What Is The Best Food For Your Dogs?

That is a hard question. In truth, there seems to be no single dog food that is the best for all dogs and all puppies, but there are definitely those that are superior. It seems like most things in the world, everyone has their own opinion, some more educated than others on what these superior foods are. My aim is to inform you, and show you just how diverse opinions are, and to ultimately give you some insight so you may decide for yourself, what the best food is for your dog.

All things aside, "most reputable manufacturers of "super premium" and natural food agree with holistic veterinarians and other experts that the very best diet for your animal companion is one that you make yourself. A homemade diet, carefully balanced nutritionally and using organic foods, is closest to what Mother Nature intended" (Animal Protection Institute, 2004). Before you say you don't have the time to prepare homemade food for your dog, take a look at the plentiful, excellent recipes available for free on the internet that show you how to prepare a large batch of meals that'll last at least 3 days. Once every 3 days is not much to ask, and this type of natural pet food diet is affordable. Impartial or not, I have to agree with this. As a result, I'm not even going to entertain over processed, nutrient deficient kibbles and canned foods that are packed with additives, preservatives, colourants, fillers, and meat products that really should not be called meat at all. (For some great information on commercial dog food including the low standards they have to abide by, their ingredients, and how they're made, visit the Animal Protection Institute). So we know we should be feeding all natural or organic homemade meals to our pets, but what should these meals consist of?

There is almost as much contention with this as there is when it comes to humans. There are so many species of dogs now, and mixed breeds keep on appearing. Yet some people still say we should feed dogs like their ancestors. They say that the only biologically appropriate food for dogs is what wolves ate. Obviously the intention here is to push raw diets, but with wolves in the wild, this begins and ends with meat, some berries, and grass if they feel unwell. Firstly, there is no evidence as yet to say that dogs come directly from wolves (there is a lot of DNA that does not match) and popular theorists like Darwin have said that it's just as likely that they came from Jackals and Coyotes. Dogs are not wolves. This is highlighted by the fact that some breeds of dogs get quite unwell when fed good quality raw meats. Dogs, like humans, are incredibly domesticated and interbred, and though this doesn't mean they should be eating like wolves, it doesn't mean that they should be eating highly processed, artificial, chemically enhanced rubbish either. Secondly, have you ever heard of a wolf tucking into some broccoli and eggplant? There are merits to this approach, but only when the supporters of it contradict themselves by saying we should feed our dogs raw fruits and vegetables.

Saying dogs should eat like wolves, is a bit like saying we should be eating like apes. I can't remember ever seeing an ape go fishing, yet fish, for most people, is incredibly beneficial for health and well being adding important, necessary, elements to our diets. It makes sense that, as with humans, vegetables, fruits, and some whole grains can be really beneficial to dogs. Most dogs are omnivores, and some dogs do better on an all vegetarian diet. Founders of the holistic vet movement, such as Dr. Richard Pitcairn and Juliette DeBairclay-Levy, have always pushed the importance of these food sources. These ingredients have been time-tested for decades. Whole grains (not corn and preferably not wheat), fruits and vegetables are a wonderful addition to a balanced, biologically-appropriate diet. So, it seems that the best food for your dog would be a homemade meal consisting of all natural or organic, biologically appropriate food consisting of a mixture of meat, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. Did you see I didn't say raw?

Just be aware, some veggies and meats can be harmful to some breeds if not cooked so as to either kill bacteria and reduce fat content of the meat, and break down some toxins that sit in the hard skins of some veggies - that's why humans shouldn't eat raw broccoli either! Knowing that an all natural or organic meal made at home is considered the best, it still doesn't address the question of balance.  Feeding your dog with quality ingredients is a great beginning, but how much of each is right for your pet? There seems to be little consensus on the general nutritional requirements for dogs. Experts who have spent years and years researching this have come to varying conclusions. Some experts purport that each breed needs to be fed a breed specific diet. This may be a little too specific for some but I think it's heading in the right direction.

