Posts Tagged ‘Dry Food’
Recently, there has been talk and questions about what is the best thing to feed your dog? Some people advocate the BARF or bones and raw food diet. Some feel that raw bones should be fed as a supplement to the dogs regular diet, and some believe an all meat diet is best. The simple truth is, a meat based, high quality dry food is the best solution. The cheap grocery store brands of dry dog food are made up mostly of grain, usually corn. Read the ingredients on the bag and look for protein, fat and Omega-3 fatty acid content. There should be at least 30% protein and at least 18% fat, as well as the Omega-3 fatty acids for immune system health, cell function, energy production and metabolism. These fatty acids also aid neurological development. Calcium and phosphorous are needed for teeth and bone development.
Some specific ingredients to look for when choosing a dry food for your dog or puppy include, lamb meal, which is better than just lamb because the lamb includes moisture content, which is not as optimal. Also, poultry meal, usually chicken, but not poultry by-product. Fat content is also important, but look for poultry tallow as the fat source as it is more easily digested than animal fat, which could come from anywhere or anything. Keep in mind that if you feed your dog a cheap, grain-based food, you will need to feed him twice as much to satisfy his hunger and you still would not provide the nutritional balance he needs.
If you dog develops a food allergy, it will be due to a specific ingredient, no matter which brand you feed your dog. Your vet will help you pinpoint the problem and decide the best food for your dogs particular allergy. Some indications of food allergy include, coat and skin problems (hotspots) and digestive or even respiratory symptoms. A change of food will take at least 8 weeks before you see an improvement.
What about treats? Are they part of a balanced diet for your dog? The answer is yes. In moderation treats are good for your pet. Try to get treats that do not contain a high amount of soybean and artificial color. Fruit, except for grapes and raisins are a good choice, as they are toxic to dogs. My 3 Dobermans like apples, watermelon and bananas. They can also have bits of cooked beef or chicken. In addition to treats, it is a good idea to provide your dog or puppy with a high quality, human grade pet vitamin. These supplements provide antioxidants, which fight cancer causing free radicals, as well as digestive enzymes needed for digestion that are lost in processing of dry dog food.
The older or senior dog requires some special feeding care. How do you know when your dog should be considered a senior? It actually depends on the size of the dog. Because large dogs do not tend to live as long as small dogs, a dog weighing 91 pounds can be feed a senior formula. Up to 90 pounds, a dog can be considered senior at age 6. Some of the health changes older dogs face are dental problems, obesity and failing eyesight. They require fewer calories but not decreased protein.
I just want to say a word here about nutrition for large breed puppies. The quality dog food brands have developed a special formula for puppies that will grow to be over 65 pounds. This is important because too much development too quickly can cause bone and joint problems as the puppy grows. The puppy should be well fed, but not overweight. The balance of nutrition in the large breed formulas is designed to prevent puppies growing too big too fast. I hope this helps answer some of the questions about what and how to feed your dog or puppy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_M_Sabol
Recently, there has been talk and questions about what is the best thing to feed your dog? Some people advocate the BARF or bones and raw food diet. Some feel that raw bones should be fed as a supplement to the dogs regular diet, and some believe an all meat diet is best. The simple truth is, a meat based, high quality dry food is the best solution. The cheap grocery store brands of dry dog food are made up mostly of grain, usually corn. Read the ingredients on the bag and look for protein, fat and Omega-3 fatty acid content. There should be at least 30% protein and at least 18% fat, as well as the Omega-3 fatty acids for immune system health, cell function, energy production and metabolism. These fatty acids also aid neurological development. Calcium and phosphorous are needed for teeth and bone development.
Some specific ingredients to look for when choosing a dry food for your dog or puppy include, lamb meal, which is better than just lamb because the lamb includes moisture content, which is not as optimal. Also, poultry meal, usually chicken, but not poultry by-product. Fat content is also important, but look for poultry tallow as the fat source as it is more easily digested than animal fat, which could come from anywhere or anything. Keep in mind that if you feed your dog a cheap, grain-based food, you will need to feed him twice as much to satisfy his hunger and you still would not provide the nutritional balance he needs.
If you dog develops a food allergy, it will be due to a specific ingredient, no matter which brand you feed your dog. Your vet will help you pinpoint the problem and decide the best food for your dogs particular allergy. Some indications of food allergy include, coat and skin problems (hotspots) and digestive or even respiratory symptoms. A change of food will take at least 8 weeks before you see an improvement.
