When making your own dog food ratings, the most important issue is making sure the foods being rated include the necessary componants dogs need for good health.
There are several kinds of nutrients that dogs need to survive, namely: amino acids from proteins, fatty acids from fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and good quality water. First, make sure the foods being compared contain the essentials.
A brief review of these required nutrients follows.
Fatty Acids – Dogs cannot create fatty acids that are necessary to sustain life and must eat enough dietary fats to provide for internal body functions such as, carrying fat soluble vitamins, cell structure and function, skin and coat health, immune system functions, vision and brain function.
Amino Acids from Protein – There are 10 essential amino acids dogs bodies cannot make, thus dogs can’t survive without eating proteins. Quality protein should come from animals rather than from ingredients known as “animal byproducts”.
The National Academy of Sciences suggests that an average size adult dog (weighing 33 lbs.) needs approximately 25 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat on a daily basis. Puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs actually need more than twice that amount.
Carbohydrates – Dogs get some of their energy from carbohydrates. Studies suggest that an adult dog’s diet can include up to 50% carbohydrates with preferably no more that 2.5-4.5% coming from fiber that contributes little by way of energy or nutrition for your dog.
Again puppies require more than twice the calories required by an active adult dog. Pregnant Dogs need between one and two-thirds more calories than an active adult dog. Nursing dogs may require as much as 2-4 times the calories than an adult dog depending on the number of puppies being nursed and the age of the puppies. Older dogs that are less active may need 20% less calories than middle aged adult dogs.
Vitamins & Minerals – Many vitamins and minerals are known to be essential to your dog’s optimal health. They include the following: Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Riboflavin, Vitamin b5, Niacin, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid and Choline, Calcium, Potassium, Chlorine, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Manganese, Selenium and Iodine.
These provide vital nutrients that are neccessary for strong bones and teeth, nerve impulse transmission, cell signaling and enzymatic reactions, just to name a few.
Once you have made sure that the dog foods you are rating include these essential nutrients you can then focus your efforts on rating the quality and quantities provided by each dog food source.
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