dogs are great pets when it comes to feeding them. They can eat almost anything. From Vegetables to fruits, from live feeders to meat, a dog can have any of it and be satisfied. They also do not need much feeding anyway, as fully grown adult dogs only need to be fed once every three days.
Now, you might be wondering what if you could give your pet dog some dog food to munch on. I will say that it is a valid question due to the variety of foods your dogs eat. Dog food can be a good alternative to all the monotonous fruits and vegetables they are getting. Well, let’s find out if dog food is a good alternative for your dog?
is dog food a valid alternative?
You might have fed your dog some dog food and may have seen your dog be happy with it. Well, you cannot blame them as dog food can be tasty to them. Believe it or not, it also has the valid nutrients your dog needs, like proteins. However, once a dog is fully grown, its protein intake should only be around 20 percent.
So, in essence, your dog’s food contains too much protein for your dog. So it is okay once in a while for your dog to have some dog food as a treat or a snack, preferably once every month. However, you should never give it to them regularly, even to the juvenile dogs who actually can do some good with that protein, like growing their bones and so on.
Dog food can also make your dog overweight. This seems to be a pattern with all the protein-filled foods, but you will have to understand that dog food is meant for dogs and not for dogs. It is made keeping a dog’s nutritional needs in mind. Hence, to have a healthy dog, you should focus more on the design and good food for the dogs.
So, you might be asking what types of foods are good for a dog? Well, keep reading as we dive deeper into the topic of the appropriate dog foods.
what should I feed my dog:
dogs need to be fed very little, and they have long lives. A prepubescent dog will only need to be fed once per day in proteins and vegetables to accelerate its skeletal growth and bone development. A young adult will only need to be fed once every two days, while a fully grown member of the dog family will only need to be fed once every three days.
There are also appropriate foods you need to feed your dog. Let us see what types of food are good for your dog and how much and often they should be given to them.
vegetables:
dogs are either omnivores or herbivores. This means that all their species do derive their food from some sort of plant source. Hence vegetables are a great source of active nutrients your dog needs very much. However, you will have to steer clear of some vegetables as well, which we will talk about later in the article.
Here are the vegetables you need to feed your dog:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Pumpkins
- Squashes
- Peas
- Potato
- Turnip
- Carrots
- Tomato
- Radish leaves
- Mustard leaves
These vegetables have all the nutrients your dog needs, and they should be fed to them whenever it is time to feed them.
fruits:
dogs are very fond of eating fruit. They are full of essential nutrients, and they even protect them from various diseases. However, you should only feed them fruits once a month. In feeding your pets, moderation is key, so do not overstuff them with the food they do not need for. Also, stay away from any fruits that have citric acid in them, which may lead to digestive problems in your dogs.
Here are some of the fruits your dog will enjoy and are safe to eat for them:
- Papayas
- Mangoes
- Watermelons
- Grapes
- Apples
- Pear
- Strawberries
- Figs
- Banana
feeding them live prey:
To stimulate your dog and for exercise, you can also make them catch their food when it is time for lunch. dogs are predators. They like to go after their food. So to make them not forget their instincts, here are the types of live bait you would want to give them.
- Feeder Fish
- Mealworms
- Mosquito larvae
- Crickets
- Cockroaches
- Apple snails
- Caterpillars
- Beetles
MEATS:
dogs also love their meat. You can cook some meat and give it to them when it is time to feed them. Meat has all the essential nutrients like proteins that your dog needs to grow into a fully grown dog. Hence young dogs must be given a lot of it. However, you can stop feeding them more when they are fully grown as they only need 20% protein as a full-grown dog.
dog food pellets:
dog food pellets are very easily available in many pet stores and vet offices. If you want to give your dog something commercially available, then feed them dog food pellets instead of dog food. These pellets are designed by keeping your dog’s nutritional requirements in mind. Dog food is full of proteins and fats, which can even cause your dog to become overweight. Hence you must go for what is good for them inherently.
things you should never feed your dog:
The spectrum of the things that you can feed your dog is very wide. However, there are some things that you should never be feeding your dog if you do not want them to get sick.
The first thing is the onions. They are toxic for your dog. All vegetables that come from bulbs, which include onions and garlic, are toxic for your pet dog.
You should also never feed your dog Frogs, which can be readily available for some people. Frogs have toxic chemicals in their skins, and when they are being chewed to bits, the chemical is released, and the poison can kill your dog.
conclusion:
Dog food might be tasty for the buds of your dog. However, it is not an appropriate food. If you want to feed your dog commercially available and nutritional food to your dog, then you can opt for the available food pellets that are specifically designed for your dog.