What about treats? Are they part of a balanced diet for your dog? The answer is yes. In moderation treats are good for your pet. Try to get treats that do not contain a high amount of soybean and artificial color. Fruit, except for grapes and raisins are a good choice, as they are toxic to dogs. My 3 Dobermans like apples, watermelon and bananas. They can also have bits of cooked beef or chicken. In addition to treats, it is a good idea to provide your dog or puppy with a high quality, human grade pet vitamin. These supplements provide antioxidants, which fight cancer causing free radicals, as well as digestive enzymes needed for digestion that are lost in processing of dry dog food.
The older or senior dog requires some special feeding care. How do you know when your dog should be considered a senior? It actually depends on the size of the dog. Because large dogs do not tend to live as long as small dogs, a dog weighing 91 pounds can be feed a senior formula. Up to 90 pounds, a dog can be considered senior at age 6. Some of the health changes older dogs face are dental problems, obesity and failing eyesight. They require fewer calories but not decreased protein.
I just want to say a word here about nutrition for large breed puppies. The quality dog food brands have developed a special formula for puppies that will grow to be over 65 pounds. This is important because too much development too quickly can cause bone and joint problems as the puppy grows. The puppy should be well fed, but not overweight. The balance of nutrition in the large breed formulas is designed to prevent puppies growing too big too fast. I hope this helps answer some of the questions about what and how to feed your dog or puppy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_M_Sabol
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Joseph M. Sabol is a world class Doberman breeder. Please go to petvitamins4u.com or to theroadhousedobes.com for further information
Dog food is essential to your dog’s health care. You have several choices on the shelves in pet stores as well as feeding them with natural foods. The choice of what to feed them is going to be determined partly by the health problems they can exhibit in life. You will also want to determine the dog food you feed your dog on the nutritional value of the ingredients. There are four types of dog food you can give your pet. These include dry food, canned food, semi moist, and raw food. Your vet or dog breeder can tell you what they prefer to use and help you find a brand that has the essential ingredients for both puppies and adults.
Dry food is one of the best choices you will have. Some of the dry food may be high in carbohydrates and processed foods, but you will find overall they contain the most nutrients you will need to provide your dog. Dry food only contains 10% of water in the ingredients making it hard to chew for some older dogs. However the nutrients provided in the dry food is best even for older dogs. You can wet the food down just a little to make it easier. You will also find that the many types of dog foods available include all natural from several vendors like Purina. They have a cheaper line that is not as healthy, but cost effective for the consumer and then they have the all natural ingredients. You will be the deciding factor for health in your pet so keep that in mind.
Semi moist food tends to taste better to your dog, but it would take twice the amount of food you supply with dry food to find the proper ingredients. Semi moist food contains about 30% water along with turkey, chicken, other meat, and vegetables in the processing. The semi food, though not as nutrient rich is often easier for older dogs to eat. It provides a soft material they don’t have to chew as much. You will also find the semi moist dog food is a little more expensive, but not outrageous.
Canned food is the worst food you can supply your dog. It is made with 75% water and the rest is natural ingredients. Like semi moist it takes at least a double dose of the food to provide proper nutrition. You may find your dog prefers the taste and texture, but you are holding back essential nutrients and vitamins they need to be healthy. You can always supply one can of food or semi moist food for a special treat, but for over all healthiness in a dog you should head towards dry food or raw foods.
Raw foods need to be handled with special care. They need to be checked just like our food for problems before feeding it to the dog. Keep in mind that raw food is not going to be cooked like we do to kill some of the bacteria. So you can also be harming the dog if not supplied with top quality raw products. You will need to incorporate vegetables and raw meat in the food dish. You can grind the food into a paste for wet food or just serve the meat. If you are choosing the raw meat option you should talk it over with a vet before doing so. They will be able to help you determine what potential dangers exist from raw meat and vegetables regarding diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Some times your vet will even ask that you change to raw foods for their health.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Gerry Ronson is a writer for the websites Dog Collars. Dog Treats and Dog Accessories.
This article focuses on some of the nutritional foundations needed to insure your puppy grows into a healthy adult.
The mother’s milk provides the puppy with all the nutrients and antibodies he needs for the first four weeks of life. You can introduce moistened puppy kibble around the age of four weeks. This will be introduced to the puppy as he continues to nurse. You may feed the puppy his kibble twice a day as long as he is still getting enough of his mother’s milk. Whenever he gives up his nursing, which will be around the age of seven to eight weeks, his dry food feeding will increase. It is still advisable to moisten his dry food with warm water for a few weeks until he has adjusted. Unless your breeder or vet advises, it is not necessary to add canned puppy food to your puppy’s dry kibble. The dry puppy kibble is sufficient as long as you use a high quality puppy food.
