Healthy Natural Dog Food - Humans vs Dogs Part 2

Recently we looked at some of the physical differences between dogs vs humans and the effect on nutritional requirements. The number of teeth, the ability of the dogs jaw to only work up and down and perhaps most importantly the short digestive system of the dog when compared to humans. As a result we concluded that a dog needed to be fed a healthy natural dog food. Taking this one step further we might go so far as to say that they should also be fed a human grade dog food. While this may seem extreme so many health issues that manifest themselves in dogs are a direct result of poor nutrition.

Certain additives that we take for granted, can create liver and kidney damage. Liver and kidney diseases are amongst the leading causes of illness in dogs. For example, our water contains fluoride. Dogs do not get cavities so they sure do not need fluoride in their water. It can be safe for people (even though 10 European countries have banned fluorination of water). In dogs, fluoride alters serum calcium/phosphorous balance and can damage bones and kidneys. Dogs should drink filtered water and stay away from processed, canned dog food. These contain high levels of concentrated fluoride.

Did you know that dogs make their own Vitamin C? Dogs use trace minerals in the liver to produce their own supply of this vitamin. Humans cannot do this. Supplementing Vitamin C for dogs can create pH imbalances in the kidney. Adding Vit C can also damage the liver. Many manufacturers use vitamin C because it is a cheap preservative that prevents discoloration, not because it benefits the dog.

There are many differences between dogs and humans and we can take a look at them in later articles, dog's sense of smell, sight and hearing is all dramatically different and bears looking into. Most people realize that dogs see motion better than humans but did you know that your dog has a third eyelid? It helps to protect the eye and remove debris. Dogs have flatter lenses and larger pupils so you see that when you delve a little deeper into your four-legged friends physiology that you need to learn more about how dogs are built in order to understand the "why" of what they might need.

While a good portion of what we focus on has to do with digestion and nutrition knowing your dog better than ever can only help you take better care of your dog and have him around to enjoy for a long time. I hope you have enjoyed this comparison and that it helps you make informed decisions about how and what to feed your best friend. We all need whole, natural, unprocessed food. You can see that dogs need high quality, human grade dog food for healthy absorption and digestion.

Amongst other things we will be covering how to read labels in future articles.

Dr. Janice Elenbaas

Always remember, Health comes from the inside out!

Dr. Janice Elenbaas DC - The first woman recognized to adjust animals in Canada and a founding member of the Ontario Veterinarian Chiropractic Association is a passionate advocate of the benefit of whole foods for both humans and animals. Her company Lucky Dog Cuisine provides all natural HUMAN GRADE cooked meals for dogs. For more info or to receive her FREE INFOSERIES on dog nutrition please visit =>
http://www.luckydogcuisine.com