A natural dog diet can greatly improve the health and well being of your dog. Dogs who eat a more natural diet are less prone to develop allergies, skin problems and other illnesses. A dog who eats a more natural diet often is generally more energetic and yet able to respond to training because his mood and brain chemistry are more balanced. The word natural basically means food that is closest to the form it is in nature. Natural food can come in many forms including raw, canned food, kibble and treats.
What Qualifies an Ingredient as Natural
Any ingredient can be natural or processed. If a vegetable is overly processed, i.e. has coloring added to it or has been overly cooked, it is farther away from the form it has in nature. You want to look for ingredients that are listed as whole foods. If you see "chicken" listed, that's better than "chicken by-products" or "chicken meal". Include some formulas that have raw ingredients or ingredients such as "whole apples" or "raw berries".
Ingredients that Indicate Excess Processing
There are many ingredients that can show up in dog food formulas that indicate that the formula itself is far from natural. Even if you see some of the whole ingredients listed above, you should avoid the formula if it also lists food colorings, chemicals or any ingredient that comes from a lab. If an ingredient sounds like a chemical or something that isn't food, it probably isn't really food. Avoid formulas with things like propylene glycol, acid propylene or glyceryl monostearate. At best these are otherwise harmless ingredients that add unwanted calories and at worst they can be toxic for your dog.
Ingredients that Dogs Shouldn't Eat
Some ingredients are not appropriate for a dog's body. Avoid any formula that includes any animal liver, rice bran or corn gluten meal. Rice flour, rice gluten and soybeans are all ingredients that add to the calories without the nutrition. They are usually added to cheap foods because they keep the food from rotting and are inexpensive fillers. Many poor quality dog foods use grease which has a very negative affect on a dog's body.
The Best Natural Dog Diet
You can get your dog on a good natural diet without a lot of hassle. If you really know what you're doing and have a lot of very specific guidance from a dog nutritionist, you can make your own dog food. This is pretty risky, however, and can take a lot of time. It's best to have the diet include some raw food because this is the best nutrition you can hope for in the fewest calories. If you follow the guidelines above, you can also use a canned food as well as some kibble for variety and dental hygiene. Avoid dog food from a supermarket. Ask your vet for the local store she would recommend and spend some time reading labels. The natural food might be slightly more expensive but you might just save a lot of money on vet bills.