Giving your puppy the right nutrition will provide him a healthy beginning for a healthy life. During a puppy’s first six months, he will need a highly digestible diet consisting of more protein and fat. A puppy is usually fed three to four small meals a day until he is about four months old. The amount at each feeding will be determined by the brand of food and the advice of the breeder and your vet. It is very important not to over feed the puppy as this may lead to problems later in their life. Along with the vet, your breeder will be able to guide you on the proper feeding plan of your new puppy.
When the puppy is four months old, you may start feeding him three times a day. Once again, the amount of each feeding will be determined by many factors including brand of food, breeder and vet advice. Around nine months of age a puppy is fed twice a day. Some vets recommend feeding a puppy once a day when they reach a year in age. There are some who think you should continue feeding a dog twice a day; just feed them smaller amounts in the morning and evening. This will help avoid gastro-intestinal problems, especially in larger breed dogs. This varies of course and should be discussed with the vet and breeder.
There are many commercial pet foods available for puppies and the quality of these foods vary. Normally the higher quality foods cost more as they use higher quality ingredients and less fillers. This means your puppy will be able to get more nutrients while consuming less food. During a puppy’s growing stage is not the time to try to save money on cheaper pet food or to feed your puppy table scraps. A quality puppy food will have all the necessary vitamins, proteins and nutrients the animal needs. Also, it is not necessary to give your puppy extra vitamins or supplements if the animal is on a quality pet food unless your vet advises you to do so. Along with quality puppy food make sure your puppy has fresh water at all times.
Large breed puppies actually need less calories and calcium in their diets. A puppy who consumes too many calories and too much calcium may develop joint problems. Large breed dogs have a slower metabolic rate and actually reach their adult weight later then smaller breed dogs. It is essential that large breed puppies don’t grow too fast or put on too much weight as puppies as this could cause developmental skeletal problems in later life. Large breeds are usually kept on puppy food longer then smaller breeds; sometimes from one year to eighteen months. Ask your vet or breeder when the large breed puppy should be switched to adult dog food.
As discussed before, table scraps are not recommended for dogs. Any human food that contains salt, sugar or other addictives may upset the puppies or dogs gastro system. Animals don’t need salt or sugar in their diet and human food is loaded in these ingredients.
Good nutrition for your puppy is the stepping stone to a healthy, happy dog. A well cared for puppy is easier to train and will make an obedient and trusted member of the family.
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Jim McKiel lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife Doris and their pet family members Buddy and Buster. They have devoted their lives to the betterment of pet ownership. For more information, visit Large Breed Family Dogs
It goes without saying that your dog needs suitable nutrition to remain healthy. Vets and pet food manufacturers often have differing views on appropriate nutrition for your dog. Although commercial pet food manufacturers are motivated in large part by profits, commercially prepared foods are routinely recommended as part of an adequate, or good, diet for your dog. Sometimes your vet or dog breeder may approve of commercially prepared foods as your dog’s sole diet. Many experts, however, tend to prefer a largely natural diet which for dogs is invariably comprised of meat and bones. Raw is preferable to cooked, as some of the minerals are definitely lost in the cooking process.
The reason why the commercially prepared pet food is so often fed to our dogs, is because, apart from the convenience, it can (depending upon the quality) actually contain many of the nutrients which are essential to your dog’s wellbeing. The key word here is quality. There are in fact very, very few commercial manufacturers which produce nutrient-rich food. And they’re not the brands you find in your supermarket, or even in most pet stores or vetinarians.
Raw bones with a little dry food as well as occasional rice or pasta, and perhaps the odd quality food scrap from your table, will generally contain most of the nutrients which your dog needs.
All dogs must obtain reasonable nutrition from their food to maintain excellent health and performance. The main nutrients required by your dog are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vitamin or mineral deficiency in dogs fed a commercially manufactured diet today is not widely publicised. But then again, the slosh and dried formulae which are readily available from your vet or the local supermarket are not your dog’s natural diet. If your dog was left to fend for itself in the wild (assuming it could manage to adapt, that is), would choose raw meat. And one of the reasons why meat, and especially bones, are so good, is the chewing action and the teeth cleaning function which the bones perform. Of course, there are also commercially prepared substitutes which can also effectively clean your dog‘s teeth and satisfy his/her need to chew.
A lesser known fact is that to feed your dog only meat (with no bones and no cereals or other carbohydrate source) can cause severe deficiencies: your dog is likely to become lethargic, sick, and even death has been known to occur from an all meat diet. But what about dogs in the wild, I hear you ask? Isn’t meat a dog’s natural diet? Isn’t that what you just said, Brigitte? Well, yes and no: in the wild dogs eat the whole of their prey, not simply muscle meat – they thus obtain vegetable matter from the digestive tract of their prey, and calcium from the bones. As well, wild dogs occasionally, but routinely, add to their diet with plants, fruit and berries.
