A Look At Dog Food Ingredients That Promotes Good Health For Your Shih Tzu

A high quality dog food for the Shih Tzu does not contain by-products or inferior grains, chemical additives or preservatives of any kind. By-products, inferior grains, chemical additives and preservatives are all known to be harmful to your Shih Tzu.

Many times dog food manufacturers will use very high temperatures when cooking their products. This actually destroys nutrients and vitamins. They will then add flavor enhancers or coloring to replace what the high temperature cooking process takes from the appearance and flavor of the food. Pay attention to how your dog food is cooked.

A high quality dog food for the Shih Tzu will only contain natural goodness in a superior food product that is formulated especially to promote good health. Dog food manufacturers who are actually concerned about the health of your Shih Tzu will be extremely careful about every single ingredient. Fresh human quality foods from carefully selected farmers and growers combined with the high quality extras such as proteinated minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and bacteria cultures are known to have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being of the Shih Tzu as well as other canine breeds.

When choosing the highest in quality dog food and treats for the Shih Tzu, choose a food known to be scientifically balanced to support your Shih Tzu’s overall health. Stay clear of dog foods and treats that have even a speck of artificial flavor, colors, processed sugars or chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT, sulfur dioxide, sorbates, or benzoates. When you choose a food for your Shih Tzu, you want it to be just as natural and deliciously wholesome as if you made the food yourself.

Consider the following list for ingredients you want to find listed on the food label of the dog food you choose for the Shih Tzu:

• Chicken Fat
• Catfish Meal
• Flaxseed Meal
• Eggs

Chicken Fat, Catfish Meal, Flaxseed Meal, and eggs are ingredients that provide a natural balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat. How many times have we seen that the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are of high importance to human health? Professional dog food formulators and scientists have found these same ingredients to have the same healthy benefits for our Shih Tzu and other canine breeds.

In addition, Whole Brown Rice provides an excellent source of highly digestible carbohydrates for short-term energy and dietary fiber that is gentle on the stomachs of canine friends and our beloved Shih Tzu.

What about fresh vegetables and fruit for our canine and Shih Tzu friends? Some opponents to the holistic approach to feeding canines say dogs are not humans and you should not feed them human foods. However, studies have proven that fresh vegetables and fruit actually provide natural plant phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and potent bioflavonoids that help support an active immune system. What does this mean for you as an owner of a canine companion or a beloved Shih Tzu? It means healthier dogs and fewer trips to the vet. Their immune system is strong enough to ward off the germs of canine diseases, even cancers and other life threatening conditions. You can take the healthiest Shih Tzu from the healthiest bloodlines and make them “unhealthy” with the food you feed them and shorten their life spans.

Other ingredients known to have beneficial health benefits for canine companions and our beloved Shih Tzu include:

• Grape seed Extract: A natural preservative as well as a concentrated antioxidant
• Beet Fiber, Brewers Yeast and Natural Bacteria Cultures: These ingredients help the digestive system work at peak efficiency, which allows your pet to get more nutrition from their food.
• Natural DHA and EPA: These ingredients support good vision, a strong heart and healthy central nervous system
• Natural Antioxidants: Help maintain a healthy immune system as well as helps to keep the dog food fresh

And once, again, stay clear of dog foods that state they use artificial colors, flavors and preservatives in their products. This is just absolutely “no good” for our beloved Shih Tzu friends and other canine companions as well. Every bite of food should be a bite of nutrition rather than just a bite of “filler.” We don’t want to feed our kids junk food or ourselves. The same is true for our canine companions and beloved Shih Tzu. Don’t feed them the junk food brands of dog food. Look for high quality, natural ingredients when you are choosing a dog food for your Shih Tzu or other canine companions.

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© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved