As a kid growing up in a family full of dogs, I remember the old days when mom and pop used to feed our dogs any type of table scraps that we had from our meals. And sometimes, the dogs would all have their meals prepared ahead of time. We ate all types of food and back in those days so did our animals, except for one major difference of today's house pets – they didn't eat a bite of commercial dog food.

Commercial Dog Food – Is The Recent Pet Food Recall Finally Smartening People Up?

Commercial pet food is a multi-billion-dollar industry that seems to grow in sales each year that goes by. What is happening here, are more animals being adopted or are more pet owners being sold on the idea that dogs absolutely must eat dog food in order to be healthy?

Surprisingly, the answer is the latter of the two possibilities. Dog owners seem to sheepishly think that their dogs will be healthier and have more energy by consuming processed commercial dog food.

With the recent pet food recall causing all sorts of discussions between dog owners about the quality of the food they feed their dogs, it seems that very little of these conversations are actually asking the important question about whether or not pet food is nutritious enough for their animals.

Most people seem to be unhappy with the fact that the food was tainted, yet has anyone considered going deeper into the situation and really finding out what is in the food to begin with? Do you really want to know what you are feeding your dog or cat?

Peaking Into Pet Food Ingredients

To meet the continual nutritional demand of your puppy's growing body, he must have food available to him all day long. There are 3 common techniques to feed your new puppy. These are: Meal feeding, portion-control feeding, and free feeding.

Meal Feeding: This method of feeding is usually done with mixing solid food and canned food and is ideal for puppies that are being trained to housebreak. With this technique, your puppy gets his meals at different times during the day. Many owners prefer the three meal a day program while others are more comfortable with giving their puppies four meals a day.

How does protein work in a dog's body? Picture a string of beads and each string is needed to produce a complete picture or an artwork. The job of protein in your dog can be compared to this strings of beads. Each protein is similar to individual strings of beads. Just as these strings are put together in the right order to create a picture, different types of proteins have to go together to be able to produce a dog.

Each string is made up of different numbers of colored beads that are lined up in an exact pattern to produce certain body parts such as the hair, the nose, or the ear of the picture. The colored beads can be compared to amino acids, or substances that are connected to the strings to produce different proteins.

Carbohydrates

The main source of carbohydrates are acquired in plants. There is also one source of carbohydrate that comes from meat called glycogen, but it is only found in small amounts in the liver and muscles. If your dog is not getting enough carbohydrates in his diet, the liver has to do extra work to make glucose from proteins. On the other hand, when your dog is getting enough carbohydrates in his diet, his body will not have to use proteins to get its required amount of glucose, therefore, saving these precious proteins to be used to for other jobs that they are required to do.

Vitamins

Giving your puppy good food, healthy treats, and the necessary supplements will not only help him grow strong and healthy, but it will also affect his behavior and his ability to be trained to learn new things.

Every dog is different, and there are certain factors to consider when determining the diet program that will fit the needs of his growing body. However, there are also general rules that owners must follow to ensure that their pets are getting the balanced food and supplementation that their bodies require.

You May Want To Avoid Giving Your Dog Human Food

What you put in your dog's food bowl has a direct correlation to his health and happiness. There are several similarities between humans and dogs concerning nutrients and proper feeding. Dogs, like humans, are omnivores. This means that we need both meat and vegetables in order to be healthy. Our diet should include the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals that is necessary to acquire optimum health. We also need an unlimited supply of water to keep our body functioning and alive.

Dog Nutrition - The Powerful Role Of Water In Your Dog's Health

Your dog's body is made up of 70% water. He can live even if he loses all the fat and half of the protein in his body. However, he will die if his body loses even just 1/10 of his water.

In order to survive, a full-grown dog requires, at the very least, two milliliters (mls) of water for every pound he weighs every single day (keeping in mind that there are 30 milliliters of water per 1 ounce). The two milliliters are just enough for the dog to produce urine in his body. Without enough water necessary for urine production, your dog, any dog, will not be able to live.