5 Basic Facts About Dog Nutrition

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     Dogs are like people in some ways. And one of those ways is in matters concerning the need for healthy nutrition. Dogs have to eat right, just like people do. However, this doesn't mean that they have to eat like people do! (You caught that, right?) Dogs must be fed in certain ways to realize their optimal health. Dogs, like people, can become overweight. Dogs, like people, can get cancer. People can dramatically increase their chances of NOT getting cancer or becoming overweight through the consuming of a proper diet. The same principle holds true for dogs.

Let's look at some important, key nutrition and dietary tips for your dog.

* Your dog does not need dog food made from ingredients such as soybeans or corn meal gluten. In fact, even we human beings should minimize our intake of that type of food product. It's even worse for dogs to get that kind of so-called "nutrition". Purina Puppy Chow and stuff like that is fine for puppies, but once your dog turns one in people years, it's time for the super high protein diet-for the rest of his life. Eggs, meat, fish, poultry-these are the foods to give your dog. (Either "people food" or wet dog food made from these things will do.) Dog biscuits are fine as treats, but read the ingredients labels and stay away from giving dog biscuits that contain soy or corn meal. (This can be somewhat difficult.)

* Although I just said that dog biscuits are fine as treats, don't overdo the treating. One or two biscuits per day equals plenty enough. Once again, this is much as it is with human beings. For human beings to remain optimally fit we must keep the sweets to a minimum. "Sweets" for dogs are dog biscuits.

* Although it can be a lot of fun to do stuff like this, don't feed your dog cookies or other human sweets. Alright, feeding your dog cookies at Christmas time is fun, and as long as it's kept at a level like that, feeding the dog sweets is harmless. When you do feed the dog the rare human sweet treat, try to make it one that contains a good amount of dietary fiber. An example would be an oatmeal cookie. Don't feed your dog cake, unless you think a constipated or nauseous dog is desirable to have around.

* Dog foods come with labels that suggest the proper portion size relative to the size of your dog. Take these labels seriously, so that you aren't over-feeding (or under-feeding) your dog. You don't want a glutton. You also don't want the Tawny Scrawny Lion.

* Don't get into the habit of feeding your dog all of your people food leftovers. If you've got bones (not chicken bones nor fish bones) left over, give them to your dog in his bowl. If you've got some fat that you cut from your steak, give that to your dog in his bowl. But don't give your dog Sloppy Joe leftovers, and don't let your kids give the dog their unwanted broccoli. These foods are not optimally healthy for dogs, plus feeding them to your dog breeds a bad habit of begging at the dinner table-which should be a no-no.

Follow these basic tips for optimal dog nutrition.