Holistic Dog Food

By Moses Wright

Dog owners who are concerned about the contents of popular commercial dog foods often seek out holistic dog food alternatives. Natural, commercial dog foods and homemade dog food are common holistic choices.

Natural dog foods that the companies promote as holistic often contain natural ingredients. Perhaps one of the biggest differences between these holistic dog foods and the most popular commercial dog foods is the quality of the ingredients.

Though animal byproducts are often the animal protein source in commercial dog food, animal byproducts are not usually included in holistic dog food. Animal byproducts are meat pieces that are not suitable for human consumption. Some holistic dog foods use only human-grade ingredients. Holistic dog food may have vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants added.

Holistic dog food recipes blend natural ingredients. Natural dog food recipes can be found on the Internet. The dog owner needs to make sure that the recipes do not contain any foods that can be toxic to dogs including garlic, avocado, onions, chocolate, and grapes.

One basic recipe gives the dog owner flexibility in creating the dog food. The four basic ingredients of this recipe are one and a half cups of cooked brown rice, one half cup of cubed meat, two teaspoons of vegetable oil, and one-fourth cup of cooked vegetables.

The dog owner can choose from beef, turkey, chicken, ham, veal, or liver as the meat. Ground meat can be used if it is cooked thoroughly. The meat used should be cooked in the vegetable oil until it is well done.

The cooked vegetables used in this dog food recipe can be celery, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, diced potatoes, or other dog-safe vegetable. Some basic dog food recipes like this one include a half a cup of plain yogurt. Before the dog food is given to the dog, the prepared ingredients should be blended and cooled.

The dog owner should avoid using the same ingredients for this recipe. The dog's homemade dog food diet should include variety to ensure the dog is receiving a variety of vitamins and minerals. Liver and other ingredients of homemade dog food should not be given daily, but in moderation as part of the dog's diet. - 29895

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