice the bitter pill hidden inside.

How do you make your dog’s food? It’s not that difficult, really.
As we talked about before make sure you include three
essential things – grains, vegetables and meats. If you are a
meat and potatoes eater, you can just make your dog a bowl
each night from the dinner table, making sure the proportion is
at least 25% meat to the other ingredients. But most people
choose to make their dog’s food in bulk.

If you want to make a week’s worth of food, for example, first

figure out how much food you’ll need to make to keep your
dog full and happy. Use that formula we gave you earlier, the
one that noted most dogs will eat about 1-3% of their body
weight. So that 100-pound dog will need roughly 1 to 3 pounds
of food daily, or 7 to 21 pounds of food weekly.

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You can make a large container of food and keep it in the

refrigerator (remembering to bring it to room temperature or
gently warm it before serving), or you can make substantially
more and freeze it until you need it.

One simple mixture looks like this:

Hamburger

Mixed vegetables (you can cut up your own mix of vegetables

and par cook them, or you can use bags of frozen mixed
vegetables)

Brown rice, cooked

If you plan to make 10 pounds of food weekly, you’d want the

cooked mixture to include about 2 1/2 pounds of hamburger,
perhaps 5 pounds of rice and 2 ½ pounds of vegetables.

Many dog owners like to add additional nutritional content,

such as ground egg shells, flax seed oil or fish oils. All of these
are excellent for your dog’s health.

Besides rice, there are other grain options for your dog’s
homemade diet:

 Potatoes

 Oats or oatmeal

 Wheat bread

 Different grains like couscous or quinoa

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Raw Diet

The raw diet is often referred to as the BARF diet, which stands
for either “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food” or the “Bones
and Raw Food” diet. Whatever you call it, this is a diet that’s
fast gaining favor.

The idea behind the BARF diet is simple: Feeding a dog a raw
diet is species appropriate and true to the dog’s essential
nature. Basically, the concept promotes feeding your dog the
diet he would have in the wild.

The BARF diet, then, includes only

uncooked food and usually some animal
bones.

There are different schools of thought on

the raw/BARF diet. Some people believe
that dogs shouldn’t be given actual
bones, while others say bones are an
essential part of the BARF diet.

The major concern over feeding actual bones to dogs is that

the bone matter can cause an obstruction or can even
lacerate parts of the dog’s digestive system. Certainly these are
legitimate concerns and before you feed your dog bones, you
should check with your vet.

Real advocates of this diet, however, say that dogs in the wild
(wolves, specifically), often eat the bones of animals with no
trouble at all. The bones are considered good for the teeth and
contain essential nutrients the dog might not get elsewhere.

If you do decide to feed your dog bones, watch him or her

carefully the first few times to make sure you are giving your

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dog the right size of bones. Because this is a raw food diet,
don’t cook the bones.

Let’s look at two different ways to feed your do a raw food diet.

Basic raw food diet

In this version of the raw food diet, you provide a proportion of

75% meat to 25% vegetables.

Your meats can be ground or served chunky, though many

believe that ground meats mix with the vegetables better. You
can rotate the following meats and fish:

Lamb

Chicken

Beef

Rabbit

Venison

Salmon without skin

Sardines

Most people who feed their dogs raw/BARF diets also include
the organs with the above meats. In fact, when in the wild,
dogs will usually eat the organs before the meat.

All of your vegetables should be uncooked and can include

the following:

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Carrots

Peas

Okra

Broccoli

Winter and summer squash

Cabbage

Yams

Asparagus

You can include any variety of vegetables, taking care to

avoid onions and spinach. For optimum nutrition, try to work
with vegetables that are in season. You can chop or pulse
them in a food processor.

You can also include any of the following for added nutrition
and taste: Garlic; whole eggs, including the shell; barley or
wheat grass; walnuts or almonds; kelp, barley or alfalfa; or
apples, pears or bananas.

If you make a good amount of food at one time, you can keep
it refrigerated for 3-4 days. If you need to store it longer, freeze
it.

Another method of raw dog food preparation involves a very

simple recipe that requires you to pulse or juice all the
vegetables, rather than leave them in chunks.

