About Natural Dog Foods

Meat Products

• Perhaps the most popular of all dog foods are the big sacks of large dry chunks that are easy to store and can be purchased in bulk. However, not all dry dog foods are equal in health and safety standards. Even dog foods produced with only natural ingredients may not be healthy. Unidentified meat products are a red flag when choosing a natural, dry dog food. Avoid sacks that use the general words "poultry" or "animal" instead of listing the meat as "chicken" or "beef." Beware of meat byproducts in canned dog foods as well.

Splitting

• Vegetables and some whole grains are nutritious in a dog's diet, but meat is more important to your dog than high levels of rice or grain. For this reason, dog-food manufacturers are required to list their ingredients by weight. However, a deceptive technique known as "splitting" may fool consumers into thinking there is more meat in the product. Look for more than one form of grain, such as rice. If the label lists brown rice and then later lists white rice or rice grain, the three rice ingredients combined may add up to much more than the meat content. The same is true for oats, barley and other grains.

Homemade

• The only way to know exactly what is in your dog's diet is to make his food yourself. Some natural dog foods, even quality ones, contain meat products that may go rancid if they are stored in warm temperatures or allowed to sit on a store shelf for a few months. By combining cooked meats and vegetables, you can ensure that your dog receives a truly natural diet. Some dog health practitioners suggest cooking your dog's meat products to ensure that he is protected from chemicals used in the animal's feed. Healthy choices include beef, chicken, fish, carrots, broccoli and dairy products. Some dogs may not tolerate corn in their diet.

Raw Diet

• Affectionately called BARF (Bones and Raw Food Diet) by adherents, this popular dog diet advocates giving your pet the same foods he would find on his own if he were hunting in the wild. Some dogs experience skin allergies, hip and joint problems or other medical conditions, linked to their diets. Even some natural commercial dog foods contain high levels of fillers that may be unhealthy for some dogs. With the BARF diet, dogs are fed raw beef, pork or lamb bones or the large leg bones from chicken along with organ meat and grated fresh vegetables, eggs and milk. (See "Additional Resources," below, for more information.)

Warning

• When purchasing dog food billed as "natural," watch out for the inclusion of ocean fish ingredients on the label. Ocean fish may be processed with artificial ingredients and some may contain traces of mercury. Look for a disclaimer on the dog food product, stating that the ocean fish is mercury-free and that no artificial ingredients are present.