Better Food for Dogs

Neilynne picked up an interesting book for me over the weekend about dog nutrition. As you can see from the picture on the left it's called, "Better Food for Dogs." The authors are David Bastin, Jennifer Ashton and Dr. GRant Nixon, DVM.

Better Food for Dogs talks about commercial dog foods vs home made meals for dogs. It also includes recipes for our canine friends and they will love you for it. I found it very interesting since I always watch Shy, eat the same premium dry food day in day out. Doesn't she get bored of it? It's like me eating pizza everyday, and I love pizza, but I'd get bored of it no doubt. No wonder she sits with those puppy dog eyes looking for scraps from us. I would definitely recommend this book since it really opens your eyes to the nutritional needs of our dogs, how commercial dog foods may lack essential nutrients for the sake of lowered production costs, and how home made meals for dogs may improve the health of your dog.


Dog nutrition is still a very new subject. How many of us actually make home cooked meals for your dogs? I know I don't. I always thought the traditional dry kibble is good enough. It should have everything the dog needs. One important topic Better Food for Dog discusses is what dogs should not eat. Although dogs can eat many of the foods we do, there are several that will be toxic for our dogs. Here is a list of toxic foods your dog should never ingest taken from the book.

1. Anythings onions including onion powder.
2. Chocolate. Dogs cannot metabolize the chemical theobromine very well.
3. Tea
4. Alcohol. They are not to be your drinking buddy.
5. Macadamia nuts. Mmmmm...so good for us but no good for dogs.
6. Grapes and raisins which includes juices and wines with them.
7. Leaves and stems from tomatoes.
8. Rhubarb leaves.
9. Avocados.
10. Pits and seeds from fruits. Includes: apricot, apple, plum, peach and some cherries.
11. Bitter almonds.
12. Moldy or spoiled food. This is common sense.

Of course there are other harmful ingredients that may be toxic for your dogs. I would visit the National Animal Poison Control Center www.aspca.org/apcc to be sure.

So Better Food for Dogs was an interesting book and at the back there are recipes included to try out. If you are really thinking of changing your dog's diet to a home prepared one, have a look at the book and see what it says. Consult your veterinarian or a professional dog nutritionist as well use common sense and do your research.