Feeding your pup the best food they need to thrive and enjoy can be challenging. You may have a fussy eater or a dog susceptible to food allergies. As a foundation you could start by looking into two feeding factors:
- Breed / Ancestry
- Metabolism
Breed / Ancestry
There is much debate between veterinarians, owners, scientists, and nutritionists as to what the actual diet of our modern-day dog’s ancestors was. What can be agreed upon is that the diets of eons past do not resemble what most dogs are eating today. Diets of our dogs’ ancestors varied tremendously by location, time of year, sex, health status, availability of prey and other foods, as well as many other factors. Today, most owners just open a bag and dump the food in the bowl. This is not to say that there aren’t foods available to the public that can promote health, but public awareness about them and economics can become limiting factors for pet parents.
According to experts, most dog foods come up short in comparison to the canine ancestral diet in three major ways: Not enough protein, unbalanced ratio of protein to fats, and realistically - food can’t be nutritionally balanced without some fresh ingredients.
Selecting ingredients that are similar to what the breed ate in their country of origin may lead to better compatibility based on genetics. The following list is an example of this feeding method. Other considerations regarding current food allergens would need to be taken into account:
- Welsh Corgi: Welsh Highlands - Cabbage, potato, oats carrots, beef, rabbit, fish
- Beagle: England - Beets, potato, lamb, rabbit, poultry
- Chihuahua: Mexico - Mango, avocado, poultry, rice
- Keeshond: Holland - Fish, poultry, dairy, rice, beets
- Shiba Inu: Japan - Sweet potato, green vegetables, cabbage, rice, poultry, lamb, fish
- Malamute: Alaska - Saltwater and freshwater fish, poultry, lamb, rice
- Lhasa Apso: Himalayas - Lamb, goat, poultry, fish, rice
- Basset Hound: France - Venison, rabbit, poultry, lamb, beets
- Greyhound: Egypt - Poultry, lamb, dried fruits (dates, figs), nuts (almonds), barley, rice
- Labrador Retriever: England - Fish, poultry, lamb, dairy, olive oil, green vegetables
- Weimaraner: Germany - Pork, poultry, beef, lamb, potato, cabbage, alfalfa, barley
- Bernard: Switzerland - Dairy, lamb, poultry, roots, green vegetables
Another tool to help guide you in finding an optimal diet that better matches the needs of your dog is done by assessing the oxidation rate. Oxidation is the amount of time it takes for a body to convert the food eaten (fats, carbohydrates, protein) into energy or fuel for that body. Using a Checkpup at home wellness test, your dog’s oxidation rate will be determined and diet recommendations will be made on the individual metabolism type. Then it’s just a matter of creating the perfect menu for your furry best friend!
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