Balanced Nutrition for Your PetDogs and cats need balanced nutrition in their diet just like we do. Do you buy your pet food by what the packaging looks like? It is said, "Do not judge a book by its cover" and the same goes for pet food - do not judge your pet's food by its packaging. The market is saturated with so many brands it can be overwhelming when choosing what to buy. It is tempting to buy a certain kind of food because of what the packaging looks like or what advertisements you remember from commercials. With different breeds of dogs and cats, comes the abundance of different brands. Although a bag or a can of food is convenient, all the balanced nutrition claims on the bag or can are questionable. Are you a pet owner trying to understand what is good nutrition for cats? Many claim to have benefits of being the “best, high quality ingredients, 100% natural, high in protein, contains vitamins and minerals, pure, no additives, preservatives or chemicals.” The fact of the matter is that it just might have all that it claims, but how do you know if it is balanced healthy nutrition? While you can get different answers to that question depending on who you ask, the only way to know is to do the research yourself. There are brands out there that use high quality ingredients and do not use preservatives and additives; however commercial pet food cannot provide all the nutrients your pet needs. Most commercial pet foods contain by-products, preservatives and additives, fillers and artificial ingredients to make food look and taste a certain way. Just like any processed food, some nutrition is lost during the process. As you can imagine, these chemical alterations and additions make it hard for our pets to digest. For this reason, please read the label and learn how to figure out the percentages of ingredients. The best diet with the most health benefits and balanced nutrition for any pet is fresh, wholesome food, of course, but it takes time and planning. Since the ingredients are fresh, you will be shopping more often. A homemade natural diet should include a healthy blend of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. This kind of diet should correlate with our modern dogs’ ancestors’ diet. Your pet’s healthy blend will depend on his or her size, breed and health condition. There is a variety of protein to choose from – chicken, beef, turkey, lamb or venison. Since dogs are omnivorous, a hunter and scavenger and cats are carnivorous, a hunter, dogs do not require as much protein as cats. Protein should make up one-third of your dog’s diet and one-half of your cat’s diet. Include carbohydrates, such as potatoes, corn, whole grains or brown rice in their diet. Grains are hard for them to digest, so boil water or broth to soften the grains or rice. Carbohydrates should make up one-third of your dog’s diet and one-quarter of your cat’s diet. Add raw veggies for a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Green veggies are great to add. My dogs love carrots, celery and zucchini. Raw vegetables with skin on are more nutritious than cooking them. Cooking lessens natural nutrients including antioxidants. Vegetables should make up one-third of your dog’s diet and one-quarter of your cat’s diet. Also, add organ tissue, such as liver or kidney and a digestive enzyme. Slowly make the switch to the natural diet. Switching over too quickly could cause an upset stomach, diarrhea or both. Add a little each day to the food you are currently feeding your pet. This should ease them into their diet change.
Click Here to Return Home from Balanced Nutrition |