This is the approach that seems most realistic and appropriate to me because it mimics the approach to human nutrition that I follow. Through years of personal training and helping people achieve optimal health and well being, I discovered Metabolic Typing. It is the only nutrition and lifestyle approach that I've found that truly treats each person as an individual. One of its best attributes is the process you go through to fine tune diet and lifestyle requirements on a continual basis. There is a lot to learn from this approach. It is person specific, and is current in that you re-test yourself every sixth months to check your requirements at that time. Our lifestyles and environments change, as do our pets, so it makes sense to re asses our dietary intake regularly, and our pets' to see if they've changed. Only in this way can we, as humans, maintain a proper balance. It makes sense for this to be the case with our pets.

Just like human beings, each dog is a unique individual. Yes they'll have similar characteristics and general dispositions as their dominant breed and the genes they've inherited from their parents, but they'll also have unique characteristics given to them by nature, and their environment. It seems fairly obvious to say then that no pre-made dog food can claim to be THE best, unless it has been tailor made for your pet by a specialist (there are a few people on the web that do this). But.... there are plenty of pet food companies out there which are well within their rights to call their pet food superior. Most of these suggest mixing their all natural or organic food at home with ingredients that are missing from their food, to prepare a fresh home made meal. The ingredient specifics of these and their importance are debated, but on the whole, the less processed the food is the better. Look for ingredients made up of whole foods (foods that haven't been altered).  So how much is enough?

Without getting breed specific, and understanding that I follow those experts who suggest macro nutrient levels to be specific for your breed of dog, here are the generally agreed upon amounts of macro nutrients for dogs.

• The protein percentage should be about 1/3 or more of the whole meal. Meat is the obvious choice for the bulk of this macronutrient. (Some dogs don't handle meat well, particularly raw. Offer raw sometimes, and cooked other times).
• Fat should make up about 1/5 or more, dogs process good fats well. There is a reasonable amount of natural fat in meats, so you shouldn't need to watch this macronutrient nutrient too closely if feeding meats to your dog.
• That leaves a little under ½ the rest should be veggies, fruits, and whole grains (not corn, and preferably no wheat).
• It's recommended to use grain free dog food for sensitive dogs.

What is the best food for your dog? The simple answer, if your dog's health is good, vet bills aren't streaming in and its coat is healthy, then change may not be necessary. Be aware though that a lot of the conditions and diseases that commercial pet foods cause build up over time. If you are suspicious that there is anything at all wrong, or you just want to see if you can give your best friend even more health and vitality, then the time is right to start preparing all natural or organic home made meals from meat, veggies, fruits, and whole grains (minus corn and wheat). Check with a holistic vet near you, and the valuable expert resources on the internet for recipe ideas and do's and don'ts. If your dog is particularly active, or in need of extra help, try supplementing your dogs diet. Just remember, as with humans, balance is the key. Some raw and some cooked, but all natural and organic, should keep the vet bills at bay, and your pets' ready for play!

How to provide the best quality drinking water for your dogs and cats

1. While water plays many key roles in dog's bodies, waters' chief functions are to maintain a stable environment inside and around their cells, allowing them to acquire sufficient nutrition and aiding elimination of waste in cells. To provide an optimal environment for life, the water we allow our pets to consume through food and drink must be clean and should supply the body with needed electrolytes. Almost every enzyme action and chemical interaction in your pets' body is dependent upon water. Animals' brains are so sensitive to water loss that they can begin showing signs of malfunction with as little as 1% to 10% loss of body water. It's essential that our dogs and cats water source and quality is as good as it can possibly be.

2. Where do you find the best quality water?It's very important to prevent your dog from drinking contaminated water. All water that is unfiltered/untreated can have contaminants in it such as parasites, bacteria, and even viruses. Often these contaminants can have more of an effect on your dogs or cats stomach and system than on your own. So it's suggested that you use caution with any body of water, whether from an outside source of indoors (e.g. tap water). Note how the above states that clean water doesn't necessarily mean water from a tap. Tap water can be some of the most toxic water available to your dog. Research has shown that tap water contains chlorine, often fluoride, and toxic substance that overtime, can have very evil effects on yours and your dogs' body. And don't just assume that by switching to bottled water you've solved the problem of quality, some bottled water is no better than tap water. In Phillip Days' article "Water Under The Bridge - The Damning Case Against Fluoridation." he presents some scary findings that all of us should be aware of.

