On the average, a dog needs about 25 calories per pound of body weight per day to maintain a stable weight. Inactive dogs, neutered dogs, or those that live in  warm climates require less caloric intake, while active or working dogs, active puppies such as Rottweiler Puppies may require a higher amount depending on their activity.  However, small dogs that are under 20 pounds can take in as many as 40 calories per pound of body weight while dogs that are a 100 pounds or over may get by with as little as 15 calories per pound per day.

It is important to make sure that your dog isn’t eating too much.  Overweight dogs can easily be susceptible to a number of health problems.  As a dog owner it is our responsibility maintain our dogs at a healthy weight.  A dog can only have so many calories each day, therefore it is important that those calories have nutritional value and at the same time provide bulk and are appealling to its pallet.  If you feed your dog homemade dog food, some calculations will have to be made to determine the caloric content of the prepared meals.  Making sure your dog eats healthy foods will help contribute to its quality of life and longevity.

A homemade dog food diet can be adjusted to fit your dog’s needs and it can also assure you that your dog is eating healthy.  A dog in good health will eat at any time.  So don’t fall for his pleading and begging behavior as an indicator of how much to feed him.  Dogs can react in different ways to a change in diet. Study your dog’s reactions to the different ingredients being used.  Protein is one of the major sources of energy for your dog.  Fiber will help your dog feel fuller and also fuels the body so they can enjoy life and stay young.  Meats, fruits, vegetables and grains are all sources of carbohydrates.  It is exttremely important for you to know how many carbohydrates your dog is ingesting, especially if they are diabetic.

Below is a general guideline for caloric requirements for dogs:

Knowing how many calories he needs and how that translates into food will help keep him trim and healthy.  A good rule of thumb would be to keep their calories at 60% of the normal requirement.  Avoid low quality foods that use corn syrups and other sources of refined sugars.  Do not feed an adult dog food intended for a puppy.  Besides making him very fat, it can have some severe consequences.  Feeding your dog more natural foods can be more beneficial to its health.  Many dogs enjoy meals that are made or mixed up with eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, kelp and flax seed meal.

Always consult your veterinarian when thinking of changing your dog’s diet.  Inform your vet of why you feel your dog needs a new diet and always ask for his recommendations . Make sure you understand about dog food nutrition and caloric requirements, and how your new diet will properly supply your dog’s needs.

B.A.R.F. is believed to promote longevity, reproductive capability, and our dogs’ overall health. Once the fundamentals of this type of diet are understood, any dog owner can implement the diet in caring for his dogs. No highly specialized form of education is required.

B.A.R.F. feeding is comprised of 60% meaty bones and 40% organic foods and other dog food ingredients. The meaty bones portion should be made up of 60%-70% raw chicken bones and 30%-40% bones from raw rabbit, lamb, pork, venison, beef, etc.

The organic portion of the diet should be about 60%-70% green leafy vegetables with about 20%-30% grain and starchy vegetables. The diet’s offal portion of kidneys, livers, and hearts should make up about 5%-15%. Owners can add raw eggs a few times a week or as desired.

Administering B.A.R.F. in your dog’s diet also has its benefits to dog owners. The most important of all is that you reduce or are totally spared from veterinary bills. Obesity can be a major problem when it comes to dogs but feeding them B.A.R.F. dog food recipes ensures that it maintains a healthy weight.

B.A.R.F. feeding naturally cleans you dog’s teeth, promotes fresher breath, and shinier coats. A bad stomach ache, arthritis, allergies, skin conditions, and other health problems can be avoided if you switch from commercial dog foods to B.A.R.F. feeding. People who have tried it say that their pets have better appetite and are more energetic. This type of diet can easily be customized to meet the needs of your dog.

There are many views and theories on what is the best dog food.  In general however, to many pet owners it all boils down to cost.  If we can afford it then that will be the dog food brand we will feed our dogs.  Unfortunately this may not be the best course of action to take.  Price is not a sound qualifier for choosing a commercial dog food.  Feeding our dogs sub par ingredients from “discount dog foods” may save us money, but in the long run we will wind up paying higher veterinary bills when our dogs get sick.  So what are we to do?

First off we can start by being more careful when it comes to inspecting the ingredients found on dog food labels.  Generic brands are not considered a good choice.  Most generic brands use poor quality ingredients.  We should avoid any generic meat ingredients that do not mention a specific species, and avoid such phrases as “meat by-products” and “meat and bone meal” and any brands that use corn as the main ingredient.  Looking for dog food brands that use “chicken or beef meal” is the way to go.

Generic or discount dog foods use many chemicals to enhance the taste of that particular food.  These chemicals only disguise what is really in the food and fool your dog into preferring it.  We should be on the look out such things as texturizers, coloring agents and drying agents.  Avoid any brands that lists these as dog food ingredients.  Premium dog foods use a higher grade of ingredients free from additives but of course at a higher price.  If you are truly into caring for your dog, then you might consider preparing your dog’s food using your own ingredients.

Since the pet food recall making your dog’s food from a collection of homemade dog food recipes has become more popular.  Making these recipes does require some research and extra work,  but with this option we are in control of our dog’s nutrition.  Proper dog food nutrition involves providing our dogs with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  One of the best dog food recipes to use is Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s BARF diet .