Most dogs relish some raw fruit and vegetables in their diet, so long as that’s what they’re used to. A dog who has been fed commercially prepared dog food all of its life won’t be used to the taste of fresh food, so may well turn up his/her nose if you introduce such healthy food later in life. But persevere – try hand feeding pieces of carrot or apple to begin with. And if your dog is still very young, all the better. Start as you mean to go on and feed him/her some raw fruit and vegetables from time to time. Your dog’s health will benefit!
(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs
Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com
Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, click here for your dog health report.
There is much more to feeding a dog than buying a bag or can of dog food. If you want your dog to be healthy and have a long life, then you need to put as much care into choosing what to feed your dog as you would do for yourself.
To maintain a dog’s healthy coat, eyes, teeth, and overall well being he needs to be fed good quality all natural dog food. The food that you choose to give your dog can affect his life in many ways. One of the first things that you should do is check the ingredients on the label. Dogs are carnivores and eat meat so all natural dog food should contain some type of meat.
Chicken, beef, liver, and lamb are all popular choices in many bags of dry food and canned foods. The meat should not come from a by-product. For example, some dog foods claim to have meat by adding hooves, skin, feathers, eyes, beaks, and other animal parts. It is also a good idea to make sure that the food does not contain soy. Soy is a common cause of allergies in dogs. Allergies can lead to skin conditions which are very hard to clear up.
If you are looking to add shine to your dog’s coat, then you should look for foods with healthy fats. Omega 6 is a great way to help your pet have a healthy coat. Vegetable oils are one way for a dog to gain Omega 6 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are good ways to help soothe irritated and troubled coats with Omega 3 fatty acids. Many vet offices and pet stores also have supplements that dogs can be given to increase the healthiness of their hair.
Proteins and carbohydrates are the best sources to give your dog for energy. These are very important to look for when feeding young or working dogs that burn many calories during the day. Older, less active dogs can benefit from healthy weight formulas that contain fewer calories. In general at least 10% of the diet should be protein while 5.5% is fat or fatty acids.
In addition to his all natural dog food diet, your dog should also be given crunchy bones. The crunchy, abrasiveness of the bones helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and the gums healthy. Be careful when giving your pet toys or foods that are harder than his teeth, as they could cause tooth breakage.
All natural dog food will give your dog all of the benefits that he needs to be healthy, energized, and looking good. Remember this type of dog food has easy to digest, high quality proteins as well as complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Giving your dog all natural dog food will ensure you are also giving him an enhanced lifestyle and ultimately a longer life.
There is much more to feeding a dog than buying a bag or can of dog food. If you want your dog to be healthy and have a long life, then you need to put as much care into choosing what to feed your dog as you would do for yourself.
To maintain a dog’s healthy coat, eyes, teeth, and overall well being he needs to be fed good quality all natural dog food. The food that you choose to give your dog can affect his life in many ways. One of the first things that you should do is check the ingredients on the label. Dogs are carnivores and eat meat so all natural dog food should contain some type of meat.
Chicken, beef, liver, and lamb are all popular choices in many bags of dry food and canned foods. The meat should not come from a by-product. For example, some dog foods claim to have meat by adding hooves, skin, feathers, eyes, beaks, and other animal parts. It is also a good idea to make sure that the food does not contain soy. Soy is a common cause of allergies in dogs. Allergies can lead to skin conditions which are very hard to clear up.
If you are looking to add shine to your dog’s coat, then you should look for foods with healthy fats. Omega 6 is a great way to help your pet have a healthy coat. Vegetable oils are one way for a dog to gain Omega 6 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are good ways to help soothe irritated and troubled coats with Omega 3 fatty acids. Many vet offices and pet stores also have supplements that dogs can be given to increase the healthiness of their hair.
Proteins and carbohydrates are the best sources to give your dog for energy. These are very important to look for when feeding young or working dogs that burn many calories during the day. Older, less active dogs can benefit from healthy weight formulas that contain fewer calories. In general at least 10% of the diet should be protein while 5.5% is fat or fatty acids.
In addition to his all natural dog food diet, your dog should also be given crunchy bones. The crunchy, abrasiveness of the bones helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and the gums healthy. Be careful when giving your pet toys or foods that are harder than his teeth, as they could cause tooth breakage.
All natural dog food will give your dog all of the benefits that he needs to be healthy, energized, and looking good. Remember this type of dog food has easy to digest, high quality proteins as well as complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Giving your dog all natural dog food will ensure you are also giving him an enhanced lifestyle and ultimately a longer life.
Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com
For further research into what to feed your dog read this review All Natural Dog Food