Dog nutrition tip, choose dog bones wisely

Healthy dog nutrition sounds like an easy goal, but there are certain foods that you much watch. While dogs in the wild have a strong disposition, tamed pets are more susceptible to the harsh quality of some foods. Knowing which foods to avoid will help prevent your dog from unnecessary distress.

Any dog owner knows how much dogs love bones, but not all bones are good for your pet.

In terms of dog nutrition, bones can provide excellent sources of protein and certain minerals. Unfortunately, there is a negative side to bones that can be harmful and even dangerous to your dog. That’s why it’s so important that you be careful which bones you allow your dog to eat.

The worst bones are those that are brittle and tend to splinter. This includes pork bones, lamb bones, chicken bones and any bones that produce shards. Boiled bones of any kind can become brittle and break off in dangerous jagged pieces.

These sharp pieces can become lodged in your dog’s throat or intestinal tract, causing severe pain and suffering. Left untreated, your dog could die from the blockage and damage the bones can cause. And it can happen very quickly.

You’ll be glad to know that you don’t have to deprive your dog of the dog nutrition available from bones. It’s simply a matter of knowing which bones are safest.

If you intend to feed your dog on bones, choose the thick knuckle bones and round bones as you find in beef. Your butcher can provide these bones to you. You might even get them without cost, which is a great bonus considering the cost of dog food.

Bones with meat provide excellent dog nutrition, but you can boost the value by adding other ingredients to your dog’s diet – ingredients you might not otherwise consider feeding your dog.

You can spend money on expensive, specially formulated dog meal but be certain you know it’s a good choice. Check the label to make sure the first ingredients are whole meat and not meat byproducts, corn or other product. Remember, the ingredients listed first are the highest content in the package. In other words, if beef is listed first, you can be sure there will be a good quantity of beef in that bag of food.

Conversely, if corn or wheat is listed at the top, the food will provide little dog nutrition because it’s main ingredient is filler.

Fresh meat is always best, but it must be cooked to remove any harmful bacteria. Mix it with grated carrots and ground egg shells to boost the vitamins, minerals and calcium in your dog’s diet. Egg shells are high in Vitamin E. You can purchase egg shells as a supplement, or simply crush those shells that you generally toss out after your cook your morning bacon and eggs.

If you’re concerned about dog’s health, add these extra steps and you can be sure your dog will get the best dog nutrition you can provide.