Dog Food
Dog Food & Natural Dog Food
Dog food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by dogs. Special dog foods given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as dog treats. Some people make their own natural dog food or feed their dogs meals made from ingredients purchased in grocery or health-food stores; many others rely on commercially manufactured dog food and natural dog food.
Homemade Dog Food
There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that commercial dog foods contain additives or poor-quality (or even dangerous) meat or ingredients that dogs should not ingest or that certain commercial foods are not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs. Different homemade diets are recommended by various experts, from "natural dog food" diets consisting primarily of raw meat, to vegetarian diets consisting only of nutritionally balanced vegetarian ingredients, to mixtures consisting of ingredients such as brown rice, brown pasta, meats, eggs, and vegetables.
Most dogs willingly eat vegetables, particularly if they are cooked, and many kinds of fruit, although grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs.
Commercial Dog Food
By its water content, commercial dog food can be categorized into following types:
- Dried
- Semi-moist
- Moist
The Making Of Dog Food
Dried pellet dog food, called kibble, is made in two different ways: extruding and baking. During extruding, a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the pressure, the pellets puff like popcorn. The pellets are allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, grease, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant. The down side of extruding is that the fats added after cooking often turn rancid and the vitamins may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping.
Dog treats are usually higher in grease or fats. These are usually designed to be held in your hand without being messy, and are often designed in fanciful shapes and colors.
Common Ingredients In Commercial Dog Food
Most commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:
- Meat by-products or digests
- Meat-and-bone meals
- Grain by-products
- Restaurant grease
- Less expensive foods generally include less meat, and more meat by-products and grain "fillers".
The most expensive dogs foods may be made of ingredients suitable for human consumption, organic products or free-range meats.
Special Dog Food Varieties
There are dog foods specially formulated to dogs that are allergic to wheat, corn, and/or chicken. These foods usually contain lamb or fish meat. Some dog foods are designed for dogs with maladies such as urinary tract infections, and some foods are tailored to the dietary needs of especially young or old dogs. There also exist vegetarian dog foods and natural dog food marketed to owners who do not wish for their dogs to consume meat products. Source: Wikipedia