Dog Food for Health Problems

Choosing a dog food for health problems requires research. You must first understand what health problem your dog has and how certain foods affect the dog's particular health problem. Some health problems may dictate a raw or cooked diet (such as osteosarcoma or Cushing's disease), but unless your vet is open to a different type of diet, he may not recommend anything but kibble. This article will discuss dog food for health problems.

Kibble has many fillers, preservatives and just plain junk in the formula unless it is a high-end specialized kibble. Some ingredients may not agree with your dog's system because of a health problem. Sometimes, the kibble itself can cause the health problem (dry, itchy skin, bad teeth and stinky fur/hair).

Finding the correct type of food for your dog when it has a health problem can be a challenge because some veterinarians will stake their reputations on a certain brand of dog food. If your veterinarian is not open to discussion about other foods or other types of diet for your dog, you should seek a second, and sometimes a third, opinion on your dog's diet and health problems.

Commercial dog foods that contain only certain ingredients may work well with dogs that have health problems, if you can isolate the ingredient that is causing the problem. If not, you may do well to switch to a home-cooked diet or a raw diet. Even though a raw diet is one of the best diets for your dog, a raw diet may exacerbate some symptoms. This doesn't depend on just the health problem, but also depends on the dog and its digestion system. Some dogs with Cushing's cannot have a raw diet, so they are fed a home-cooked diet. Dogs with osteosarcoma can have a raw diet, but there are diets designed around home cooking because of herbal medications given to the dog or for other digestive reasons.

Different diets and special diets may or may not help to prolong a dog's life. You may notice a difference in a few days, a few months, or you may not notice a difference. It depends on the dog, the disease and how far the disease has spread. While diseases like Cushing's can be controlled partially with medication and diet, fast-spreading diseases like osteosarcoma have less of a chance to be controlled with diet. Health problems, such as allergies and intolerances to certain foods, can be controlled with diet for the full life of a dog.

You should always seek more than one veterinarian's advice on disease and diet. You should also do your own research, as some veterinarians swear by kibble and do not believe in other methods of feeding. Using alternatives for feeding to control dog heath is relatively new, and a lot is by trial by the average dog owner. See the links in Resources for more information on different diets and commercial dog foods and diseases in dogs.