I searched canine nutrition on the internet and it is scary !

Finding reliable info on your dog's food 

I stumbled upon a website offering article to live a better life with your dog. Curious, I open the nutrition page (I already had a bad feeling...). I find a few articles that seems harmless : toxic foods, age related feeding or even feeding your dog yourself. I open an article. I take some time to read it. I close it. Open another one. Read it more rapidly this time. Close it. Open an another one. Look at who wrote this thing. It was just someone who happened to have a dog and zero connection to canine nutrition. I read the article. Fast. I stop there and close the website's window. I'm shocked. No article include sources. No article is right - some parts are right but they're written wrong and the final result is confusing.

I'm thinking.

I open my drafts for blog posts and start writing.

Because damn it it should not be this complicated to find reliable info on your dog's food !

I mentioned some subjects so I'm gonna talk about them quickly.

Toxic foods :

Onions, Macadamia nuts, alcohol, coffee, grapes and raisin, chocolate.

The rest can be fed in smaller or larger quantities.

Garlic can be fed in small quantities and is good for your dog's health (unless your dog has coagulation issues), avocado flesh isn't toxic but is very rich so give just a little bit (be careful with leave, pit and skin that are toxic), butter is not bad for dogs even though fresh butter is better.

I'm no gonna talk about every food, there are other examples, and I can answer to reader's questions later.

Age related food :

Puppies need richer food because they must eat to make their body function and to grow it.

To avoid excessively large meals, we use more caloric food, more fatty foods. We also need to be careful to calcium and phosphorus intake.

Adult dogs need less caloric food than puppies in comparison and in general but the lifestyle and activity of the dog also need to be considered.

Senior dogs need less calories only if they move less. But they need more proteins to maintain muscle mass, because muscle tends to disappear with age.

Joints can and must be protected at any age.

It is easier to protect than to heal.

Using chondroprotectors (chondroitin, glucosamine), green lipped mussels, omega 3s (fatty fish like sardines) can protect joints and limit inflammation.

Feeding your dog yourself :

It is neither complicated nor dangerous when done properly, or when you asked for the help of someone who knows what they're doing.

The meal 30% meat, 30% veggies, 30% pasta or rice + food supplement is dangerous because it is not complete and it relies on supplements.

It's not recommended for humans, it's no different for dogs.

A complete meal demands more protein, some calcium (bone, egg shells), veggies and/or fruits, organs, omega 3s (fatty fishes).

We can choose a complete recipe or to balance over time.

Simple carbs like pastas or white rice are not necessary. Vegetable oils like sunflower or rapeseed are not necessary. Actually it's better to ban them from your cupboard. Supplements are not necessary (especially synthetics). Cooking the meat is not necessary.

I can give some sources but I've written the article without using outside sources.

Most information come from my courses. Some are just common sense. Others are from different studies I've read but I don't have the titles handy. A few are from books written by researchers or vets - vets that know what they're talking about.

I open my search window.

Useful studies :

Garlic can be dangerous in high doses but beneficial in the correct amount :

Hematologic changes associated with the appearance of eccentrocytes after intragastric administration of garlic extract to dogs in: American Journal of Veterinary Research Volume 61 Issue 11 () 

Feeding a senior dog :

20153170757 

Salmonella in kibble - it wasn't in the post but bacteria issues aren't more present in raw food then in kibble. Quite the opposite actually.

Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Contaminated Dry Dog and Cat Food, 2006–2008 | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics 

I stop looking for studies. I'm loosing myself in other nearly related subjects. I copied the links. It will be for another post.

I talk to the reader.

If you have any other question and that the internet is giving you 20 results with 50 different answers, use the contact form on my website, send me an email or a message on Ig. I'll answer. Or I'll make a post out of it if it is too long an answer. Anyways, you will have an answer from someone who is trained in canine nutrition and who keeps looking for more.