For this recipe, have on hand enough meat so that the meat
product is about 75% of the total mix. Soften some oats in hot

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water (about another 10-15% of the total food you will be

feeding your dog). Finally, juice the vegetables.

The best vegetables and fruits for this method of preparation

are those that can be juiced easily. These include celery, beets,
apples, carrots, a variety of greens (like kale, watercress and
parsley), and alfalfa sprouts.

Some believe this method is preferable to chunks because

dogs have such small intestines they don’t easily break down
the chunks of vegetables, but can easily digest the juices.

Combine the raw meat with the oats and the juiced
vegetables and fruit. You might also want to supplement with
flax seed oil and a dog multivitamin.

Some tips for feeding your dog a raw food diet

Allow time for meat to thaw if you are keeping it in the

freezer. If you have to thaw the meat in the microwave,
you are defeating the purpose of the raw food diet.

Allow time to prepare your dog’s food. If you don’t have

time every day, you can grind or juice a few days’ worth
of fruits and vegetables and store them in the refrigerator.

It’s not necessary to provide a grain, as in the last set of

instructions. While your dog will get extra nutrients from a
grain like oats, many people who feed a raw/BARF diet
provide no grains at all and feed their dogs just
vegetables and meat.

Be prepared to spend more money making your dog’s

food than you would buying commercially prepared
food. This won’t always be the case, depending on where

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you get your meats and if you grow your own vegetables,
but generally speaking, it will cost at least a bit more.

Homemade treats and snacks

There are two primary ways you can get homemade treats for
your dog – you can make them yourself or you can go to one
of the popular “dog bakery” stores that are popping up all over
the country.

Let’s look at making your own treats first.

If you are an advocate of a homemade diet for your dog, you

want your dog treats to reflect what’s important to you. So you
want to make sure the ingredients are fresh and whole, and if
you believe in a raw food diet, that your treats mesh with that
ideal as well.

If you are willing to bake your treats, there are many crunchy
dog biscuit recipes you can use. This recipe is simple: Blend ¼ c.
powdered milk, 1/3 c. wheat germ and 3 small jars of baby
food (ideally 2 of them meat and 1 vegetable) with ½ teas.
garlic powder. Form the mixture into little patties and bake at
350 for about 15 minutes or until firm.

If you want to create a snack closer in design to a raw food or

BARF-approved treat, consider dog popsicles, which are really
nothing more than bouillon, water and meat. The meat can be
cooked, but if you’re using it raw, be sure to keep the water
content at a desirable level so the popsicles form in the freezer
properly and aren’t too watery (in other words, if you are using
a fatty meat, such as duck, use less water).

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Bakery store treats

This is a relatively new genre of pet stores that have cropped

up across the country. In these “doggie bakeries” you can
purchase not only baked goods for your pet, but also a variety
of dog accessories like sweaters, collars and toys.

But the real focus here is dog treats. You can buy brownies and
cookies for your dog, as well as jerky treats and just about
anything else the chef thinks up.

These stores are a wonderful to supplement to your dog’s

nontraditional diet, but there are a few things you should know:

If you are invested in providing your dog with only a BARF

diet, be sure to find a bakery that provides raw, not
cooked, treats.

Ask what’s in the baked items. You might want to avoid

sugars, or other ingredients for a variety of reasons. Usually
these stores are small and the people working behind the
counter are also involved in the baking and preparing of
the treats, so they should be able to answer your
questions.

Ask about the shelf life of the treats you buy. Most will
have to be refrigerated and many are only good for a
day or two. You will want to plan accordingly.

Sometimes the treats made in dog bakeries are quite

large. To save money and to reduce the amount of treat
your dog gets, you might want to serve only half the treat
at a time.

Some of the bakeries allow dogs to come into the store. If

you find one that does, bring your dog along once or
twice. Since dogs decide what’s yummy by smell, you

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can give your dog a chance to tell you what smells edible
and what doesn’t. Sometimes the bakeries offer samples.

Finally, ask when the treats were made. If the store is not
busy, you might be buying treats that were made several
days before and are therefore not of optimum quality and
nutrition.

