Heavy bags, little cans, big cans, cute packs, dry foods, soft food, semi-moist, biscuits, candies, people-like cracker, chewies, and gourmet bon-bons… Today's dog owners come face to face with a bewildering selection of foods for the family pet.

In the past, when such a selection wasn't available, dogs were typically fed food that was most abundant in the region. In the U.S., a dog's diet might off consisted of cornbread in the main; in Europe, the main fare was potatoes; and in the arctic, fish and whale blubber was mostly fed.

These diets often result in a variety of diseases, such as rickets, black tongue (pellagra in humans), and an assortment of other ailments, many of which were fatal.

Living in the wild, a canine isn't restricted to eating just the meat of its prey. The entire animal, including the content of its stomach is eaten. Wild dogs would fight each other for the content of prey's stomach. Thus, wild animals eat food that was more nutritionally complete.

A domesticated dog wasn't offered that luxury, and often ended up with leftovers or table scraps. Due to the poor quality diet is result in series nutritional deficiencies and imbalances.

Even thou the canine are carnivorous animals – minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are still necessary to satisfy the nutritional requirements as with humans.

Nutritional requirements for canines was compiled and published by the National Research Council (NRC) in 1953. The NRC is a scientific body that gathers research data.

In the U.S. an enormous expansion became apparent in the pet food trade after WWII. Pet food manufacturers began competing in this highly competitive industry for the multi-million dollar business.

In order to prosper in this market it was necessary for the pet food manufacturers to offer dog food that was:

• To be nutritionally complete. That meant to include the twenty-six nutrients that the NRC advised.

• Palatable to the dogs taste – the pet must enjoy the food.

• Convenient and easy for the pet owner to handle.

• Competitive in the marketplace.

The pet industry have hired nutritionists and established laboratories to provide the nutritional targets to meet the standards of the NRC.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you're looking for more delicious recipes to treat your best friend, then you won't do better than "Healthy Food For Dogs: Homemade Recipes." I highly recommend it.