Tired of picking up massive dog poo pies? A change in diet will minimize Fido’s stools, making clean-up easier for you and nutrients more accessible to him. Highly digestible foods are absorbed better by a canine microbiome, and they produce less waste, boost your dog’s immune system, and decrease the risk of obesity.
You’ll find ingredients listed on every dog food can or package. The first item listed should be a specific meat, such as beef, lamb, or chicken, not “by-products,” which could be virtually any part of the animal from fat to guts to digestate. It should be honest-to-goodness meat. Sure – when a dog hunts down a rabbit and eats everything consumable, he or she is eating what would amount to by-products. If the prey is healthy, at least those by-products are fresh and somewhat nutritious. Processed by-products? Not so much.
After meat, rice is one of the more digestible ingredient fillers dogs can eat. Always avoid foods containing corn, which doesn’t break down well in canines. Corn results in big appetites and big stools. Some whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and herbs can be beneficial, but be suspicious if you see a laundry list of cheap fillers such as meat or bone meal, fat, flour, protein concentrate, gluten, or potatoes. If you see a roll call of unpronounceable preservatives on the label, snub the item as you would when choosing your own food. Salt, sugars, flavoring, and coloring should have no part in pet foods.
The law requires pet food manufacturers to add back vitamins and minerals that aren’t found in the primary ingredients or have been destroyed through processing. So be wary of long strings of supplements at the end of the list. And keep in mind that the words “natural” and “premium” have no legal meaning or regulation guidelines.
High-quality commercial brands are more expensive, but require fewer feedings to satisfy carnivore needs. With smarter nutritional choices, doggie dumps will be smaller and your dog will experience less uncomfortable urgency. Preparing homemade foods for you dog is a satisfying labor of love that will result in a healthier, happier pet. Foods can be concocted in batches and frozen a month at a time. Many raw and cooked recipes, along with portion instructions, are available online. Here’s an example of what might go into an easy pooch pleaser:
- Two types of raw meat (one an organ meat)
- One green vegetable
- Hard boiled eggs with mashed shells
- Several cooked whole grains (rice, oats, wheat…)
- Veggies and fruits on hand
As the techno geeks say, garbage in, garbage out. Kick the ersatz fillers to improve your dog’s well-being and, in the bargain, make pick-ups easier for you and all of your best friend’s stewards.
Further reading:
- Cancer Cure (for Dogs Only, with Raw Dog Food Recipe)
- Dog Food Reviews – Dog Food Advisor
- Home Family & Pets Dog Food Dog Food Ingredients – Consumer Search
- Reduce Your Dog’s Carbon Poo Print One Flush at a Time
- The Top Five Worst Pet Food Ingredients
Rose Seemann
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