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Natural Pet Nutrition for Your DogNatural pet nutrition for your dog does not have to be expensive, but it does need to include variety from quality foods.
Natural Pet Nutrition Plan for DogsWhen creating a natural pet nutrition plan for your dog, a word of caution is appropriate. What ever changes you do make, make them slowly. A dog's digestive system contains a delicate balance of bacteria that aid in digestion and the processing of nutrition for your dog. A sudden change in your dog's diet disturbs this balance, resulting in not-so-pleasant changes in elimination-from both ends. Your dog may vomit excessively or experience diarrhea-not fun for your pup and even less so for you. So the guiding direction for dietary change is one of gradual introduction of new foods. Natural Pet Nutrition for Your Dog-Step by StepThe first step I would encourage you to take before any others would be to check the lable on your dog's current brand of kibble. If meat-not meat by-products-are not the first ingredient, this is where you make your first change. If kibble is the foundation of your pet's diet, then the kibble you feed your dog should be of the highest quality you can afford. Keep in mind,too, that higher quality foods nourish your dog better, producing less waste (good for you too!) and requiring less food for your dog. Another thing to look for is minimal quantities of fillers and grains. Fillers and grains in your dog's foods make for poor nutrition and could potentially trigger allergies in your dog. Truly, the list of what to look for and what to avoid in your pet's food is a long one. If you keep in mind, however, that the more the ingredients in your dog's kibble look like the foods you eat as part of a wholesome diet, you will be on the right track. The phrase "human grade" on the label is also a good indicator that slaughterhouse waste is not part of the kibble you're purchasing. The Whole Dog Journal 
is a non-biased resource for reviews on quality dog foods and will give you a good place to start your search.
The next step in planning your natural nutrition plan is to determine what type of diet overall you want to feed your dog-raw food or human grade, high-quality pet foods. There are two camps here and adherents to each can be very passionate about their viewpoints. Raw Food DietThose who advocate a raw food diet for your dog are basing their preference on how dogs eat in the wild. Dogs are predators and naturally gravitate to meat as the staple of their diet and in the wild, this meat would be raw. Advocates of raw food insist that the cooking process that takes place with both canned and dry foods destroys key natural nutrients essential to a dog's optimal health. They also advocate that raw meaty bones not only provide the best nutrition, but dental care as well due to the cleaning action of the bone against teeth. Dental care is so important to your dog's health and this is "bone-us" for the raw food diet.Now anyone who watches the news (and maybe too much of that...) knows that raw meat presents a number of health concerns, both for us and our dogs and cats. The folks who advocate a raw food diet tell us that dogs and cats naturally have a resistance to salmonella and e-coli; pet foods are processed for the human handler's safety, not our pet's. If you've seen some of the "things" your dog will eat in the yard or on the street or in a field, you can understand this resistance-no matter what your dog eats, he doesn't seem any worse for it. This being said, there are those who disagree with the raw food diet and with good reason. High-Quality Pet Food Based DietThose who advocate a high-quality pet food based diet do so for a number of good reasons. First, these advocates contend and many experts agree that raw food is not necessarily safe for your dog or cat. Dogs and cats can become sick from salmonella or e-coli poisoning. Secondly, a raw food diet, when not prepared by someon who knows what she's doing, nutritionally speaking, can be deficient in a number of nutrients that dogs require for good health. High quality natural dog foods are carefully balanced to the stage of life of your dog to ensure that your dog is getting all he needs. Third, raw meaty bones can break your dog's teeth or worse yet, splinter and cause tears or blockages in your dog's digestive system. Though this is rare, it is a valid concern; while raw bones are good for your dog, they must be given under careful supervision.Decisions, DecisionsAside from opinions, are there any scientific comparisons of the two approaches to feeding? One of the best comparisons was studied by the Journal of the American Veterinary Association (JAVMA) in March of 2001. The study concluded that raw food diets, while having some benefits, are not superior to feeding a diet based on high-quality pet food. In fact, high-quality natural dog foods are often superior to a raw food diet because they take the guess-work out of making certain your dog is getting an adequate supply of the nutrients he needs. Nutrients that were once thought to be destroyed by the cooking process are now supplemented in premium, high-quality foods, thereby leveling this playing field between raw food and high-quality pet foods.If the raw food diet intrigues you and you're thinking about supplementing your dog's premium food with raw foods, Dr. Pitcairn' Guide to Natural Health for Cats and Dogs offers many nutritionally sound recipes to follow. If you've come down on the side of feeding your dog a balanced variety of foods based on a high-quality pet food, The Whole Dog Journal
has an annual report of the best of the best, both grain-free and with grain, that is without question the "Consumers Report" of pet food evaluation (The Whole Dog Journal doesn't accept advertisements.) In addition to timely, expert-written articles on dog nutrition, this indespensible journal is great for training tips, healthcare advice, behavioral issues and much more.
Making the ChangeOnce you've decided on a diet plan for your dog, you need to keep two things in mind. Make the changes slowly and make certain there's variety in your dog's diet. You can easily ensure variety by adding fresh vegetables (organic is best, thawed-frozen is good, too) to your dog's high-quality pet food or raw food base. Low-fat cottage cheese is also a treat and a great source of protein, as are hard-cooked or scrambled eggs, broken into bite-sized pieces. For something fun, you may want to make your own biscuits! Use bone-shaped cookie cutters 
and
(follow the recipe here.)
Your dog will love you even more (can you imagine?)for it and you’ll feel good feeding her a biscuit you might eat yourself!
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Your dog needs variety as well, not just to keep things interesting, but to keep his diet nutritionally balanced. Of course, you may think it easier to just feed the kibble of choice and add in the canned or moist foods, but truly, this is like telling yourself it's easier to eat fast food or frozen dinners every night-why bother with food preparation?
