What is natural dog food ?
Like many people today when I see the words natural dog food, I think
it must be healthy and good, I'm not quite sure that is always correct. So
I think, you need to be careful and not make a snap decision on how good food is for
your dachshund.
Natural food to some people means fresh, unprocessed, no chemicals or synthetic ingredients, only natural preservatives, no colors and added flavors.
Others may feel that natural food relates to the types of food, that dogs ancestors like wolves, would get from a kill. I think most people think that if it has the word natural it must be better that a commercial produced food but this may not always be the case.
Dog Food Additives
Many dog food producers use food coloring that are known to have chemicals that possibly cause cancer. Some to keep a look out for are..
- Red 3
- Red 40
- Citrus Red 2
- Yellow 6
- Blue 1, 2
- Green 3
try to avoid these.
There are natural food coloring additives that do not cause problems, some of these are – saffron, paprika, turmeric, beet extract, grape juice, beta carotene, annatto and carmine.
Preservatives like...
- Ethoxyquin
- Butylated hydroxyanisole ( BHA )
- Butylated hydroxytoluene ( BHT )
...are artificial and are used to extend the shelf life of many dry dog foods by preventing the fat content from becoming rancid. Most owners should steer clear of using dog foods that include any of these.
Natural preservatives like vitamin C and E, some plant extracts like rosemary work effectively to preserve oil and keep dry dog food healthy and natural.
What is the best food for your dachshund raw or processed?
One school of thought is that dachshunds are hunting dogs and the best natural dog food is raw meat and similar vegetable matter that would be in animals the dog would kill in the wild.
This is known as BARF, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, natural whole raw food diet, raw meaty bones, chicken, beef and pig, vegetables such as carrots, peas, broccoli, etc…
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For owners looking for commercial foods that are trying to give dogs a raw diet that is similar to their wild ancestors, will possibly choose either frozen, freeze dried, or dehydrated foods. When you rehydrate these raw ingredients with water it becomes a raw dinner that many dogs love. |
Other manufacturers selling natural dog food may market their food as canned or kibble but ensure the ingredients are top quality and contain no artificial additives.
Natural pet foods should not contain any artificial, colors, flavors, sugars or chemical preservatives. Many manufactures of natural dog food use human quality ingredients to ensure high quality.
Also these foods will not contain any grains that are difficult to digest, corn, wheat, gluten and soy which are sometimes used as a source of protein instead of meat.
Chicken meal used should be made from USDA chicken which is free from growth hormones and steroids. Sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and beta carotene.
Typical ingredients used to produce natural pet food
- Chicken, venison, turkey, lamb and beef these meats are often human grade quality.
- Salmon meal or Menhaden meal
- Rice, lentils
- Eggs
- Flaxseed oil, fish oil
- Variety of fruits, apples, cranberries, blueberries.
- Variety of vegetables – sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, celery, spinach, pumpkin, alfalfa.
- Vitamins A, C, E, Beta Carotene and Antioxidants
- Minerals especially Amino Acid chelated.
Pet Product Suppliers
Today I feel many well know pet food companies put profit before quality and unfortunately source cheap ingredients which may be detrimental to our dog’s health.
Recently on checking the labels on many popular brands I was surprised and disappointed at the poor grade of ingredients listed on some of these.
Sometimes what seems to be most convenient and reasonably priced suppliers of dog food e.g. local or grocery store do not stock the top quality brands you may like to access, if wanting to feed your dachshund friend the best diet available.
Please visit our recommended premium natural dog foods page which provides your dog with some of the best dog food in the market.
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The information given on this site,is compiled from our
knowledge and research and is designed to supplement
not replace your vets or other professionals advice.
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