I stumbled upon this little gem while looking for some other nutrition-related information.  It is a booklet titled, Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs, which was published by the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2006.

I don’t know why the information is not spread all over the Web, but it should be.

I scour the Web over and over again, and I find Web sites and forums that talk about a dog’s nutritional needs, but they do not say how much (maybe it’s a liability thing). It frustrates the heck out of me.

I am a numbers and scientific proof kind of gal. For example, if I read that a dog needs calcium, I am not going to go on speculation based on speculation from another site.

I see it all the time – numerous sites that all say exactly the same thing (I call it ‘propagation of vague or incorrect information’). If the original source was wrong, then all the copy-cats are wrong too.

This booklet is unbiased, tells you how to convert dog food measurements (i.e., crude protein or crude fat percentages) into actual values. It also contains the daily recommended allowance for vitamins and minerals – it does mix grams, milligrams and micrograms, so check carefully.

So, who are these people who wrote this nutritional booklet? According to their Web site,

“The National Academy of Sciences is a non-governmental, non-profit organization chartered by the US Congress in 1863 at the request of President Lincoln. The Academy has two missions: to honor the nation’s top scientists, engineers, and health professionals with membership, and to serve the nation with independent, expert advice.”

Among every thing in the world, why did this group of scientists study a dog’ nutritional needs? The introduction in the booklet answers that question too,

“As our knowledge of the relationship between diet and health continues to advance and as the range of foods available for dogs continues to expand, it’s more important than ever to base feeding choices on good information.”

So, here ya go!

Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs – A Science-Based Guide For Pet Owners