Healthy Diet for a Dog

Owning a dog can be one of the most satisfying experiences in your life. Dogs are very social, loving and intelligent and for some people are almost like raising children. However, many people have a difficult time understanding what keeps their dog healthy. What does a dog eat? Generally, store bought dog food tries to maintain a healthy balance, but sometimes they skimp on nutrition for the sake of saving money. It is important to understand what foods a dog needs in order to understand whether he is healthy.

  1. Meat

    • The primary ingredient in a healthy dog's diet is meat. Dogs are carnivores, which means they primarily eat meat. Meat should take up 55 percent of a dog's diet. Protein is essential in dog health because dogs get the majority of their energy and nutrition from protein. Humans tend to get energy more from carbohydrates. Any kind of meat is healthy for a dog. Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish and even eggs can be healthy for a dog. If you don't have the money to feed your dog such luxuries, make sure her store bought dog food has health doses of meat. Also, control how much your dog eats. It is a bad idea to put dog food into a container that continually feeds her. Dogs always appear hungry, even after they have eaten. Use only the recommended dosage of dog food every day to keep her healthy.

    Vegetables

    • Though a dog is a carnivore, small doses of vegetables are beneficial to a dog's diet. Vegetables contain antioxidants that can help improve the immune system. Veggies have even been shown to fight against cancers. They also contain chlorophyll, which fights free radicals that cause cancer. Though the vegetable content in a dog's diet should be considerably less than humans, only around 20 percent of their diet, adding even a small percentage can help your dog remain healthy for years. A few good vegetables to include in your dog's diet are broccoli stalks, lettuce leaves and asparagus spears. Grind these up finely and add them to his food. Many over-the-counter dog foods do not contain enough vegetables.

    Grains and Carboyhydrates

    • Some experts believe that grains are essential to a dog's diet. Brown rice, barley and oatmeal have vital vitamins and antioxidants that can help a dog fight disease and remain healthy. Dogs teeth are not built for breaking down grains, however. They are mostly sharply pointed and designed to tear away meat. This can make it difficult to feed your dog grains. All grains he eats should be finely ground up and mixed in with any other food he is given. This will make it easier for him to digest. A dog's digestive tract is also shorter than a human's, so very complex carbohydrates should be avoided, like beans, because they will simply pass through the dog and offer little nutrition. It can also be painful for the dog to pass.