Dog's have been around for thousands of years. man and his "dired dog food" for far less. So to understand a modern dogs nutrition we need to understand how mans manufactured substitute affects our animals. The original died dog biscuit was created by James Spratt. The idea was for a cheap, easy to store biscuit, consisting of wheat and vegetables, including beetroot, all of this bound together with beef blood
It has only been in recent times that dog owners have come to the hard realization that their dog's nutrition is one that requires particular care and monitoring, and that what's on the label of a bag of kibble may not be sufficient in understanding exactly what Fido is ingesting. Case in point: The was a recall of Canadian pet foods that had been manufactured in China which did result in numerous unwell animals and some deaths. The cause was later found to be from melamine found in the wheat gluten.
These unfortunate experiences tell us that we must not only be aware of what our dogs are eating, but keep an alert eye on what they are eliminating as well as the potential symptoms of how improper nutrition will manifest illnesses and skin conditions. While dogs are subject to allergies which can be responsible for such conditions as pruritis, intense itching, or otitis externa, persistent ear infections, they may also show symptoms such as increased bowel movements, diarrhoea and vomiting. allergies can also develope simply from prolonged exposure to certain types of proteins, occuring from feeding the same food without variety periods. Wheat has become a substantial in most dogs diets, but some do not tolerate it as well as others.
Some would argue: Dogs have been with us for as long as we have, so what is wrong with continuing to ffed them our table scraps? When commercial d foods ogare made up of fillers, additives, and other non-essentials, and the poor quality of meats rarely contain any meat content at all, what is an owner to do to provide sufficient nutrients for their dog? Disputes arise over a raw food diet, with those who quite rightly believe it mimics a natural routine. This presents its own difficulties in the very short shelf life of raw foods, as well as the potential for cross contamination.
One needs to realise that a domesticated canine, does still have teeth to shred meat, they have become less carnivorous and more omnivorous. Omnivorous is being they require water, protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and fibre. Equally, a dogs diet benefits from nutritional supplements, such as herbs, providing useful dietary support for healthy skin and shiny coats. Avoid generic brands, this will eliminate the risk of potentially feeding your dog meat from diseased and decaing animals. While it may be more costly to buy the products that are clearly produced from better quality ingredients, it is a far better choice than risking the content of meat from less desirable sources
