We Utilize Tracker for our adult dogs. Wewe have used Joy with great success as well. Both can be found at your local feed store. I also highly recommend Science Diet for your puppy.
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We offer advice and options only for devote dog lovers. These options are based on discussions and suggestions from other TRD owners and vetrinarians. As we all know results vary from animal to animal and breed to breed.
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BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and also stands for Bones And Raw Food.
BARFBARF is about feeding dogs properly. You feed it the diet that it evolved to eat. ... A biologically appropriate diet for a dog is one that consists of raw whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs wild ancestors. The food fed must contain the same balance and type of ingredients as consumed by those wild ancestors. This food will include such things as muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that will mimic what was those wild ancestors ate.
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Following is a quick check list to determine if your dog is getting what he needs:
he doesnt want to eat the food
he has large, voluminous stools that smell awful
he has gas
his teeth get dirty and brown
his breath smells
he burps a lot
he constantly sheds
he has a dull coat
he smells like a dog
he is prone to ear and skin infections
he has no energy or is hyperactive
he easily picks up fleas
he easily picks up worms and has
to be wormed frequently
his immune system is impaired
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Your dog is a carnivore, they need meat.
Dogs are carnivores not vegetarians. They require meat. Their teeth are made to rip and tear meat not to grind up grain. Also your dogs digestion starts in their stomach, not in their mouth. All of these enzymes are meant to break down meat,raw foods.
Your dogs body, as well as yours, is made up of cells. Each cell needs 45 nutrients to function properly. The cells need:
protein, consisting of 9 to 12 essential amino acids
carbohydrates
fat
vitamins
minerals
water
All these nutrients need to be in the correct proportion for the necessary chemical reactions of digestion, absorption, transportation and elimination to occur. If the cells are going to be able to continue to live, the exact composition of the body fluids that bathe the outside of the cells needs to be controlled from moment to moment, day by day, with no more than a few percentage points variation.
These nutrients are the fuel, which is converted into energy. Energy produces heat and how much heat is produced determines the ability of your dog to control his body temperature, critical to a healthy life. Everything your dog does, from running and playing, to working, and living a long and healthy life, is determined by the fuel you provide and the energy it produces.
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Animal Protein Deficiencies
When your dog does not get enough animal protein as part of his diet, or there is an imbalance of his nutrients, one or more of the following may occur:
chronic skin and/or ear infections.
reproductive system, heart, kidney, liver, bladder, thyroid and adrenal glands may be compromised
may develop some kind of epilepsy or cancers
spinning or tail chasing
aggression
timidity
lack of pigmentation
excessive shedding
crooked whiskers
gastrointestinal upsets, vomiting or diarrhea
poor appetite
impaired ability to heal from wounds, for example, spaying and neutering
weakened immune system which cannot deal with
vaccines, for example, may contract the disease.
A majority of the working breeds and sporting breeds need extra animal protein in their diets.
Dogs that lead a couch potato existence can survive on food with more plant than animal protein.
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Carbohydrates -
Your dog also needs carbohydrates or grains, and some vegetables for energy, proper digestion and stool formation. Dogs do not need many carbohydrates to be healthy, so a diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein is an ideal diet.
Diets high in carbohydrates take a long time to digest, produce voluminous smelly stools, build up tartar on your dogs teeth and makes his gums sore and his breath smell.
Oats, barley and brown rice are whole grains which contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. They also contain protein and fat.
Corn is a popular grain because of its price.
Soy is another carbohydrate that is found in some foods. Soy admittedly is high in protein, but binds up other nutrients and makes them unavailable for absorption. Stay away from dog foods that contain soy. It is best fed to those species of animals that have 4 stomachs or birds with gizzards that can digest them.
The question that comes immediately to mind is "where do dogs in the wild get the grains and vegetables they need"? The answer is from the intestines of their prey, all neatly predigested, so the dog can utilize them.
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The manufacturer has choices on how to preserve the fat in food to prevent it from becoming rancid. He can use the chemicals BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin or propyl gallate. If a fat is preserved with these chemicals, it will have a long shelf life and be little affected by heat and light. Even so, many of us would prefer not to feed these to our dogs, especially ethoxyquin.
Or he can use natural preservatives, such as vitamins C and E. Vitamin E will be listed as tocopherol. The down side is a shorter shelf life, no more than six months.
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