When it comes to food, a lot of people prefer it natural. Most pet owners also want to feed their dogs similar diets to what they have. All these give rise to natural dog food.
Today, we’ll be talking a lot about natural dog food, what it is and what it is not. Also, we’ll be differentiating natural dog food from it’s similar, most times misinterpreted, relations.
We’ll also be showing you what you need to look out for if you decide to feed your dog natural dog food.
Follow us now as we educate you.
Table of Contents
What Is Natural Dog Food?
According to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), natural dog food is defined as any dog food made with ingredients gotten solely from either plants or animals in their unadulterated state. These ingredients can undergo certain processes like heat processing, hydrolysis, fermentation etc. but nothing chemical or synthetic.
It also must not contain any processing aids or additives which might be chemically synthetic, except in extremely unavoidable situations and in minute amounts.
Natural dog food is basically dog food that is made without any form of artificial coloring, flavors, or preservatives.
In natural dog food, every ingredient must occur naturally.
However, there is only one exception to this rule.
In a situation where the vitamins present in a natural dog food are not enough, manufacturers can add synthetic vitamins. These vitamins act as supplements and as such do not change the ‘naturality’ of the food.
Natural food is also free of any form of by-products or animal digest. Animal by-products are parts of an animal that humans do not eat. Generally, they are certain organs, connective tissue or even blood.
Animal digest refers to the digested food of other animals. These are not considered natural because to make them healthy and safe for the dog, they would need to undergo a series of chemical and synthetic purification.
Benefits Of Feeding Your Dog Natural Dog Food
It Helps To Prevent Diseases
Andi Brown, the writer of the whole pet diet says that a lot of diseases can be prevented by proper nutritional assistance. Just like in us humans, a high protein diet, filled with antioxidants, helps build our immune system. Our immune system in turn, helps us to fight off certain ailments.
Also, the American Veterinary Medical Association, in its journal, supports this notion by showing that dogs that eat more natural are less likely to carry urinary and bladder carcinomas.
According to WebMD, a carcinoma can be defined as the type of cancer that begins its development in the skin or organs responsible for tissue lining such as liver or kidney.
Just like other cancerous cells, carcinomas can spread to other parts of the body even if they don’t usually do so. This only goes to show how dangerous they can be.
Natural Dog Food Keeps Dogs From Being Overweight
The weight of keeping your dog’s weight in order lies on your shoulders. Research conducted by the Preventive Veterinary Medicine Journal states that a staggering 97% of cases relating to obesity are caused by the dog owners themselves. Things like those listed below attribute to this great percentage:
- Overfeeding.
- Poor diet choices.
- Little or no exercise.
- Pure negligence.
- Ignorance- When the dog owner cannot see the signs that his dog is getting obese.
While only 3% is attributed to genetics or diseases. With this fearful knowledge, what do we then do? Stop feeding our dogs? Well, of course not because that will lead to death eventually.
What we can rather do is to watch carefully what we feed them to ensure they are healthy enough and not just fatteners.
So, What Is The Problem With A Lot Of The Commercial Foods We Feed Our Pets?
The answer is very simple. They contain too much starch. Because manufacturers intend on spending even less for every box of kibble (who doesn’t want to make more money?) they add a lot of fillers to their products.
Fillers include things such as rice, corn, wheat and so on. These fillers are very cheap compared to what the manufacturer would spend making food totally out of meat.
Anti-Aging Properties
According to a research, dogs who were fed natural food lived for an average of 13 years. However, other pups that were fed synthetic food lived for about 10 years on an average.
The reason for the later is the high amount of dyes and preservatives in synthesized food which often have a long-term effect on your dog.
We’re sure you want your pup to live as long as he possibly can, this is one surefire way he can do that.
Healthier And Smoother Digestive System
We all know that fibers are needed to aid digestion of food substances. Dogs are canines. So, when they’re exposed to wildlife, they hunt down small mammals as food. These small mammals are mostly herbivores who feed solely on plants. And these plants contain the necessary fiber the canine needs to digest properly.
So, when the dog feeds on this small mammal and devours the intestines, it also gobbles up those plants, and in them, the necessary fiber needed for healthy digestion.
If your dog doesn’t sleep well at night, tosses and turns on his sides, chances are that he has a stomach upset. Constipation is a real thing that also happens to dogs.
So, Do I Let My Dog Out To Hunt Because He Needs Fibers?
Of course not. Now that our dogs have become our pets, the onus falls on us to provide natural dog food that comes with those fibers our dog needs, naturally.
