Healthy Dog Diet Guideline
Step 1 - Eliminate Toxins in Food

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Creating a healthy dog diet is a process. We dream of a more natural dog food diet full of healthy homemade dog food including vitamins and minerals, canine probiotics and raw foods. We also dream of the time to make it!

The truth is dogs now suffer from the same food addictions we do. They've become dependent on sugar and other flavor enhancing chemicals. These food additives are present in all major brands of dog kibbles and canned foods, but the levels do vary. (How else can dog food manufacturers get loyal dog consumers?)

If your dog seems a finicky eater, liking only one kind of processed dog food and turns up his nose at a carrot, here's an analogy. If you offer a McDonald's Big Mac and a carrot to a human used to fast food, which one is he going to pick?

A human eating fast food every day finds no flavor in fresh vegetables because they're accustomed to flavor enhanced foods. And its true! You can't smell or taste the subtle flavor of natural foods. Still, all of us, including our dogs, can change with a little patience.

Keeping this in mind and knowing that cooking for your dog on a daily basis can seem a time consuming and overwhelming feat, I have created a step by step guideline to change your dog's current diet into a healthy dog diet.

You don't have to cook for your dog to make him healthier than he is now. Completing Step One of Elimination and Additions will help a lot.

Step One - Elimination

I'm not talking about dog poop. We start with the elimination of bad dog food ingredients. Some are toxins in foods which are pure poison for dogs. Others are simply useless.

Remember that itching, scratching, dry flaky skin and hot spots evolve into lumps, bumps and tumors - and that's just on the outside!

Note the last three on the list while not foods, can cause all the same symptoms and more. . . and never undervalue good clean water.

Okay, here we go:

• BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin - All highly toxic preservatives.
• By-product meals - Chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, corn gluten meal.
• By-products - Wheat midlings, soybean hulls, husks, bakery fines
• Tallow, lard - Highly saturated fats
• Animal digest - Made from dead, dying and diseased animals
• Beet pulp, tomato pomace, cullulose, potato starch, phosphoric acid - None of these items have nutritional value. They are added only to reduce gas and help form stool.
• Tap water - Give only filtered or distilled to remove chlorine and other toxins.
• Topical flea killer - Eliminate or at least cut back by using less often than recommended and only during flea season. See the section about fleas on dogs.
• Heartworm pills - Eliminate or at least cut back to when there is actual risk of exposure. See dog heartworm treatment.
• Unnecessary vaccinations - In the United States, the canine rabies vaccine is the only dog shot required by law. Read more about dog vaccinations and side effects.

Step One - Additions

Now that we've covered 'Out With the Bad', let's move on to 'In With the Good' and the real beginnings of the healthy dog diet you've always wanted for your baby!

• Add a high quality health supplement, like Dr. Bob's Nuggets.
• Real Meat - Add a little human grade meat, raw or cooked to the food bowl.
• Carrots - Usually one of the easiest veggies to start with, start with small pieces as treats or grated mixed in food.
• Green Salad - If you eat them, it's so easy to share a little with your dog. No dressing please. If not, see Healthy Dog Treats for ideas.

By accomplishing everything in Step One, you can feel full of pride. Not only are you getting rid of things that ruin your dogs health, you are adding things to improve it. Pat yourself on the back and feel good. You deserve it.

Now you will be able to watch for improvement in your dog's energy, happiness and physical condition.

And remember this, dog health from a healthy dog diet is a process. A lot can go on behind the scene before you SEE results. And once you are comfortable with these changes, you can move on to Step Two. which we will call Nutritious Dog Food.

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