The idea of the B.A.R.F. diet is to feed our dogs raw whole foods just like their ancestors.  This diet consists of muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetables.  It does take a considerable amount of time to make these preparations.  Premium commercial dog foods have gone through considerable research in providing the necessary nutrition a dog needs and may have more nutrients  than those found through the BARF diet.

So if we truly care for our dogs, we as dog owners have just two choices.  Either prepare homemade dog food so that we know exactly what our dog is eating, or  buy a premium dog food.  With the second choice we should spend more time in learning about dog food labels and the AAFCO standards. It’s all up to us.

]]> http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/commercial-or-homemade-dog-food/feed/ 1 http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/table-foods-you-should-not-feed-your-dog/ http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/table-foods-you-should-not-feed-your-dog/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:03:20 +0000 mythbstr http://onlinedogfoodrecipes.com/?p=127 When it comes to feeding our dogs, we only want what is best for them.  Many of us believe that natural or home made dog foods are best.  Some believe that raw dog food provides the best nutritional values. While others follow their veterinarians advice or go for commercial dog foods. No matter what we believe we all have a tendency to feed our dogs table foods of some kind or another.  But do we know what is good for our dogs when we give them table food.  Here are some foods to avoid when feeding your dogs table food.

Though most of us with a sweet tooth love chocolate, chocolate is one of the worst foods we can give our dogs.  Chocolate is made with cocoa beans.  Cocoa beans contain methylxanthine alkaloids which are toxic to dogs. Some Chocolates and other candies are sweetened with xylitol, a sugar alcohol substitute found in the fiber of many fruits and vegetables, which is also toxic to dogs.

Be careful with the bones you give your dog.  Though there are many differences of opinion when it comes to feeding bones to dogs, we should never give them soft or splintered chicken or pork bones.  Marrow bones, bones that are mostly cartilage, shoulder bones, and knuckle bones are a good chew for dogs.

For years there has been an ongoing debate regarding the feeding of raw foods to our dogs. Many argue that raw foods deliver higher nutrient levels than those of cooked food and contain no preservatives.  However, feeding raw meats can be risky due to bacteria and parasites. Certain raw fruits and vegetables can cause digestive upsets in dogs.

It is also worth mentioning that spicy foods or foods that contain the following ingredients can be harmful to your dog as well.  Nutmeg can cause seizures.  Onions and garlic both contain the toxic ingredient Thiosulphate which can cause anemia. Below is a list of other foods to avoid.

• Liquor – Beer, Wine or alcohol of any kind

• Coffee, coffee grounds or Tea

• Potato Peelings, green Potatoes and green parts of Tomatoes

• Broccoli in large amounts

• Avocado

• Grapes, Raisins

• Mushrooms

• Persimmons

• Rhubarb leaves

• Macadamia Nuts

• Baking Soda, Baking Powder

• Yeast Dough

The practice of feeding our dogs table food has been going on since man and dog first became friends.  Many of us use left overs from our table food to include in our dog food recipes.  It is a way of bonding and of showing our love for them.  There may be other foods that your dog should not eat.  It is worthwhile to consult your veterinarian if you are not sure.

Most dog owners feed their dogs commercial dog food brands.  Choosing which brand to buy can at times be most confusing for they all claim to be the best.  There is no best dog food out there.  The best food that your dog can have is one you prepare yourself.  For those who are curious about making their own dog food you should first have some insight into how commercial dog food brands make their products before you start developing your own dog food recipes.

There are many different types of commercial dog food brands and most offer a variety of choices.  There are dry foods or kibble, canned or wet food or semi-moist food.  There is a different manufacturing process for each one with different procedures for each individual product.

Dry Dog food is by far the biggest selling product on the market.  Dog owners prefer it because it is more economical, easier to serve and, if necessary, can be stored for long periods of time.  Dry dog food can be made in several different ways.  The most common of these is the extrusion method.

It all starts with the raw materials of grain, meat and fat which are processed in bulk and are the main dog food ingredients that appear on the label.  However, there is a long list of other ingredients like food coloring and dyes, toxins, pesticides, chemicals, harmful preservatives (BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin) and antibiotics not appearing  on any dog food label that are added to the raw materials.

All of these ingredients are ground to a consistency like that of coarse flour for easier processing.  All the ingredients are then mixed together.  This part of the process is very important because if the mixture is not blended properly many of the essential nutrients will be lost.

Next comes the process of extrusion.  This is where the mixture is kneaded, shaped and sliced.  Similar to the bread making process it goes through several rising cycles.  Before the mix is extruded it goes through a preconditioning procedure where water, meat and fat are blended into the mix.  The blended mix is then forced through a die to be uniformly cut into the desired shape.

The dry dog food product is now taken from the extruder and placed in a dryer for the removal of excess moisture.  If this process is done too quickly it will break more easily during shipping and handling.  The results of this can be seen by examining the bottom of the cheaper dog food brands. The product is then cooled to prevent condensation.

The final step in the manufacturing process is called enrobing.  This is where fat and flavor enhancers area added in liquid or powdered form to the outer surface.  This improves the taste and makes the end product more palatable.

Fortunately, we can make a more nutritious, better tasting dry dog food with ingredients right from our own kitchens. Knowing how commercial dog food brands make their products can provide us with some insight in what not to include in our dog food recipes