Feeds The Brain Properly
Diets rich in antioxidants have been known to reduce the rate at which cognitive ability drops in older dogs. Ever wondered why “you cannot teach an old dog a new trick”?
Teaching old dogs is quite difficult because the older your pooch becomes, the older his brains become. Old brains equal weak brains and so cognitive ability is reduced drastically as your pooch ages.
Don’t forget that human years and dog years are not the same. So, if it will take a human till their 80s to not know much again, it will only take your dog to be in his teens.
However, a proper diet will not totally eradicate this but will help reduce its pace by a large degree. Even in humans, fresh produce has been known to reduce cognitive failure and the same goes for dogs.
Best Skin-Care Routine
If you’re looking for the best skin-care routine for your dog, then look no farther than natural dog food.
Issues involving problems with the skin are very rampant in dogs. In fact, they are the second most common disease being reported to vets in America.
Most of these problems include things like scabs and itchiness. They are mostly treated using shots that may have negative side-effects in the long run.
Most of the time, these dogs are treated for allergies even when the problem might be deficiencies. Because some pet owners are overly careful that their pooch doesn’t get fat, they result in starving the pups of fats. What they do not know is that fats are responsible for skin and hair beautification.
Especially if you’re one that opts for dry dog food, consider this. Dry dog food doesn’t contain the fats and oils that your dog needs to keep his skin spotless.
Aids Egestion
Ever seen a puppy struggle to take a dump? Do you sometimes worry that maybe your number one pup is struggling to go number 2? Well it might be because all you feed him are stuff that go on to clog his stomach and cause heavy, solid stools.
If you feed your dog only dry dog food, you would notice what we’re talking about, strong heavy stools. These stools are usually not very frequent and/or regular.
Solves The Issue Of Allergies
It is hard for you to find dogs that are allergic to completely natural dog food. Most of the time, dogs become allergic to certain chemical substances present in synthesized food products.
These allergies, if not properly controlled, can lead to something worse. Some allergies can get as bad as resulting in the death of your beloved pup.
There’s never a deficiency or overload of vitamins and minerals.
Because food is completely natural, you have zero to worry about when it comes to vitamins and minerals. They are always present in natural food, and in the right quantity to. They always come in the right quantity because that’s how they occur naturally.
We advise that all your natural food be purchased fresh.
However, if you don’t want to prepare the natural dog food yourself, or simply don’t have time to pick every single ingredient you need, you can buy ready-made products.
Nonetheless, there are a few things you need to look out for when you want to buy shelf-stored natural dog food. So you’re not deceived, here are a few tips below:
Factors To Consider Before Buying Natural Dog Food
Budget
Probably the first thing you want to bother about when you want to make any purchase is? That’s right, money. You obviously would not buy something that would break your bank or tear your pockets.
However, take into consideration the fact that quality natural dog food is not cheap. The cheap dog food you can get out there has been chemically synthesized.
Focus On The Principal Ingredient
The principal ingredient in any dog food will usually come first on the pack. Once you have seen a “natural dog food” label, you might not need to worry about the whole bunch of ingredients.
However, watch out for the first one. The first ingredient shows you what the lot of the product is made from. Things like “animal meal” should be immediately placed back into the shelf and left alone. The first ingredient should always be meat.
If You Can’t Pronounce It, Leave It
As funny as this sounds, most ingredients used in natural dog food are common and easy to pronounce. If you cannot pronounce properly certain ingredients, there is a high chance that it’s not good for your dog.
Funny names like butylated hydroxytoluene represent synthetic preservatives which of course we do not want for our dogs.
It Isn’t Natural Dog Food Because It’s “Grain Free”
Because a certain dog food is labeled “grain free” doesn’t mean that it is natural. If you want to buy natural dog food, look closely for words like “natural” and “organic”.
The need for grain free dog food is another matter altogether. You can find out more about grain-free dog food here.
Make Research
Most of the time, it’s better to find your trusted brand and stick to them. Before picking your brand, you’ll need to make some research about the company.
Find out how old the company is and how credible they are in the market place. If you want to try a small brand, it’s better to buy a small bag first to test it out.
Conclusion
When it comes to our pups, we need to be very particular about what they take in. What they take in not only determines what comes out but also determines what stays in.
In turn, what stays in determines how well our pups grow and mature.
At the end of the day, the health of your dog is all that matters to us, irrespective of other surrounding forces. Have a lovely day!
