January 23, 2012
Posted in Pet Food

Everyone knows that dogs love meat. Give them a treat of chicken or beef, or even the innards from a turkey, and they are beyond happy. Many dogs will eat practically anything their owners give them, but meat is a special treat. What is important to note though is that dogs are not strictly carnivores. Unlike felines, canines need a range of nutrients from fruits, vegetables and grains for them to thrive.

Recently there has been a type of pet food change, with many brands boasting "no grains" or "raw diets." While dogs do need a certain amount of carbohydrates in their diet, these types of food are pushing back against a common and unhealthy trend in dog foods: corn and other inexpensive grains are often used as fillers, making the food cheaper but less nutritious for your pooch.

Commercial dog foods today contain meat but also plenty of carbohydrates. What is important is to look for what types of carbohydrates the food contains. Dogs need some carbs, but, like humans, they should come from sources that provide other nutritional value as well. If you are looking to rid your dog's diet of the junky fillers, one of the purest options you could go for is a raw dog food like Instinct Raw Frozen Diet Bison. Many owners choose this type of food because it contains 95 percent meat, which seems to be the closest to what a dog's diet would be in the wild. However, it also contains fruits, vegetables and other whole foods to keep your dog's nutrition balanced.

You don't have to buy raw food for your pooch in order to feed it grain-free, however. There are canned foods such as Before Grain Canned Dog Food and Petcurean Go! Natural Canned Dog Food. These foods contain meat, fruits and veggies, but also important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin to promote joint health.

Still, some dog owners may balk at the idea of buying wet food for their pooch, particularly if they have a dog that grazes. There are plenty of varieties of dry kibble that are grain-free as well. Candidae Grain Free Pure Elements is one dry dog food that provides the utmost nutrition for your pooch. There is still 80 percent meat in this type of food, and the other 20 percent is fruits and vegetables with no artificial colors or preservatives.

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5. Helping your arthritic dog with pet food