everything you need to know about healthy foods for your friend better (dogs)

everything you need to know about healthy foods for your friend better (dogs)

TWFA With You Again In An Other Article About about healthy foods for your friend better (dogs)

We share our lives with animals because they’re great companions. We wantthe same long and healthy lives for them that we want for ourselves. Goodfood, well-balanced relationships, clean air and water, plenty of exercise —these are the foundations of a healthy life.

We’re told that humans need to eat whole, minimally processed fresh foods,and that we should vary our diets. We often get different advice for ouranimals.

If your dog is already bursting with health, you may not see a big difference when you switch to fresh food. If she has chronic health problems,you are likely to see those improve. You may notice that some of the small problems you thought were “just age” have diminished.

We think you’ll see and feel a big change

Emphasis on seasonal vegetables
and fruits

Hand in hand with being able to choose your own ingredients is the benefit of selecting fruits and vegetables during their peak season—a time when they’re not only less expensive, but also more nutritious. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide excellent nutrition for your dog. While dogs’ digestive systems cannot break down the cellulose walls in raw plant cells, they can utilize these nutrient-dense foods when you cook them or you break them down in a juicer, blender, or food processor. Those all-important nutrients are bioavailable to your dog after you purée, juice, steam, or cook that fruit or vegetable.

                Which fruits and veggies are good for your dog? As with people, the brightly colored vegetables and fruits are some of the most nutritious. Some of our favorites to incorporate in our dogs’ meals include:

Pumpkin: Pumpkin is not just a fall favorite (when we buy it fresh, purée it, and freeze it for later use—it’ll keep for a few months); it can be a great choice for dogs year-round. Amazingly, pumpkin can be helpful for both constipation and diarrhea, and it’s also another excellent food for making your dog feel full. If you don’t have fresh pumpkin, you can purchase canned pumpkin purée (but not pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices).

         .Carrots: Carrots are a favorite snack for many dogs, enjoyed raw as an alternative to a rawhide chew. For your dog to get the nutrients in the carrot, though, you’ll need to steam, cook, or purée the carrot to unleash its powerhouse of vitamins, such as vitamin A and beta carotene.

       .Eggs: Not only are eggs an economical source of protein for your dog, but they pack a real punch in terms of nutrients. You’ll find numerous recipes for egg dishes and treats in this book. Some proponents of raw diets also favor feeding eggs raw. However, be aware of two potential issues: food poisoning from salmonella or E. coli, and the presence of avidin, a vitamin B inhibitor that’s found in uncooked egg whites. If you feed uncooked eggs regularly, just be sure to feed the entire egg, not just the egg white.

         .Green beans: A great source of vitamin A, green beans are also a wonderful way to help your hungry hound feel full without packing on the calories. If you don’t have fresh green beans, canned will work, but look for a low-sodium variety.

         .Spinach: Our dogs enjoy salads, but spinach can be served in manyways that effectively deliver the iron that’s found in this leafy green

         .Sweet potatoes: Like carrots, sweet potatoes make a great chew , but you can also purée them and add to any meal for a great source of vitamin E as well as vitamin B , vitamin C, beta carotene, and more.

         .Bananas: Bowsers and bananas go hand in hand (and add in a little peanut butter and you’ll be a gourmet in your dog’s eyes). That banana is also packed with nutritional goodies, including amino acids,electrolytes, minerals, vitamins B6 and C, potassium, fiber, and manganese.

The Big Pieces: Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate and Water

The balance of ingredients in our program by volume for dogs is 75% meat, organs and bone, and 25% veggies and fruit. For cats, the balance is about 88% meat, organs and bone, and 12% veggies by volume. This volume is slightly different from the ancestral balance. Although the vegetables and fruits take up a little more physical space than in the ancestral diet, the nutrition profile is very similar. In our experience, this balance works for most pets. The extra fiber from veggies helps out the intestinal function of our sedentary pets and the high antioxidant levels found in vegetables and fruits are beneficial for detoxification processes, rebuilding and healing. Some animals do better with a little less or more in the way of veggies. Some medical or hereditary conditions require dietary modification. This program is for healthy, normal dogs and cats.    shorturl.at/mwMS4

                 Protein is the foundation of a carnivore’s diet, necessary for the formation of healthy cells, enzymes, hormones, ligaments, tendons, organs and protective tissue. Protein is an integral part of every cell of the body. Next to water, it makes up the majority of our pet’s body weight.

Meat, bone and organs really can’t be thought of as just protein. The bone portion of the large percentage of the diet contributed by muscle, bone and organ contains both the hard bone we see and the marrow inside the bone, which is mostly fat with some water, so “meat and bone and organs” really can’t be thought of as just protein.

                Fat in the ancestral diet comes from the fat we see when we look at meat, and also includes substantial amounts from bone marrow, eyes, and brains.

Save money

Making your own dog food can also save you money. Compared to the pricebof premium dog food (including commercial raw diets), homemade food can be a cost saver, especially when you consider that many of the ingredients are simple, staple items that you can purchase in bulk and store for future use. By using produce that is in season, you have the double advantage of having fresh ingredients at their nutritional peak available at the very lowest price. Here’s a quick look at some of the best seasonal buys:

  

                  Fall: acorn squash, apples, butternut squash, figs, pears, pumpkin, sweet potatoes

                

             Winter: radishes, rutabagas, turnips

             Spring: apricots, carrots, mangos, spinach, strawberries, snow peas, sugar snap peas

            Summer: blackberries, blueberries, green beans, peaches, plums, raspberries, watermelon, zucchiniv

WHAT NOT TO FEED YOUR DOG

(WARNING)

Before you begin spicing up Spot’s supper, it’s very important to realize that some foods that humans eat should never be fed to your dog. Among others, these are foods you must not feed your dog :

       Alcohol 

      Apple seeds

      Apricot pits

      Avocados 

      Cherry pits 

      Chocolate 

      Coffee (and other caffeinated drinks)

       Garlic: Some people feed small amounts but only in moderation. Ask your vet for recommendations. Grapes and raisins: Because they are condensed, raisins are more dangerous than grapes; avoid cereals and cookies with raisins. 

      Macadamia nuts 

      Nutmeg