Omega-3 fatty acids

There are three major types of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oils: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Many products on the market claim to promote health through the use of Omega-3 fatty acids, but contain only a-linolenic acid (ALA), and not EPA or DHA.  Among the three DHA is the most important nutrient to be consumed by dogs.  Animal research indicates DHA and EPA are important for healthy brain development in puppies and is important in developing brain cells as well as retinal functions that allow puppies to see.  In mature dogs DHA has a natural anti-inflammatory ability that helps stop and turn off cancer cells and helps prevent kidney disease.

Omega-3 is among the most commonly used pet supplement in all of veterinary medicine.  Adding Omega 3 fish oil supplements with other dog food ingredients helps to improve a range of health conditions.  They decrease platelet aggregation through the thinning of the blood which can cause wounds to bleed longer before heeling.  Fish oil for dogs is also exceptionally good for healing those hairless dry, itchy irritated areas and encourage the hair to grow back.  However dogs with bleeding disorders should not take omega-3 fish oil without veterinarian approval.

Dry dog food products could be a major source of degenerative conditions in your pet. Dogs are carnivorous animals and need essential nutrients that are not found in dry or canned foods.  Dogs as well as cats need a set ratio of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for optimal health.  Dog owners should be cautious when buying Omega 3 supplements without prior knowledge of the manufacturer.  Some supplements may not contain the labeled amount of fish oil.  Pets need a supplement high in Omega 3 with no added Omega 6.  When selecting fish oil for dogs look for a 2:1 ratio of DHA to EPA with a recommended minimum of 250mg of DHA per tablet or soft gel caps.

Supplementing your dog food recipes with Omega-3 fatty acid supplements will support overall wellness, but just adding fish oils to your dog’s food can result in decreased levels of vitamin E.  It is therefore recommended to use fish oil supplements they have extra vitamin E added to them.  Omega 3 fish oil supplements rich in EPA and DHA has improved the survival rates for all dogs.  you can also use fish oil meant for humans as long as you choose the correct dosage. In the long run dog food nutrition can be enhanced through the use of Omega-3 fatty acids.

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.

Our dogs are part of our family.  It is only natural that we would only want the best for them.  That goes especially for the food they eat.  If we choose to feed our dogs commercially canned dog food instead of using dog food recipes, then it is important to know how these foods are made so that we can choose which is the best for our dogs.

Once we have chosen a particular dog food brand that we feel comfortable with, we can then examine the ingredients to see just how nutritious this canned dog food will be for our dog.  The canning of all foods, human as well as pet foods, can be a somewhat complex procedure but you will find that the most reputable dog food brands provide nutritious ingredients and have a well maintained canning process for their products.

The process of canning foods has gone through many significant improvements in the last two hundred years, but the basic principles of sterilization and sealing have remained a constant.  Canning is by far the most economical method of food preservation.

Before the food is canned the ingredients must be chosen.  Canned dog food’s main ingredient is a meat product – beef, chicken, veal etc.  These ingredients are first ground into smaller pieces.  They are then weighed and added to a mixture that includes vitamins and minerals.  Grains are sometimes added to this mixture and here is where we should be very careful when choosing our products. Some grains are not good for our dogs so it is important to know what types of grain are added to the mixture.

After these ingredients are mixed they are blended in a mixer.  While being blended the mixture is also heated.  By increasing the temperature at certain times during the procedure the starches in the blend will turn to a gelatin and the protein structure of the food is denatured.  This is done to make the food more palatable.  Certain foods containing larger quantaties of carbohydrates need to be mixed at a higher temperature so that the excess starch is fully cooked.

Once the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed and cooked the canning process begins.  As mentioned before the basic steps in canning are sealing and sterilization.  The cooked mixture is sent to a filler/sealer machine that fills the individual cans with the proper amount of product and places the lids on the cans.  To prevent any kind of spoilage steam is applied to maintain heat.  When the can cools it is vacuum sealed.

The final step is sterilization.  Here the cans are heated to a temperature of 121 degrees celsius to kill any bacteria such as Clostridium Botulinum.  Each can is sterilized for approximately three minutes.  After the cans cool they are ready to be labeled, packed and are shipped to the store.

If we choose to feed our dogs commercial dog food instead of making them food from our own dog food recipes, we should be very particular in choosing the right product.  When choosing commercial products it is vital that we examine the labels for the righ ingredients that would be beneficial to our dogs. It is a good idea to provide a mixture of both dry kibble with wet canned 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

Only you, the dog owner, has your dog’s health and well being in mind.  The benefits of making a wholesome well balanced dog food will promote a healthier skin and coat, strong well developed bones, defined muscle tone, bright clear eyes, healthier teeth and gums,firmer stools, and hopefully fewer trips to your Vet.

To be able to determine what is the best food to feed your dog when making dog food recipes it is a good idea to first learn how to read dog food labels properly.  In this way you can compare the ingredients in the food you make your dog to what is in the manufactured dog food brands.

Most commercial dog foods are very generalized in their labeling procedures because they are targeting a wide customer base. Not all commercial dog foods are bad, but it is important to understand that most of these products fall short in key nutrients needed for the vitality and health of the dog. Many are loaded with fillers that provide no nutritional benefit whatsoever.
So lets read through a dog food label  and see what ingredients are being used and how we can improve on them when we  make our own dog food recipes.

A dog food label consists of ingredients, an analysis and feeding instructions.  We will only concerm ourselves with the ingredients for the purpose of this exercise.

The List of ingredients
Ingredients are listed in weight order.  However pet food manufacturers can disguise the less desirable ingredients by breaking them down into several ingredient catagories.  Read all the ingredients carefully especially the preservatives and food colorings.  To develop a good dog food recipe here is a list of the most common ingredients used.

Meat:
This is the clean flesh of a slaughtered animal. However, the flesh can include striated skeletal muscle, tongue, diaphragm, heart and esophagus, For our purpose we would want to use chicken or fish which contain the highest percentages of protein.

Meat By-products:
These are the clean parts of slaughtered animals such as lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and stomach and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth, or hooves.  We have no need for meat by-products in our dog food recipes but it is good to be aware of what this term truly implies implies.

Poultry By-products:
As in meat by-products these are the clean parts of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, and internal organs.  It does not contain feathers.  Again not for us to be concerned.

Chicken or Fish Meal:
This is the clean ground tissue of undecomposed whole chicken or fish or their cuttings, with or without the oil extracted.

Beef Tallow:
This is fat derived from beef.

Ground Corn:
This is the entire corn kernel ground or chopped.

Corn Gluten Meal:
This is the by-product of corn syrup or starch, and is the dried residue after the removal of the bran, germ, and starch.  Pet food manufacturers use this as a filler.  We cab use this in our recipes but in small amounts.

Brewers Rice:
This is the small fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from larger kernels of milled rice and also used as a filler ingredient.

Brown Rice:
This is the unpolished rice left over after the kernels have been removed.  This we can use for our recipes because it provides nutrional value to our dog food preparations.

Soybean Meal:
This is a by-product of the production of soybean oil.

BHA:
This is butylated hydroxyanisole, a fat preservative.

Ethoxyquin:
This is a chemical preservative that is used to prevent spoilage in dog food.

Tocopherols:
These are naturally occurring compounds used as natural preservatives.

As you can see there are very few ingredients listed on any dog food labels that are useful for our purpose.  All we really need to make a good meal for our dogs is chicken or fish, certain vegetables and maybe a small amount of corn gluten to help in digestion.  To learn more about dog food nutrition and dog food ingredients read the appropriately named articles on this site.