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"Feeding Your Puppy Organic Dog Food Has Many Benefits"

What Is Organic Dog Food?

Organic dog food is natural food processed in an environmentally friendly way. Livestock is farmed responsibly, usually free-range and without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Vegetables are grown without using artificial pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or fertilizers.


Why Choose Natural Dog Food?

There have been many dog food 'scares' and re-calls over the past few years, unfortunately, with some tragic outcomes.

This increasingly high number of dog food re-calls has highlighted the fact that there are some unscrupulous dog food manufacturers using questionable manufacturing processes, producing poor grade, potentially harmful, dog food.

It's no wonder then that many dog owners are looking for a safer alternative; some choose to buy ready prepared organic dog food, others take the decision to make their own.

Organic dog food (commercial or homemade) typically contains more grains than normal dog food and a selection of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs - more in keeping with the type of diet your dog would have eaten in the wild.


What Are The Benefits Of Organic Dog Food?

It goes without saying that food grown without the use of herbicides, artificial fertilizers, or pesticides, and food that doesn't contain chemical additives or preservatives, has got to be good for your dog!

Common health problems such as 'dog breath', skin problems, allergies, hyperactivity, can often be the result of a poor diet and simply changing your dog's diet may ease, if not eliminate, these conditions.

The main benefits of feeding your puppy or dog organic food are as follows:

  • Eating carefully prepared organic food could add years to your dog's life - we all know the benefits of eating healthily, so why should it be any different for your dog?
  • Your dog will almost certainly have a healthier appearance; his coat will shine, his skin will be clear, and he'll have stronger nails, teeth and bones.
  • Your Cocker Spaniel will be able to maintain a healthier weight. As there are no 'fillers' in organic dog food, just natural goodness, your dog will feel fuller for longer. This in turn can help with weight management as your dog is likely to eat less - good news for overweight dogs!
  • Food containing only quality natural ingredients is much easier to digest than ordinary commercially prepared dog food and less prone to upset tummies.
  • Organic dog food can help to reduce dog food allergies triggered by chemicals or artificial additives and preservatives in commercially prepared dog food.
  • It tastes better!


Natural Dog Food Diet - What Can I Feed My Dog?

There are many human foods your dog can enjoy.

If your meals regularly consist of 'meat and two veg' (organic, of course) feeding your dog table scraps is acceptable; they should keep him fit and healthy.

However, if your diet regularly consists of burgers, pizza or chips, table scraps should be avoided. There won't be sufficient nutrients in these foods for your dog to stay healthy and they are high in fat and carbohydrates.

You can feed your dog any type of organic meat such as rabbit, chicken, beef, and lamb - don't forget to cut off most of the fat, to keep your Cocker Spaniel trim.

Fish, such as salmon or tuna, is a feasible alternative to meat and your dog may also enjoy an organic egg or two.

You can mix meat and fish with vegetables and whole grains, such as rice or corn, and oatmeal, to ensure your dog has all the nutrients he needs without resorting to vitamin supplements. Check with your vet - he may have a selection of nutritious recipes that would ensure variety for your dog.

Don't add extra salt to your dog's diet as too much salt is not good for him.

If you make up a batch organic dog food, it will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days; alternatively you could freeze the food in smaller portions and simply defrost when needed.


Commercially Prepared Dog Food

For whatever reason, (busy lifestyle, work or family commitments,) you may not have the time to prepare your dog's meals. Instead, you may prefer to buy ready-made organic dog food or commercially prepared dog food.

However, before you do, you owe it to your pet to understand exactly what ingredients are used in some of today's dog food brands - you can do this by carrying out a dog food comparison to ensure you buy only the best for your cocker spaniel.



Important Note: There are some human foods that you should never feed your dog, such as chocolate, grapes, raisins, and onions, as they can be dangerous to his health.



Tasty Organic Dog Food Recipe

Your dog will love this tasty chicken recipe. Not only is it a healthy organic alternative to shop-bought dog food - it's so easy to make too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of ogranic minced chicken
  • 2 cups of whole brown rice
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon of rosemary
  • 1/2 pound of finely chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 pound of diced carrots

Instructions:

  • Place the minced chicken, water, rice and rosemary into a large pan.
  • Combine all the ingredients - taking care to break up the minced chicken.
  • Put the pan on a high heat and bring to the boil.
  • When the mixture has reached boiling point, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • At this point, add the vegetables and cook until tender.
  • When the mixture is cooked and vegetables are tender, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
  • Place in foil containers and refrigerate until ready to use.


Important note: If you decide to make your own organic dog food, we recommend you consult your vet to establish the ideal ratio of protein (meat, fish or eggs) to carbohydrates and fats (including essential omega oils) to ensure your Cocker Spaniel's new diet provides all the nutrients he needs to stay healthy.

Your vet may recommend additional vitamins and minerals as a daily supplement.

As with any change of diet, don't forget to change over to your dog's new organic dog food gradually, over a couple of weeks, so as not to upset his tummy.




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More Titles In The Healthy Dog Food Series

Organic Dog Food

Feeding your puppy organic dog food has many benefits, including adding years to your cocker spaniel's life - learn more here!

Natural Dog Food

Natural dog food contains high quality ingredients. You won't find harmful chemicals or artificial preservatives and processing is kept to a minimum so that the dog food retains its natural goodness.

Prescription Dog Food

If your dog has recently been ill, or is suffering from a health problem, your vet may advise a prescription dog food diet for your cocker spaniel to replace his normal food.

Raw Dog Food

Feed your pet a raw dog food diet of fresh meat, bones, fruit and vegetables, with a few vitamin and mineral supplements thrown in, and see a marked improvement in your dog's health!

Raw Dog Food Recipes

A raw dog food diet (the BARF diet) can greatly improve your pet's health and appearance and can help him to live a longer life too! Try our raw dog food recipes and see the difference for yourself!

Holistic Dog Food

The word 'holistic' in holistic dog food relates to taking care of the entire body. One of the ways we can do this is by feeding our dogs good quality ingredients that then will 'feed' the entire body!

Vegetarian Dog Food

There are many vegetarian owners who choose to feed their dogs a vegetarian dog food diet, and whose dogs appear to thrive on it; however, it's not suited to all dogs. Learn more...

Hypoallergenic Dog Food

Dog food allergies are more common than you think and, in many cases, vets are recommending owners change their dogs onto a diet of hypoallergenic dog food to combat the allergy.

Homemade Dog Food

We've some tempting homemade dog food recipies here for your Cocker Spaniel to try. Why not try one - I'm sure he'll love you for it!

Dog Food Allergies

Dog food allergies often present many symptoms, making an allergy difficult to identify. Learn how to diagnose, treat, and eliminate a dog food allergy or intolerance.

Dog Poisoning

Learn how to prevent accidental dog poisoning from innocent everyday foods such as chocolate, onions, grapes and raisins. Also lists toxic household chemicals and poisonous plants.



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