There was a time when no one gave a second thought to whether their dogs nutritional needs were being met. At that time, any old dog food would do. Now however, after study and research, we have learned that a quality food, wet or dry will impact our dogs health. A quality dog food has minimal fillers, added vitamins and minerals, and is appropriate for the dogs life stage. Dogs do not naturally produce all the nutrients they require so they depend on us to feed then quality, nutrient rich dog food.

There has been a trend lately to feed dogs bones and raw food, or "BARF" as it is known. The idea is to feed dogs what they ate in the wild, before they were domesticated. The truth is, it is hazardous to your dog due to toxins, food borne bacteria, intestinal obstruction and the possibility of intestinal perforation. If you stop to think about it, you will realize dogs did not live as long or as well in the wild as they do now.

In this article, I will discuss just a few of the important nutrients required for a healthy dog. One nutritional element you may not be familiar with is Iodine. Iodine is crucial for proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Just as in humans, the thyroid plays a major role in regulating metabolism and growth. Symptoms of hypothyroidism, which is not enough thyroid hormone, include poor growth, weight gain and hair loss, as well as weakness and irritability.