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Some pet owners firmly believe that standard dry dog food provides all of the essential nutrients that a dog needs to maintain a healthy body. However, they may not be aware of how harsh the cooking process can be for dry food. First we will give you some general background information on the dog food production process to help you understand why supplements may be necessary to keep your dog in optimum health.
There are two main ways in which dry dog food is produced. The first consists of blending ingredients and feeding them through an extruder. The typical “main ingredient” is usually meat by-products (such as meat and bone meal), flour, or grains. Not the healthiest choice for a base ingredient, eh? A dough is created and fed and fed through the screws of the extruder, which will use steam and pressure to help it take shape. After the dough has been cut into bit-sized pieces and given time to harden, it is sprayed with fat or other composites to make it tasty. After the kibble has cooled it is bagged and shipped off. The other common way to product dog food is to subject the food to high temperatures and then broken up into edible pieces. This production style usually does not require that additional fats be sprayed on.
The cooking process that the pre-made dog food goes through might kill essential nutrients that are needed. While most pet foods will contain the “average” amount of recommended vitamins, they do not provide additional vitamins for protection against diseases. This is before we even consider the fact that the basic ingredient of most dog food is a meat by-product, which would be anything from road kill to euthanized animals.
Vitamins aren’t the only thing that your dog may not get enough of from dry dog food. Your dog needs minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium (just a little), and potassium—just like we humans do.
So, you may be wondering how you can supplement your dog’s food? No, you don’t have to give him a pill or mix up a vitamin/mineral paste. All we mean when we say “supplement” is simply to add foods rich in vitamins and minerals to his diet. You could chop up a variety of vegetables to add to his dry food or puree them and mix it with his food. You could even consider switching your dog to the Raw Food Diet, found in the Dog Food for Life eBook.
If you are not giving your dog a vitamin supplement, take a good hard look at him. If you see he is losing weight, has skin lesions, or is losing his fur, then it is possible that he could have a vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is apparent when your dog loses some of his muscle tone. If you notice your dog might have a vitamin deficiency, talk to your vet to find out for sure. Your vet will either suggest that your dog begins to take the necessary vitamin or for you to change his food.
For more information about what nutrients should be part of a dog’s diet and what brands of food might not be providing them, visit Dog Food for Life.
