Healthy Natural Dog Food And How It Can Help Your Pet

The famous comedian Groucho Marx once said "outside of a dog, a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Humour aside, dogs are our best friends and we should therefore look after them and treat them as such. With the worldwide revolution towards natural and organic products, it is not surprising that this movement has made its way into what we feed our dogs.

There are loads of commercial dog foods to be found in our supermarkets and at pet food suppliers, but it has now been proven that many of them contain elements which are undesirable as nutrition for dogs, and some even contain harmful additives. The chemical preservatives such as BHA and ethoxyquin and artificial colourings and flavourings are commonly found on the ingredients list. So too are animal by-products like bones, heads, beaks, feathers and feet. Corn, wheat, gluten, soy fillers and beef fat which dogs cannot digest; and sugars and corn syrup are other ingredients which harm your dog. Many of them are also deficient in important nutrients, so one should check labels carefully to ensure that the food you are feeding your dog is not detrimental to its health.

Healthy natural dog food is now readily available. These products contain only natural and wholesome ingredients and are packed with all the vitamins, minerals, fats and fatty acids essential to your dog's health and wellbeing. They have no artificial colours or preservatives, and are not filled with starches (corn, wheat, soy and gluten) or animal by-products to bulk up the food.

It is important to note that, although we may think that feeding our dogs the same good food that humans eat, many of our foods are dangerous to them. Onions, for example, contain thiosulphate, which damages your dog's red blood cells; grapes and raisins in large quantities can make your dog vomit or have diarrhoea and cause kidney damage; and broccoli contains isothiocynate, which is toxic in large quantities and which causes numerous stomach problems.

The benefits of feeding healthy and natural dog food and how it can help you pet will be seen in various ways. Your dog will soon have a more beautiful and shiny coat, lots more energy for running and playing, will not be overweight and will have a strong immune system. If your dog suffers from allergies and/or irritating skin infections, giving him healthy natural dog food - free of artificial flavourings, colourings and toxic pesticides - will most probably rid him of all symptoms.

Overweight dogs suffer similar health problems to humans, such as diabetes and organ damage, so getting your dog to a healthy body weight is imperative. With natural and/or organic food this is easy, as there are no grain fillers and it is full of tasty and nutrient-rich ingredients, so your dog only eats what is necessary for a healthy metabolic function. Healthy natural dog food also lessens digestive disorders, as it is easy to digest.

All this will lead to a much longer life expectancy and quality of life for your dog - your best friend.