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NATURAL
PET CARE ARTICLES •
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Dog
Food Secrets
by
David the Dogman
Dog foods do vary in quality. So do the companies
that make the foods. To some
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companies quality is only a word.
To others, it's a way of life.
Ultimately, the quality of a dog food is best
measured by your dog. How your dog performs on the food, how he
looks, feels and acts are the best measures of the quality of
any food. At least 30 per cent of my clients that report behavioural
problems find that a change of food changes the unwanted behaviour.
No matter what a food company claims unless your
dog has bright eyes, silky hair and supple skin, and is not overweight,
then the food is not right for him.
Not all dogs do well on a particular brand of
food, some dogs simply do better than others.
Most foods are categorised as Economy, Regular,
Premium, Super Premium and Performance. Regular and Premium foods
are not formulated like a Super Premium or Performance food.
Dogs have simple stomachs and short digestive
tracts for digesting meat. They also lack the saliva enzyme amylase,
which is necessary for pre-digesting starch. Dogs have adapted
to foods with high vegetable protein levels, however they perform
better when fed foods high in meat protein and animal fats.
Checking the label of a Super Premium or Performance
food an animal protein will be listed as the first or second major
ingredient. These should include either chicken, or turkey meat,
or poultry by products meals, meat or pork meals or other animal
by products. A least two sources of fat or oil should be included
for adequate energy and essential fatty acids.
Fat in food is the dog's source of energy. Animal
fat contains essential and non-essential fatty acids as well as
provides a highly digestible and easily metabolised energy source.
Generally, poultry, turkey or chicken fat are higher in quality
because they have more unsaturated fatty acids and are more digestible
than animal tallow.
Vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, lecithin
corn oil, wheat germ oil, sesame seed oil or linseed oil all contain
high levels of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid for dogs.
These should be combined with animal fats for the best long-term
results of a glossy haircoat and soft pliable skin.
Carbohydrates are the third most important nutrient
and ingredient class in modern Super Premium and Performance foods.
Simple carbohydrates in dog food come from quality sources like
rice, oatmeal, corn or wheat. These are easily digested when properly
cooked.
Fibre, a complex carbohydrate is essential for
proper digestion and stool formation. Beet pulp and tomato promace
are both high in fibre. Other sources of fibre include rice, soy
hulls, oat hulls, wheat bran and peanut hulls.
All these come from the external portion of the seed coat.
These sources except peanut hulls have microscopic sharp edges,
which can cause small cuts in the intestine. This reduces the
intestine's effectiveness in nutrient digestion. Peanut hulls
on the other hand, have the potential of being contaminated with
aflatoxins and should never be used in a quality dog or cat food.
Vitamin and mineral fortification is an absolute
necessity in nutritionally balancing any food for dogs. While
the vitamins and minerals generally, make up less than 2% of the
total food by weight, they provide some of the most crucial nutrients.
These include 12 to 16 vitamins and 15 to 25 minerals. Often the
list of these micro nutrients is much longer than the list of
major ingredients. Expect this list in all dog foods. Super Premium
usually feature more than one source for each vitamin and mineral.
The ingredient list will be longer compared to non-premium foods.
It is not recommended that you add anything by
way of food supplement, or vitamin to Super Premium Foods.
To sum it all up lets us compare Regular/Economic
foods to Regular Petrol, then compare a Premium food to a Premium
petrol, and of course Super Premium food to a Super Premium petrol.
That is a simple example and indication. By the way I would not
put diesel in my car, it would not run, it needs super premium
petrol.
Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.
Do
you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem
to DAVID THE DOGMAN. David is a Canine Behaviourist who works
and lives in Marbella, Spain.
Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388. His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net.
David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers
and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years
and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police.
He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea
rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs.
David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and
the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check
chains, or any form of aggression.
David The Dogman is available for private consultations
in your home, for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388
