Articles

Although the dog is considered to be man's best friend and his most loyal and faithful companion, little thought is given to how they are fed. Many rely solely on dry pellets or food tins, mass-produced goods of convenience made with little to no consideration for a dog's nutritional well-being. If you truly value your furry friend, then natural dog food is the only way to take his health seriously.

Yet with all due fairness, canned food and dry pellets are very convenient. Dry dog food can be left out for days in the feeding dish, which means there is no need to watch over the dog to ensure he finishes his meal. He or she can merely come and go at his stomach's urging. Canned food on the other hand, keeps fresh unopened and ensures a moist and tasty meal no matter how long they're been in the pantry.

That said there are some who would contend that natural dog food is merely a trendy fad spawned from the same hippie urges that have made organic produce and fair trade so fashionable. The reality of the matter is that the convenience of commercial dog food comes at a price. Most brands are filled with disgusting animal by-products, unhealthy gluten and other components not suitable for consumption by dogs.

Furthering confusion is the fact that many companies exploit the liberal interpretation of "natural" exercised by food labelling regulation authorities by selling products falsely branded as "natural." In practice, it is possible to pass of dog food as "natural" even when it is filled with processed intestines and cow brains. Therefore, make sure the brand of natural dog food is from a trustworthy company.

One company that attempts to find a realistic place between health and convenience in making and selling natural dog food is Honest Kitchen. Their natural dog food products come in dehydrated form and are made from fresh natural ingredients such as organic grains, vegetables and real meat. Serving them merely requires adding warm water to rehydrate them into a full meal packed with nutrition.

Another company that specializes in natural dog food, albeit of another variety, is Merrick Dog Food. They deal in canned meals made of human-grade food free of antibiotics, animal by-products, hormones and preservatives. Some of their varieties include a juicy mixed meat combination of turkey, duck and chicken called Turducken and a high fiber chicken, potato and apple combo called Grammy's Pot Pie.