Of course, you want to give your pet the best nutrition possible. But with so many food products on the market, it’s hard to figure out what really is the best. You know you can’t trust advertising, so what do you look for?
First of all, it’s helpful to know a bit about your dog’s digestive system. Like their wolf ancestors, dogs are primarily meat eaters. They can (and should) eat a bit of everything but their systems are made especially for breaking down meat-based protein. Because their digestive tracts are short and they lack the enzyme for breaking down starches, they cannot digest plant-based food well and it will not have the proper time in their system for their nutritional benefits to be fully absorbed.
Knowing this, as you might imagine, a food that includes mostly meat will be ideal. So one thing you want to do is check the ingredients to see that the first one on the list is an animal-based protein source.
However, not all of these are equal either. For example, meat from muscle is more digestible than organ meats which are in turn far more digestible than fish. However dogs do need the fatty acids that fish contain, as well as requiring sources of animal fats.
From all of this, you can start to get the idea that what is good nutritional advice for humans is not necessarily good for dogs (and vice versa). Just like their human owners, they need certain things but in the proper balance. Too much of one thing may be bad for them while too much of another may be either bad or just be a waste of money.
In addition, just like people, some dogs may have more sensitive digestive tracts than others. We all know that person who can seemingly eat anything, not get a tummy ache, and be completely healthy. There are dogs like that too, but there are also dogs who seem to have food-based allergies, often to gluten, as with so many people these days. All dogs, but especially these sensitive types, can benefit from probiotics as well as fiber in the food, among other things.
Obviously, this is a lot to keep in mind, and it’s not even the exhaustive list. For the best advice on how to meet your furry friend’s food needs, visit the website for this pet doctor for dogs in Morgan Hill. They can help you with professional advice on canine cuisine.
First of all, it’s helpful to know a bit about your dog’s digestive system. Like their wolf ancestors, dogs are primarily meat eaters. They can (and should) eat a bit of everything but their systems are made especially for breaking down meat-based protein. Because their digestive tracts are short and they lack the enzyme for breaking down starches, they cannot digest plant-based food well and it will not have the proper time in their system for their nutritional benefits to be fully absorbed.
Knowing this, as you might imagine, a food that includes mostly meat will be ideal. So one thing you want to do is check the ingredients to see that the first one on the list is an animal-based protein source.
However, not all of these are equal either. For example, meat from muscle is more digestible than organ meats which are in turn far more digestible than fish. However dogs do need the fatty acids that fish contain, as well as requiring sources of animal fats.
From all of this, you can start to get the idea that what is good nutritional advice for humans is not necessarily good for dogs (and vice versa). Just like their human owners, they need certain things but in the proper balance. Too much of one thing may be bad for them while too much of another may be either bad or just be a waste of money.
In addition, just like people, some dogs may have more sensitive digestive tracts than others. We all know that person who can seemingly eat anything, not get a tummy ache, and be completely healthy. There are dogs like that too, but there are also dogs who seem to have food-based allergies, often to gluten, as with so many people these days. All dogs, but especially these sensitive types, can benefit from probiotics as well as fiber in the food, among other things.
Obviously, this is a lot to keep in mind, and it’s not even the exhaustive list. For the best advice on how to meet your furry friend’s food needs, visit the website for this pet doctor for dogs in Morgan Hill. They can help you with professional advice on canine cuisine.