How to put your dog on a diet
what should I feed my dog, and how to make your own dog food
A dog's closest living relative is the wolf or wild dog. Keeping the diet of a wolf or wild dog in mind is a good guide to how your own dog should be fed for maximum health and longevity.
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Wolves and wild dogs are by nature carnivorous, omnivorous, and scavenging.They catch and devour wild living prey, consume dead animals (carrion), dig up roots, eat fruit and berries, and eat the dung and ingesta (gut contents) of their herbivore prey. When eating carrion or prey, they will consume hair, skin, and bone in addition to cartilage, sinews, and ingesta. This ancestral diet is very informative.
It is logical to assume that, if we stray too far from this with our own pets, ill health and poor growth and development are likely to ensue.
Suitable and unsuitable foods:
* Wholesome, fresh, raw meat (not pig) is better than cooked. Giving raw bones is also possible. However, caution is advised when giving an adult dog bones for the first time, since his instinct may not be very strong, resulting in some risk. The mineral benefits of bones can still be obtained by grinding raw bones thoroughly for dogs who are unaccustomed to whole bones.
* Dogs require vegetable material, but in processed form (they cannot chew and, in the wild, their vegetation intake is partly digested). Vegetable material can be liquidized or blended, boiled or steamed. If a juicer is used, feed the pulp, too. Carrots should be organic.
* Dogs can eat fruit, but research suggests that grapes (and currants, raisins, or sultanas) may be toxic to some dogs.
* Animal fat (raw), vegetable oils (not solvent-extracted), additive-free fish oils, additive-free cod-liver oil, and essential fatty acids (omega-3, 6, and 9) are suitable supplements for dogs.
* Grain starches contain little nutrition and are not required. In some cases, they can be harmful. It is not part of the diet of a wild wolf, although a very high-energy dog
may be able to use starch satisfactorily.
* Cow's milk and dairy products (butter, cheese, and cream), especially if pasteurized, should be avoided wherever possible. Yogurt and cottage cheese may be acceptable, due to the process involved in their preparation. Experience suggests that goat's milk and its products are well tolerated.
* Avoid both salt and sugar.
* Chocolate can be toxic to dogs.
* Water should be filtered or obtained from a spring or well. Softened water is usually unsafe. When buying water or when traveling, glass bottles are preferred to plastic, which can leach toxins into the water.
Food and drink containers:
The receptacle in which in the food or water is offered can be important. Ceramic, china, terra¬ cotta, or other pottery-type bowls, plates, or dishes are recommended because they do not leach undesirable or toxic material into the diet. Enameled metal bowls may be acceptable. Plastic or stainless-steel bowls are not recommended. Plastic is toxic, the colorants used are toxic, and stainless steel may leach nickel (allergenic) and other metals into the contents. If special dishes are required (for example, raised bowls), then a ceramic bowl can be placed within the special bowl. Feeding bowls should be washed in hot water, using an ecological (nontoxic) liquid if necessary.
What your dog needs and doesn't need:
Advised:
Wholesome, fresh, raw meat
Occasional raw knucklebone
Raw grated or liquidized vegetables
Boiled or steamed vegetables
Boned cooked fish
Seaweed and kelp
Organic eggs
Ceramic or pottery bowls.
Not advised:
Pig products of any kind
Grain starches
Carrots that are nonorganic
Pasteurized milk products
Grapes
Chocolate
Stainless-steel or plastic bowls.
Caution:
Whether feeding suitable raw bones represents a health risk is a matter of opinion and depends on the individual dog. If in doubt, seek the advice of a holistic vet.