What Is the Best Diet for Dogs?

 If you have a pet dog or are thinking of getting one, you may likely be concerned with how to feed your newfound companion best. Should you feed it with commercial food, or should you go organic? Does your dog need a special diet, or is there a one-size-fits-all? Find out below a little more about what the best diet for dogs is.

What is a complete and balanced diet? 

If a dog food is labeled 'complete and balanced' it indicates that the food contains all the necessary nutrients to meet a dog's needs. These nutrients are balanced in such a way that all nutrient requirements are met once the energy requirement (calories) is reached.

Dog food can be labeled as 'complete and balanced for a certain life stage', eg. May be appropriate for 'puppy', or 'all life stages'. Such foods should contain appropriate levels of the following essential nutrients:

Fat

All fats are made up of fatty acid building blocks and dogs need a balance of fatty acids. Essential fatty acids must be present in the diet because the dog is unable to make them. Fat has several important roles within the body, including:

• being part of each cell membrane;
• to be required for certain hormone formation;
• playing a role in controlling inflammation and
• nerve transmission.

Fat is an energy-dense nutrient and often improves the taste of food.

Protein

Protein is in a state of constant flux within a dog's body and is essential for

• development
• Maintenance of muscles, nails, and hair
• To carry certain nutrients around the body and
• immune system and hormone production.

Like fat, protein content contributes to deliciousness.

Vitamins

Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K are essential to the health of dogs and are present in a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables; Meat, poultry, offal, fish, fish oil, and eggs.

Vitamins help your dog process other nutrients and without the right balance of vitamins, your dog cannot properly develop, repair, and maintain health.

Vitamin C and vitamin B complex are water-soluble and are continuously flushed out of the body. Dogs can produce vitamin C but must top up B vitamins regularly.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in body fat and both excess and deficiency can be harmful to health.

Minerals

In combination with vitamins, minerals have an important role within the body. Minerals are inorganic elements that make up only 4% of an animal's body weight, yet, essential minerals must be present in the diet to sustain life and maintain health.

An excess or deficiency of certain minerals can significantly affect the body's ability to use other minerals in the diet. Therefore, levels of most minerals are considered in relation to other dietary components in order to achieve optimal dietary balance.

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