Holistic Dog Food
It isn't exactly common knowledge, but the dog food that's for sale at most supermarkets contains things like meat by-products, corn, soy, wheat, and artificial colors and preservatives. The manufacturer's of these dog foods are in business to make money after all, and they try to find the most cost-effective ways to mass produce these foods yet still meet the bare minimums for nutritional requirements. These items lead to digestive issues, intolerance to grains, and food related allergies. Corn, soy, and wheat are nothing but cheap fillers that make your dog feel full and promote allergies.
Holistic dog food is made with real meat, wholesome grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods are naturally allergen free, which promotes better skin and coat and greater overall health for your pet. If your pet prefers chicken, beef, bison, duck, fish, lamb, turkey, venison or vegetarian holistic food, you can find them all through DogFoodReport.com.
Grain Free Dog Food
Grain free dog food is becoming more popular among dog owners. According to many nutrition experts, the main reason for this is due to the harmful long term effects of feeding high volume grain diets. There are various formulas of grain free dog foods, each using different ingredients to make up for the lack of grains. In the wild, dogs do not eat a large amount of carbohydrates. Their diets mainly consist of meat proteins. However, they do eat plant proteins, but most of these come from the animals they consume.
The biggest benefit of feeding grain-free is because many dogs are allergic to grain. Grain allergies will often cause ear infections, excessive scratching, licking of paws and hot spots. Dogs with issues such as these will benefit greatly by eating grain free foods by eliminating grain allergens from their diet.
The transition time is one of the biggest things to remember when switching to a grain free dog food. Switching to a grain free food needs to be slow and done over 3 weeks. The first week should be 1/4 of the new food and 3/4 of the old food. The second week should be 1/2 of the new food and 1/2 the old food. The third week should be 3/4 of the new food and 1/4 old food before switching entirely to the new food on the forth week. A sudden food change may cause stomach aches or diarrhea.
Dehydrated Dog Food
Dehydrated dog food is made by slicing raw meats and vegetables and placing them in dehydration bins. All of the water will then be removed from the food using large fans and then it is packaged. This process allows the food to retain the beneficial nutrients, vitamins and enzymes, unlike what dry, processed foods contain.
Dehydrated dog food is the closest form to feeding raw food. The preparation for feeding dehydrated food is very easy and you can make several days worth of food at one time. Adding water is the only thing that's needed for this food's preparation. For best results, let the food and water mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator. Just pour the mixture in their bowl when you are ready to feed your pet. It's that simple.
One of the biggest questions people have about dehydrated foods is how long the bag will last. The bags are not very big, usually weighing around 4 to 10 pounds, but don't let the size of the bag fool you. A 10 pound bag of dehydrated dog food will generally last a 50 pound dog about one month….a lot of food in a small package.
As with any other dog food, it's very important to slowly introduce a new food to your pet's diet. The transition time will generally take about two to three weeks. It's important to remember that all pets are different and some take longer to transition than others. If you're unsure about feeding your pet a totally raw diet, dehydrated food is a great alternative.
Raw Dog Food
Raw dog food is a popular way to feed dogs over the last few years because of the recent dog food recalls. By feeding raw meat, you will eliminate these worries. One of the most popular reasons people transition to feeding raw is because they have a dog with dog food allergies. It's also the closest form to the way an animal would eat in the wild.
Our dog food partners offer different types of raw dog food and raw, uncooked bones. These foods come in many different proteins such as beef, chicken, turkey, bison, venison and rabbit. Many people who feed their pet raw meat will also give raw bones for the added calcium and phosphorus. Raw bones are also a great way to clean teeth and exercise their chewing muscles. Raw bones make a great dog treat and keep your pet busy in trying to get the marrow out.
There are some precautions that need to be taken when feeding raw. You should always make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw meat. Another precaution is when introducing dogs to raw dog food and raw bones they may experience constipation, diarrhea, or both. Just like when transitioning a dog from any other food its very important to go slowly and feed small amounts at first.