There’s a lot to consider if you decide to provide your dog with

a nontraditional diet. You must decide how far you want to
take the homemade concept (ie., do you want to move
forward with a wholly raw diet, or simply cook your dog’s food
yourself?). You must decide how much you can afford to
invest, both in time and money. And you must stay on top of
your dog’s taste preferences and changes in recommended
nutrients.

Read on for a chapter devoted to helping you make these

decisions.

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General feeding tips

We hope by now you have a good idea of what your choices

are when it comes to feeding your dog and you have settled
on a method to keep your dog full and happy.

There are still several things you should know about feeding
your dog, that is what to avoid and what you should always
include. Knowing how to make it appetizing to your dog is
essential as well.

Let’s look first at some things you should

never feed your dog

Although you can feed your dog a wide

variety of vegetables, you should never
include mushrooms in that mix. Mushrooms are
thought to contain toxins which can cause
illness at best and shock or death at worst.

In the raw food diet, many dog owners like to

include raw eggs. Not all do, however, and some choose not
to because there is a risk of salmonella and an enzyme in the
eggs (avidin) which can block absorption of the B vitamin
biotin. If you do want to include raw eggs, with or without the
shells, consult your veterinarian so you can be sure you do it
right.

The raw food or BARF diet also often includes raw fish like
salmon or sardines. This can also lead to a vitamin deficiency
(thiamine), but only if fish is included on a regular basis. If you
want to include raw fish in your dog’s diet, don’t do it often and
try to include other meats as well.

Grapes (and raisins, as well) should be avoided. Grapes

contain a toxin (which is yet undefined) that can damage the

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kidneys. If for some reason you want to include grapes in your

dog’s diet, give him grape seed extract, which has not been
known to cause any problems in dogs.

Macadamia nuts also contain an unknown toxin that’s

dangerous to dogs. It can affect the nervous system, the
digestive tract and can create problems with muscle tissue.
Other nuts, like walnuts and almonds, are fine and are often
included in BARF diets.

Some homemade dog treat recipes include baby food, and a

small amount of baby food is fine in that instance, but check
the labels. Many savory blends of baby food include onion
powder, which can be toxic to dogs. For that same reason,
resist the urge to sprinkle onion powder on your dog’s food to
make it more appetizing. Real onions are fine in small
quantities, but onion powder should be avoided.

Although many dogs like cheese and don’t have a problem

digesting it, you should control the amount of dairy products
your dog eats. Many adult dogs don’t have sufficient amounts
of the enzyme called lactase, which is what breaks down the
lactose in milk. If your dog doesn’t process lactose well, he
might suffer diarrhea. You can buy lactose-free products for
your dog, or you can just watch him. Most dogs will have
problems, but some won’t.

Finally, and this most everyone knows, but we’ll include it just to
reiterate. Don’t feed your dog any chocolate products or
anything containing caffeine. It can be toxic to dogs and can
cause unnatural and dangerous changes in heart rate.

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Nutrients your dog must get

Now that you know what not to feed your dog, let’s look at
some nutrients and foods you should always include.

First, and foremost, your dog needs a source of protein. He’s a

wolf, remember. He needs some flesh to make it all good. If you
buy commercial dog food, here is what you are looking for on
the label:

For a puppy – 28% protein

For an adult dog – 18% protein

While there will be differences in different brands, and you will

notice some huge differences if you read many labels, those
numbers are ideals and you should strive to buy a food that
gets as near to these protein percentages as possible.

In addition, your dog needs fat to keep him healthy, his brain
functioning properly and his coat shiny and smooth. If you buy
commercial foods, look for these numbers:

For a puppy – 17% fat

For an adult dog – 9-15% fat

If you feed your dog a homemade diet, you will likely have no
trouble giving your dog the right mix of protein and fat if you
follow homemade food guidelines.

If you follow a commercial diet, you don’t need to worry about

adding any vitamins or other nutrients to your dog’s diet. He’s
likely getting everything he needs from the commercial diet,
which is carefully balanced to include all the essentials. Your
only task to make sure he is fed a healthy diet is to make sure

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you buy the highest quality dog food you can afford. A good
dog food will provide everything your dog needs in his diet.

