What are the newest trends in dog nutrition? And what is the opinion of experts and dog owners themselves? I have made a summary for you about what hot topics have been discussed in pet nutrition recently, both at home and abroad.
Business related to pets grows every year. We spend really a lot of money on our pets sometimes. And we are also subject to the newest trends very often. It is true in the field of nutrition as well, and the good old statement “a dog is a beast and needs meat” gradually ceases to apply. However, is that really true? Should we obey the newest fashionable fads even in dog nutrition and force our dogs to adjust to various diets?
Firstly, let’s have a look at what trends are dominant in dog nutrition.
Vegan dogs and raw diets
One of the trends the popularity of which has been growing prominence recently is dog veganism. Many people decide for being vegan also in order to reduce their ecological footprint and have the least impact on the environment. And then, they have the same approach with the same underlying opinion to their furry friend nutrition. Although, a sustainable approach towards the environment is close to my heart, I do not identify myself with purely plant-based diet for dogs. Vets are also against this trend. They say that vegan or raw diet may even cause allergies in dogs. Therefore, raw treats shouldn’t be overused.
Grain-free dog food
Another trend popular in dog nutrition is the so-called grain-free (or gluten-free) dog food I have already written something about. Grain-free (GF) is the concept of nutrition which rejects gains. The supporters of this philosophy base it on the assumption that the dog is unable to digest grains and some of grains might even cause adverse reactions, intolerance and allergies in healthy dogs. Contrary to dog veganism, this is a healthy trend.
BARFing
Return to the natural roots. This is how you could describe the new way of nutrition called barfing. The abbreviation B.A.R.F. can be explained in several ways. The most common explanation is “Bones and Raw Food”. To put it simply, it is feeding our beasts in the most natural way for them, i.e. using raw meat. Noone can probably make any objections against. For barfing, a general rule 80-10-10 (80 % meat, 10 % bones and 10 % organs) is recommended. The last trend is to reduce the amount of pure meat and add various organs, up to 25 %.
Good old classics
As you can see, there’s always a lot going on with regard to dog food. I could definitely continue with other trends in dog nutrition. Enhanced contents as well as new packages promoting what’s inside constantly appear. It probably doesn’t mind if you go for holistic dry dog food or prefer quality meat cans – whether classic such as cans from Brit Fresh line, or mono-protein for example, which are recommended in the cases of food intolerance.
The important thing you should take care of is if the food provides complete and balanced nutrition for the animal. It means that it contains all important proteins. And you’ll make no mistake if you pick some food containing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fat acids which have beneficial effects not only on the dog's fur which is shiny but also for its immune system.
Whatever your decision will be, be sure to consult your vet or use the services of dog nutrition experts before you start experimenting with your dog’s nutrition. After all, health is the most important and we shouldn’t treat their nutrition lightly.
Food is one of the most basic needs of dogs as well as humans. How to make sure your dog has enough necessary nutrients? And if you opt for dry food, what options are there? And what to consider when choosing?
Most of us care about the contents of the packages with dry food but have you ever thought about the packaging itself? Do you know what is used for the packaging of dry food, how different are individual materials and what innovations can you find on...
You can recognize a Burmese cat mainly because of its silky fur and beautiful, deep gloss with typical signs of a colour that is not present in any other breed. Besides its glossy fur, this breed has also a great nature which makes these cats great...
Dachshunds, from smooth-haired, wire-haired and short-haired to long-haired, are popular companions and not only in the Czech Republic but in the world as well. And they are great companions! Even though they are quite stubborn.
Cats may bite from many reasons and if you would like to make this undesirable behaviour stop, it is important to understand why they do it. The fundamental thing is to eliminate the cause but we can also help with other things.
Do you like baking and you have noone to bake for? You probably haven’t thought about your dog companion. However, you might also make some tasty and healthy goodies at home for it as well. I’ll tell you how.
Only a few per cent of loss of water may cause serious problems for your dog. However, we often don’t pay attention to its drinking and underestimate its importance. When there is a risk of dehydration, do you know how to avoid it or recognize it?
Dry food with larger proportion of meat might not only have positive effects on dogs’ organisms, when processed well, it will also make happy even the pickiest gourmets that usually don’t like dry food. Thanks to a holistic approach, you’ll keep the...
The days are getting warmer and our dogs and cat starts to shed. This has a negative impact on your household with all the hair. Have you found a way to reduce the contamination with hair at least a bit and speed up the process of shedding?...
Do you also barely resist the temptation to cuddle a dog, no matter if yours or someone else’s? It’s no surprise, a new study shows that such contact with a dog is like a drug for human brain.
There are plenty of reasons why we get flat-faced dogs. For their specific appearance, great nature, loyal love to their owner... And maybe also for their need of constant attention that makes us feel well. The flat-faced dogs are simply cute....
Brown rats, mice and hamsters as well as other rodents are quite small pets and sometimes, we don’t even think about dealing with them being overweight. However, if we like our pets and we want them to be well and stay with us as long as possible,...