3. What are the dangers of Fluoride and other toxins in tap water? It's well known that Government agencies and certain health professionals have pushed the importance of Fluoride for humans before. Its main purpose was to prevent tooth decay. But this waste product had been shown to CAUSE tooth decay and mottling (I myself have suffered such, according to the dentists I have seen) and it can be quite harmful to dogs. The same type of research has been performed on dogs, with the same results, Fluoride in the water supply of dogs caused mottling of the tooth enamel, amongst a host of other problems as far reaching as cancer. It's also well known that, much like Lead, Fluoride accumulates in the body. As a result, damage is caused over long periods of time.

4. Did you know Fluoride is more toxic than lead? And only very slightly less poisonous than arsenic!! Under the USA's ratings for toxicity, Fluoride is higher than Lead, Environmental Protection Agency, will allow lead in drinking water to be 0.015mg/litre, as opposed to Fluoride being allowed to be 4.0mg/litre. For those of you who aren't mathematicians, that's over three hundred and fifty TIMES more than the acceptable level of lead. Knowing this, I would be surprised if you didn't a) go and buy yourself a good water filter today, and b) start quenching everyone's thirst in the household with good clean water from it, including you dogs! Household tap water can also be very high in nitrates, iron, or magnesium, which can pose long term health risks for people and their pets. So, now you have clean good quality drinking water for your dog.

5. How do you keep clean water clean? Most natural water sources that provide the best quality drinking water are bodies of water that move. Moving water is more often than not, much fresher than still water. Through movement it's constantly being aerated by the surface breaking and bringing fresh oxygen into the water. You can keep your dogs water fresh like this by trying one of two things. You can either go all out, and purchase a pet water fountain (these usually have built in filters, and the fountain continually recycles and cleans the water, keeping it as clean as possible) or, you can be more traditional and fill your dogs stainless steel water bowls regularly. Notice I said "bowls". You really do need multiple sources of fresh drinking water around. It's too easy for pets to forget about drinking if it's not in their face. However, beautiful clean water will not help if it is placed in a dirty bowl. Like any container with organic material in it, a water bowl will collect and harbour bacteria. Your dogs' bowls need to be washed often, preferably daily and should be a stainless steel bowl as they are the easiest to keep clean. Buy a good quality bowl and after it starts to look worn and scratched, replace it. One other consideration in quality is temperature of the water. Much like us, your dog will prefer water that fits the seasons. If it's hot, make sure the water is cooler. If it is winter, room temperature would be received better. So we have superior, clean, quality, filtered water.

6. How much water should we be providing? I'm not going to go into to this too much as it would seem that just common sense would get you through. It goes with out saying that water should be available to your dog at all times. (Handy Tip: When toilet training dogs, just make sure that after a big drink you take your pooch outside to go to the toilet). As a general rule though, the most common average seems to be around 80ml per kilogram of body weight per day. Lifting the skin on an animal's back and watching how quickly it snaps back is a rough indicator of dehydration. If your dog is hydrated, its skin will return quickly to its normal state, as opposed to a dehydrated dog whose skin would creep back over a few seconds. If your pet is prone to dehydration, or you have a particularly active or old dog, it may be worth while having some pet electrolytes handy to aid in quick replacement of fluids and minerals. We do however, need to be aware of excessive consumption (Polydipsia), which can signal of developing Diabetes Mellitus. We also need to be aware of consumption that is too low. This is mainly a concern for those who feed dry food to their pets as it dehydrates them, unless appropriate moisture is added. 

7. Conclusion:

How do you get the best quality water for your dog or cat? Water is the most important nutrient for a healthy life. You can provide your dog with the best quality drinking water it seems, if you serve filtered water, at an appropriate temperature for the time of year, and in clean ceramic or stainless steel bowls. And, remember, much like us, animals can forget to drink, out of sight out of mind. Make sure you give them the choice to drink when they want by providing multiple sources and locations where clean, good water can be found. Happy hydrating!

Murray Ballenden, partner in Your Pet Essentials 11/02/2008