Vegetables - While a few vegetables may serve as natural vitamin sources, most vegetables have little nutritional value to a dog as a dog can only digest about 30 to 50 percent of most of the vegetables we eat. Since many vegetables are mostly all water what little roughage they may contain can just as easily be gotten from cereal grains. Vegetables also contain way too little fat to be of any value as energy sources to a dog and any plant protein in them is likely going to be of low biological value to a canine.

Fruits - Fruits are of even less value to a dog than vegetables. The main vitamin obtained from fruits is vitamin C which surprisingly is not required in a healthy dog’s diet. A healthy dog produces enough vitamin C itself from glucose to meet its minimum daily requirements.

Other vitamin sources- There are several other good natural sources of vitamins available to a dog owner to feed their dog like eggs, cheese, bread and fish.

A vitamin mix has been proven to be the most accurate and efficient way to provide a dog’s daily requirements for each vitamin they need. If you do this you must carefully calculate the exact amount of the mix to add that will provide an adequate supply of vitamins to your pet.

Mineral Sources - Like vitamins, minerals are best balanced in every diet by using a mineral mix in amounts calculated to supply the requirement for each mineral and balanced to the caloric density of the overall diet.

In natural diets most of the trace minerals are found in adequate amounts in the natural ingredients used. It is very important that the major minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium be balanced during diet formulation to make sure that they are present in the diet in sufficient amounts and in the proper ratio.

Bone meal - Bone meal contains calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in almost the exact ratio required by a dog and if is fed in finely ground form most of the minerals it contains will be usable by your dog. Bone meal should be added at about 1/2 ounce for every pound of raw meat put into a dog’s diet being careful to never exceed that amount.

Since it is inexpensive and readily available bone meal is all too often fed as a cure-all for any dietary mineral problem. This usually leads to a greater imbalance in the mineral portion of a dog’s diet and is not recommended.

How much Raw Meat should you give your dog to have a balanced diet?