Grain Free Dog Food Is A Good Idea

Wild hunting dogs are incredible athletes. As they leave their den at dusk to hunt in the night they present a good photo opportunity for anyone wanting to sell grain free dog food. They may never have taken a bite of especially balanced and nutritionally enriched dog food but they look ominously fit and healthy. Their flanks shine with good health and their eyes are bright and baleful. Hunting dogs are omnivorous, like other canines. They will eat elephant dung before taking up the scent of a suitable prey. As they forage they will come across eggs, beetles, some fruits. Like domestic dogs they will take a few mouthfuls of leafy grass as digestive tonic and snack on available berries or fruits. When the hunt is done they will consume the stomach contents of the animal they have killed, together with hair skin and bone. In all the variety available to them there will probably be little wheat, barley or maize meal. Meat will predominate and it is the search for pure meat protein that drives their search for nutrients. A big problem with canned products is that they are composed too largely of water and powdered grains. Usually wheat or maize meal is used and a few bits of soy or animal grade meat may be added. More expensive brands will contain more pure protein and will usually be preferred by fussy canines that don't have to find their own supplies or the money to buy them. Some dry food brands announce that they are a complete formula. They encourage owners to feed nothing but the formula. Dogs often eat only a minimum amount of such foods, possibly because it is so distasteful or so salty that they can't ever satisfy their hunger and remain lean though unsatisfied. This scientific method does not seem to pay much attention to the emotional needs of owners or their pets. Because carbohydrate rich foods are cheaper to manufacture than grain free foods they cost a pet owner less. The cost of feed has risen to the extent that it now represents quite a big proportion of the average budget. Despite this, vets may recommend a switch to a grain free diet especially as a pet gets older. On one hand the cost of foods with more meat will be higher because pure protein is expensive. On the other hand an animal might need less of such feed on account of the higher protein content. Quality can be played off against quantity. Good brands of feed will also have vitamins and supplementary elements. Potatoes, tomatoes, peas and canola oil may be included as supplements, depending on availability. These will supply vitamins and trace elements that would occur naturally in a scavenger's diet. In fact, due to scientific formulations there could be a good chance that the commercial brand would be better than the completely natural diet. One consideration to be taken into account when switching to a grain free dog food is the amount of fat in the composition. Lower grade meat may be fatty and this could be unhealthy. Possibly a fish based protein would be better than chicken or beef.

I'm a canine health practitioner who specializes in holistic dog foods.