If you decide to make your dog’s food, however, you do have

to pay more attention to his nutrient intake.

Many veterinarians recommend giving your dog an all-natural

multi-vitamin if you make his food yourself. This ensures that he’s
getting absolutely all the nutrients he needs and also ensures
he can easily and appropriately digest whatever you make or
provide to him.

All dogs can benefit from flax seed oils, which provide essential
oils. Many vets will recommend the addition of Glucosamine as
your dog ages, to keep his joints happy and healthy.

Some general tips about feeding your dog

Here’s the thing about your dog – he just wants to be loved.

One way you can show that love is to give him food he loves,
food that’s savory and rich and just makes him want to gobble
it up the second you put it down in front of him.

But finding that right mix of store-bought or homemade food is

tough. You might have a dog that will eat anything and not
discern between high and low quality food, or a dog that is
picky and turning his nose up at many new foods and most
healthy foods.

Here are some useful tips to finding the best food for your dog:

First, consider your time and money constraints. Making

your dog’s food is a commitment to the kitchen. You will
be either cooking or preparing your dog’s food every day,
or at the very least several times a week. If you are

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considering homemade food, you have to ask yourself if

you have the time to do this.

Unless you run a cattle ranch, or have a very good source

for inexpensive meat, feeding your dog with homemade
or raw food can be quite a bit more expensive than
feeding him a commercial diet. This is something to
consider before you switch from commercial food.

A commercial diet is more convenient than a homemade

diet, especially if your pet travels with you. Carting
homemade food along on a vacation can be a lot of
trouble, but packing a can or two of food and some dry
food are much easier.

Remember to make your dog’s food smell good. Most

dog food manufacturers have this concept down to a
science, but if you make your dog’s food, you really have
the obligation to make it smell good. That’s how your dog
will decide if it’s worth eating or not. In addition, if your
dog turns his nose up at a commercial food you buy, it
could likely be the smell and not the taste at all. Adding
just a bit of chicken stock or onion scent might be all you
have to do in order to make it seem palatable to your
dog.

We’re probably preaching to the choir here, but it bears

repeating – if you decide to feed your dog a raw food
diet, be careful when you work with the meats. Wash
everything, including your hands, very well after use and
clean your dog’s bowl very well after he’s done eating.
This is especially important if you choose to give your dog
organs as well.

One of the best ways to see how your dog’s food is

agreeing with him is to watch his bowel movements. As
you pick them up, check to be sure they are formed

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regularly and are the right consistency. Problems are

indicated if you find diarrhea, mucous, or blood in the
stools.

If you decide to switch your dog from a commercial diet

to a homemade diet (or visa versa), make the change
gradually. It can be hard on your dog’s sensitive digestive
system to make that change quickly. Start with a small
fraction of new food to old food and give that to your
dog for 5-7 days. Then add a larger fraction of new food
to a smaller amount of old food. Keep that up for another
5-7 days. If you continue to do this gradually, it will take
almost a month for the switchover to be complete, but it’s
must easier on your dog’s digestive system.

When you buy commercial dry food, in particular, make

sure the first ingredient on the list of ingredients is a protein
source. Not a by-product or a filler, but a true source of
protein, chicken, beef or lamb.

Keep your veterinarian in the loop. Your dog’s vet is your

partner in caring for your dog. Talk to him or her about
what you’re feeding your dog and what changes you are
thinking about. The vet can give you tips for how to make
changes and can offer suggestions for high-quality
commercial foods, and tips for homemade food.

You can, if you wish, combine commercial dry food with

some homemade food. If you don’t want to make food
every day or only want to make small amounts (or want to
feed your dog leftovers from your own meal), you can mix
the dry kibble with various meats, vegetables and grains.
Just be sure your dog eats it all and it doesn’t sit in the
bowl overnight (if you leave your dog’s bowl out at all
times) and that you still consider the healthy ratio of
protein to grain and vegetable.

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The bottom line to feeding your dog is this: you want to please
him, but also keep him healthy. This takes a fair amount of
dedication and interest. But once you settle on a method of
feeding your dog, it will become an easy habit, a regular daily
chore just like anything else.

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