Amongst other things, providing a proper diet is important for your Jack Russell terrier. Many people find it easier to provide canned dog food to their pets with the hectic lifestyle that they are having today. However if we want the best for our dog, then we have to look at other sources of food - namely non-commercial dog food. Would you believe it? Most of my friends find a difference in their Jack Russell's health when they switched from canned dog food to homemade dog food.
Raw Dog Food
When providing non-commercial food, we can either provide raw, cooked or mix raw and cooked food. There are pro and cons to providing raw food to your Jack Russell. The major problem with raw food is that it may contain bacteria such as e.coli or salmonella. If your Jack Russell consumes food with these bacteria it may cause problems for him.
Dog Food
Luckily your dog's stomach is strong enough to take care of other common bacteria. This is due to the fact that your terrier's stomach produces hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that create a level of acidity in the stomach which prevents these bacteria from thriving. If any of these bacteria survives the acid, thankfully the small intestine of your is very short and these bacteria gets passed out without causing any problems. The advantage of raw food is that it is easier to be digested by tour dog in most cases.
Cooked Homemade Dog Food
The advantage of cooked homemade food for your Jack Russell is that cooking kills the harmful bacteria but unfortunately it also destroys some of the enzymes in the food that is beneficial to your terrier. Hence digesting cooked food requires more enzymes than digesting raw food.
Another case for providing cooked food is that some dogs may also have weaker stomachs and their stomach may not produce the necessary level of acids and enzymes that is able to fight and kill the bacteria in the raw food. In cases like this you have no choice but to provide cooked homemade dog food for your Jack Russell.
Commercial, Cooked Or Raw Dog Food
Commercial, homemade cooked or raw food? That depends on the individual as well as their dogs. If you truly have a very busy lifestyle, you may not have the time to cook the food for your dog. As such, it may be more convenient for you to feed your dog with the raw stuff. However some dogs may have a weaker stomach and may not be able to take their food raw. To let their dog's system get used to it, I provide my dogs with cooked food first and then slowly transition them to raw dog food.
At the end the ultimate decision depends on how well your dog can adapt to raw food. If he has problems with raw food due to his weaker stomach, then you have no choice but stick with cooked homemade food. If you really have no choice, then you will have to feed your dog commercial dog food.
Commercial, Raw Or Cooked Homemade Dog Food For Your Jack Russell? Dog Food
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