When it comes to dog food, do you feel like you have been given a million rules?
Do this, don’t do that. Feed only this, never feed that. Etc…
While some rules DO apply – for example, never feed chocolate, onions or xylitol (and some other things) – there are many imposed rules that are not necessary.
For example: Why is it that we humans are encouraged to eat a variety of healthy, whole foods? Like meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, oils and more? Lots of different colors, nutrients and food groups? And yet, when it comes to our dogs, we are encouraged to NOT feed them that way?
Think about your diet. Or the diet of one of your healthy friends or family members. What do they eat? My guess is they do NOT eat the same foods, or many processed foods, every day.
So why is it that dog parents are told they should feed processed food, day in and day out, for years on end? What is wrong with this picture?
Common sense scenario. What sounds like a better day, food-wise?
Breakfast: Dry fortified cereal.
Lunch: Dry fortified cereal.
Dinner: Dry fortified cereal.
No multivitamin / mineral supplement – (since hey, the cereal is fortified!)
OR:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and blueberries.
Lunch: Turkey, steamed greens and oatmeal.
Dinner: Chicken, potatoes and broccoli.
Multivitamin / mineral supplement.
What is your instinctual, common sense answer?
Just as with any diet, your dog’s diet can be healthy or unhealthy, balanced or unbalanced. It can be full of junk or full of nourishing foods.
Most people I know who have started feeding a homemade diet are happy they learned how to do it, and haven’t looked back.
One common “rule” or warning given to dog parents is about ‘balance.’ Somehow it is expected that every single meal a dog eats should be “100% balanced.”
But I ask you… Is every meal you eat 100% balanced? Generally, we know that in order to have a healthy diet for ourselves, we eat a wide range of nutritious foods. The same can be said for our dogs.
So when it comes to dog food, why all the rules? Why can’t we just learn how to feed our dogs a healthy, nourishing diet?
Improving your dog’s diet can be a learning experience, and once you learn a couple tricks of the trade, it becomes second nature. I will help you.
Best to you and your dogs,
Sarah
Sarah Whitman, MS
Founder, Dog Food Coach