When trying to determine the best diet for your companion, there are two things to keep in mind: The fresher, the better, and rotation is optimal. While the ideal diet would be a continual rotation of fresh, raw foods, most guardians do not have the time and resources to carefully formulate and make their pet’s food. So if you can’t meet the ideal, just get as close as you can.

The freshness scale:

1. Home prepared diet

Home prepared food can’t be beat for freshness. This is especially valuable for animals with health issues such as allergies or immune disorders. Following a recipe is crucial so that proper vitamin and mineral supplementation is achieved. View books with home prepared diet recipes. For the freshness of feeding a home prepared food without the hassle consider choosing a pre-mix and adding your own fresh meats. Pre-mixes are a blend of ingredients that provide the necessary nutrients for a well balanced diet. View pre-mixes.

2. Frozen raw food diets

Frozen raw foods generally come either in a formula of raw meat, grains, and fresh vegetables designed to provide complete nutrition, or as pure raw meat designed to be added as a supplement to other types of food. Many health issues such as chronic allergies and inflammatory bowel disease can completely clear up on a raw food diet. Other chronic and degenerative diseases may be reduced or prevented by feeding a biologically appropriate raw diet. View frozen raw food diets.

3. Freeze dried foods & dehydrated foods

Since heat is the number one enemy of nutrients in food, freeze drying is a far superior way to preserve the nutrition and biological nature of fresh foods. Freeze dried food is an excellent way to supplement a dry, kibble diet or offer some variety in the rotation of your companion’s diet. Dehydrating is the oldest form of food preservation. Dehydration suspends the activity of enzymes in the food until the food is re-hydrated. Dehydrated food loses only 3 to 5% of the nutrients in the original ingredients as the temperatures used are much lower than those used for canning or for extruding kibble. View all freeze dried and dehydrated foods.

4. Canned foods

Canned food is a good option for those needing the convenience of processed foods but are trying to eliminate grains. It is especially important for cats to be on a meat protein based diet with minimal grains. Canned food is also a great way to supplement kibble for added variety and nutrition. It can also be used to increase the appeal of healthier diets and raw foods for those animals that are “addicted” to their dry kibble and are having a hard time accepting real food. View canned foods.

5. Dry kibble

If you choose to feed kibble as part of your companion’s diet, consider the source carefully. Become a label reader: the ingredients are not always what you might think. In evaluating a dog or cat food there are a variety of points to look for including the quality of the protein source, amount of grain by-products, and any artificial ingredients. View dry foods.

For more on What You Need To Know About Your Pet’s Food, view the entire article…