Everyone who own pets can give their dogs a healthy lifestyle if the pets are put on a wholesome nutritious diet. Wholesome and nourishing food is behind perfect health and a dog who is given nutritious food would always keep good health. A pet dog's diet is very similar to what health experts recommend us to eat, foods which are fresh and high in vitamins and minerals. This diet alone can promote optimal health in your pet dog and increase their lifespan.

If you wish to feed your dog right, you need to start with fresh natural components that are full of life. The concept of fresh foods is when the foods go through a token amount of processing, which usually depletes the crucial nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

Such diets can also include some home-made dog foods, some raw foods as well as foods which are dried. Dr Richard Pitcairn, who has done enormous research into the area of natural care for pets says that the best dog food is the one which is home-made and contains all the particular requirements of the dog.

Raw foods are gaining acceptance amongst a lot of pet dog owners though the subject is still under debate, but these pet dog owners are bit by bit realizing the goodness of raw foods. It is helping to clear many conditions such as chronic allergies and other degenerative ailments.

The good news is that rather than feeding a raw bone from your butcher, there are specialty stores that carry frozen natural foods that are well-balanced and safe. Today raw foods are available in freeze-dried form, a process known as 'cold processing' in which some of the vital nutrients like enzymes, amino acids and pro-biotic's are not lost.

Another form of natural dog foods are those which are dried, and since they are dried at very low temperatures, it is like the soup mixes you find available at the food stores. Since the process involves very little heat, the intrinsic enzymes and their activities are stored, till such times that the food is re-hydrated. The dehydration action only loses about 3% to 5% of the nutrients as opposed to other processes such as canning and the making of kibble which may cause the food to lose up to 60% of its nutritional value.

In terms of health, home created diets are a good option for the dog, but it is often tough to stick to the specific proportion of meat versus vegetables in the diet. Its good to know that there are pre-mixes that take the guessing out of making homemade dog food and all a pet dog owner needs to do is add some water and fresh meat to make a tasty treat for their four legged friend.

Just like a wonderful meal is a happy experience for us, it should not be any different for our four-legged friends. When we pay close attention to the freshness of the ingredients, the variety in what is served and the quality of food that we provide our pets, they will not only enjoy their eating experience but will stay happy and healthy too.