The use of carbohydrates within pet food is probably the most controversial topics in pet food right now. Popular media has spent years demonizing different types of carbohydrates such as rice, corn, and even potatoes - calling them cheap-fillers, pro-inflammatory, and blaming them for a large range of diseases from obesity and diabetes to cancer. [...]
Category: Dog Food Basics
Advanced Dog Nutrition Calculations
Most compare dog foods just based on brand and ingredients list - which honestly doesn’t tell you much about the food itself or if the food will meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Today we will be covering more advanced nutritional calculations that you can use to evaluate if a diet is appropriate for your dog, [...]
Fat in Homemade Dog Food
When we consider which fats to add to our dog's food and how much of those fats are needed it's important to first understand four main things. 1) The Purpose of Fat in Homemade Diets, 2) How much fat our dogs need, 3) The benefits or drawbacks of different types of fats added into the [...]
Protein in Homemade Dog Food
The positives and negatives of using different protein sources in homemade dog food.
Canine Nutrition Basics: Protein
Learn about protein in dog food, how much is enough / too much, essential amino acids, and protein digestion.
Stop Using the Guaranteed Analysis to Compare Dog Foods
How to convert the guaranteed analysis to a percent calorie basis and dry matter basis to compare dog foods.
The Best Dog Food for Active Dogs
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an ideal food for your dog is their activity level. The dog who gets a less than 15 minute walk each day has significantly different nutritional needs than that of a canine athlete. And even the nutritional needs of canine athletes change depending on the type and duration of activity.
Puppy Nutrition Basics
We know through countless research studies that puppies have significantly different nutritional needs than that of adult dogs. We know they need MORE protein, fat, vitamins and minerals within their diet in order to provide nutrients for developing bones, muscles, ligaments and organs. But we also know several nutrients need to be kept in specific ratios in order to make sure those bones, joints or organs develop correctly.
Senior Dog Nutritional Needs: Optimizing your Geriatric Dog’s Diet
When we think about senior dogs - I feel like most people think there is some type of “switch” that happens when their dog hits 7 years of age. Suddenly their active adult dog becomes a “SENIOR” and everything is different - perception of what is “normal” and “abnormal” starts to skew. A small limp [...]
How much food should I feed my dog?
The age-old question of how much dog food should I feed my dog is actually both rather simple and complicated. What you need to understand to start out is that just like each person has a different metabolism and activity level - dogs are similar. With the added complexity that dogs also come in a [...]