Ensuring Healthy Dog Nutrition And Supplements

Posted by pethunk on February 3rd, 2014

Most people love and raise dogs as pets. In fact, dogs are considered one of our best pets. But while we love our dogs, it is equally important to ensure proper care in the dog’s food and nutrition, which are crucial to their health and active life. For this, a basic understanding is necessary on the appropriate dog nutrition and the various dog supplements available.

Basics on dog nutrition and their pivotal role

While dogs can definitely adapt themselves to and live on vegetarian diets, meat and eggs provide a more comprehensive diet and essential nutrition. This is because dogs, by Nature’s design, are omnivores, although the canine system has the marvelous capability to convert amino acids from vegetarian food into the relevant amino acids necessary for them. In addition, eggs are one of the best natural dog nutrition, comprising of the most essential proteins.

For vegetarian owners preferring a similar diet for their doggies, zeroing in on the healthy mix of herbivorous ingredients could seem a bit daunting, but it’s not that difficult. The key is to balance the diet with sufficient protein found naturally in vegetables such as soy, whole grains, beans and corn that can ensure the doggie gets the quintessential amino acids.

Nutritional supplements for dogs

While most commercially prepared dog food contains the vitamins and minerals necessary to ensure a balanced diet, dogs on a homemade diet might need supplements. Some commonly used nutritional supplements for dogs are supplements to support arthritic joints, and fatty acids to reduce shedding and improve a coat’s shine.

Dog vitamins

Veterinarians are still divided on how effectively dog vitamins work and if at all they are necessary, with some professing that vitamin supplements offer no help, while others emphasize their harmful effects. Most doctors feel canines getting a complete and balanced and looking healthy in general with no problems should not need much supplements. Hence, it is imperative that dog owners observe their pet’s normal activity and behavior.

But it should also be noted that some dog supplements like fatty acids have proved to be good for their coats, while fish oil-based food has helped reduce inflammation in some cases.

Dog Health Supplements for Sale

There are numerous dog health supplements available readily both online and in pet stores, with most supplements for sale from time to time. However, to ensure that these man-made dog supplements and dog nutrition are good and useful or the dog’s health, a good veterinarian specializing in dog care should be consulted first. Please note that dog health supplements are additional food ingredients and meant to add nutritional value to the dog food. Dog health supplements, in most cases, make up for the loss of vitamins and minerals in the food that we feed our beloved dogs.

And finally, the safe trick is to maintain the standard dog care and use the dog health supplements as supplements, avoiding any experimentation unless prescribed by the doctor. If you need to change the basic food to ensure a complete and balanced diet, ensure to consult beforehand a good veterinarian specializing in dog care.