All natural dog food can greatly improve your dog's health and even his mood. There are several components to a natural diet which can help you choose your dog's food wisely. The main definition of natural is food that is closest to its original state and mimics the kind of food the dog would eat if he were in his natural habitat.
The Most Natural Diet for Dogs
Research has confirmed that dogs haven't changed much from their wild counterparts from a digestive perspective. It stands to reason that the best nutrition for dogs mimics what they would eat in the wild. Canine nutritionists ironically have called this diet barf which stands for a biologically appropriate raw food diet. A barf diet basically consists of protein from a whole raw animal and raw bones. That is exactly what dogs eat in the wild. A small amount of the diet consists of vegetables and fruit like a dog would get from a plant or tree.
Ingredients to Avoid
Many ingredients found in commercial dog food are at best unnecessary at worst harmful for dogs. A small amount of grain won't hurt your dog but in the wild, dogs mostly avoid grains. The reason is that even slightly too much grain can lead to weight gain and can slow down the digestive system. Other ingredients such as corn, soy, fillers, colors and meat by-products are not healthy for dogs. They can lead to weight gain, allergies and other illnesses.
Other Forms of All Natural Dog Food
Even though raw food is the best, you can feed your dog a fairly natural diet with canned dog food. Look for canned food that contains very little or no grains. Make sure the ingredients are whole foods. You want to see meat listed first. "Chicken" or "venison" means it's actual meat. "Chicken meal" or "chicken by-products" mean the formula is highly processed. You should see ingredients that you would eat if prepared for a human being. An all natural dog food will brag about the fact that it's natural. It won't contain supplements or fillers and it won't be "engineered" by a scientist.
The Advantages of an All Natural Dog Diet
While not a replacement for regular veterinary care and solid training, an all natural diet can help prevent diseases, allergies, and behavioral problems. Dogs digest moisture through the intestine so the fluids from the raw meat is extremely important for hydration. The absence of grains and processed ingredients helps dogs who might be prone to allergies because it keeps the digestion running smoothly. In all natural food, each calorie has valuable nutrition. This means that your dog won't gain weight from calories that are void of nutrition. Thus, weight gain and all of the associated health problems will be avoided. Diabetes is also less likely to strike if your dog is fit and trim.