Canine Cuisine: Tips for Choosing a Healthy Diet for Your Dog

25th February 2015

By Lorraine Ereira

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

We give so much thought these days to what we are eating. Is it nutritionally complete? Is it organic? Is it from non-GMO sources? Is it one of the latest super foods? Is it good for our own personal requirements?

But what about for our four-legged friends? Do we give much though to what we are feeding them? Or do they just get the pet food you buy at the store, or at best the vets (because that’s the latest recommended diet plan)? Maybe your best pal, is treated to some left overs form your dinner – surely that’s good as you only eat good quality food, right?

Dogs digestive systems are totally different to ours. In the wild they would only eat raw food. They would feast on carcasses of dead animals, devouring everything from the meat to ligaments, tendons, gristle, fat, bone and innards. They may eat some grass, berries, and seeds that they find. What they would never eat is cooked or processed food!

Your dog can get everything he needs from eating like this. His digestive system is designed to eat raw natural food, and he will be deficient in many nutrients that he needs if he is fed the customary way we feed our beloved pets.

Traditional pet food is made with fillers such as white flour, brewer’s rice, and wheat byproducts which are mostly carbohydrate based. Many commercially produced pet food have added chemicals and preservatives, and are devoid of any “live” nutrients found in fresh raw food.

A dogs diet should be mainly fat and protein, as their systems are just not designed to break down carbohydrates especially in a refined form! The carbohydrates he gets should be from fresh fruit and veg. However, fruits and vegetables to avoid include: avocados, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic, chives, unripe tomatoes, rhubarb, wild mushrooms, and raw potatoes. Dogs are also allergic to several varieties of nuts, as well as highly sensitive to the toxic pesticides commonly used in their production.

Have you ever seen your dog eat the feces from another animals? This is known as coprophagia. (I bet you have! And I bet you have told him off for it too) – but it is rich in bacteria, which gives them enzymes and probiotics – your dog is more likely to feast on this revolting substance if he is fed on processed pet food from a store, as his body will tell him it needs these enzymes to break down the processed food in his stomach.

Giving your dog a raw diet with some natural yoghurt or kefir will minimize his desire to seek out the less tasty alternative!

We may think giving little Fido a treat of toast, or chocolate, or even his “own” dog treats is doing him a favor, but it really isn’t at all. Give him a raw chicken wing, a piece of apple, or a good raw bone to chew on!

So many dogs are suffering with disease and their diets have a huge impact on this. Like humans, a dog’s diet can have a huge impact on their health. Thankfully, it’s so easy to give your faithful friend just what he needs.

If you do decide to change his diet and make the switch to raw food – do it gradually, as his system will need time to adjust, otherwise it will upset him, and you will assume it doesn’t suit him.

So go and make friends with your local butcher, and ask for some bones, and some offcuts of meat (fit for human consumption). Chop this up with some raw veggies (the ends of the veggies that end up on your compost heap, or the pulp from your vegetable juice, will be good to add here too!)

Give him a raw egg, with some natural yoghurt. Add in some pumpkin seeds to naturally worm him, some flaxseed for to give him his omega 3’s and keep his heart healthy!

You will have a happy healthy pet, who will need to make less trips to the vet, saving you money and anguish in the long run too!

Previous articles by Lorraine:

• The Power of Human Kindness
• 10 Tips for Going Organic on a Budget
• Opposing Forces – Staying Focused Through the Shift
• How One Simple Breathing Technique Can Induce Better Health

About the author:

Lorraine Ereira is a writer and a Sports  Therapist with a keen interest in nutrition and healthy living. Lorraine cared for her husband who was diagnosed with cancer last year, but with good nutrition and healthy living has made a full recovery. It is now Lorraine’s mission to share the positive aspects of her experience with others who wish to life a healthy and low toxic lifestyle.

Her first novel  Journey From the Summit, a true story, was published  earlier this year, followed by her recent publication Sports Pattern Releaseâ„¢, a guide  for manual therapists working in sport. Lorraine  is currently writing her second novel about how she coped with her husband’s illness, and how making well researched and informed choices helped him on the path to his recovery.

Connect with Lorraine at  CoreFit-UK.co.uk and Facebook.com/OPFsportstherapy.